Jord's Hiking Blog: Sarrail Ridge

Dist: 11.4km Elev: 710m Time: 3h Difficulty: 4/5

Determined to sneak in another after-work trek with the ever-shortening daylight hours, I headed west straight from the clinic for a little solo adventuring. My drive was spent evaluating objectives on my "hit-list" and doing mental math to determine realistic options given my commitment to Melinda to be back on Highway 1 before sunset. Sarrail Ridge has been on my radar all year, yet it seemed a bit ambitious given my calculated 3-hour window. I managed to talk myself into it by resolving to jog the flat sections to save time. In hindsight, I grossly overestimated my cardiovascular fitness...

The trail began at the Upper Kananaskis Lake parking lot, circling the lake until forking off towards Rawson Lake. My intentions to jog this forested ascent were swiftly reality-checked, yet I still managed to arrive at Rawson in about 45 minutes. Rawson Lake is a beautiful little spot, and it looked much different than it did during Melinda and I's visit in March. After a couple quick pictures I followed the rocky trail clockwise around the lake, diligently making frequent and ridiculous "Hey!" and "Ho!" noises to alert any bears in the vicinity of my presence. I also nervously eyed up the steep climb required to reach Sarrail Ridge above and seriously questioning how I managed to talk myself into this as a suitable evening objective. About 30 minutes (and numerous self-pep-talks), I topped the ridge and was immediately reminded why I repeatedly subject myself to these nature-induced sweat sessions. I have been blessed with a number of jaw-dropping vistas over the past few years, and yet the panorama from Sarrail Ridge is easily one of my new favourites. The view of Upper Kananaskis Lake shimmering in late-day light as the sun slowly set behind the surrounding peaks was truly awe-inspiring.

After allowing myself sufficient time to snap a couple pictures and mindfully stop to take in the scenery, I soon realized that time was getting away on me. Intent on honouring the agreement I had made with Melinda, yet with only 45 minutes to cover the ground that required two solid hours on the way up, I knew the only chance I had was to run the entire way back. The consistent (sometimes hazardously so) downward elevation significantly helped my cause, and to my surprise I arrived at the parking lot right on schedule. Total time car-to-car: 2 hours and 45 minutes! I enjoyed the homeward drive along highway 40, wishing I had packed more than a granola bar (and ibuprofen) to fuel my adventure, yet feeling content in accomplishing my objective and an evening well spent in the great outdoors.