Dist: 12.1km Elev: 830m Summit: 8340' Time: 3.5h Difficulty: 3/5
Byron and I were due for a good day in the mountains after our unfortunate wintry and viewless slog up Hector Ridge last month. There is no blog post for that one - it was that bad. Thankfully weather forecasts looked promising for this less popular region of Kananaskis (I had never hiked around there before) and fire lookout locations always guarantee excellent panoramas, so off we went. The drive up Highway 40 towards Highwood Junction was much more hilly than the mountainous northern end but I enjoyed it equally, likely from to the novelty. We arrived at the trailhead shortly after 9am without issue.
The trail started down a long gravel road due to a locked gate which opens with the Cataract Creek campground later this month. Some have cited this as an early season deterrent but we found it to pass quickly. Next was a strait-shot ascent of the steep treed ridge, which I understand is the more direct but less scenic route since 2013 flooding in the area. Definitely a grind but nice to gain elevation quickly. Views were excellent once departing the trees and remained this way all the way to the top. The rocky ridge was also nicely windswept and free of any problematic snow or ice. We stopped at the derelict and long-abandoned fire lookout for a few photos and to soak in the views which, to be honest, greatly exceeded my expectations.
A cold wind picked up on our descent and we ended up running a good portion of the return journey to stay warm. Apparently it isn't summer quite yet. We passed many groups of hikers on our way down and returned to the vehicle in what felt like no time. After some well earned "recovery carbs" Byron and I started the drive home feeling refreshed and grateful to be able to enjoy our outdoor pursuits amidst a seemingly endless pandemic.
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| Our objective. You can see the tiny fire lookout on the summit. |
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| Views looking back as we cleared the trees. |
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| Rocky ridge to the top. |
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| Getting close. |
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| Bit of fixer-upper but great views! |
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| Looking north from the lookout "door." |
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| Back in action! |
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| Summit views as we start the descent. |
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