Prairie View Loop

Dist: 15km   Elev: 460m   Time: 4h   Difficulty: 3/5

Jeff and I decided to go for a quick hike before his evening shift, so we chose a trip that was close to Calgary and also known for great views.  The switchbacks were icy and a bit tricky, but the payoff at the lookout more than compensated for some pulled groin muscles. We decided to complete the Jewel Pass loop in order to avoid coming back down on the ice, but this trip is a couple kms shorter with similar elevation gains by simply returning from the lookout the same way you came.

Trail Description:
Park in the Barrier Lake Dam parking lot on Hwy 40, 9km from Trans-Canada Hwy 1.  The trail follows the north shore of Barrier Lake for a short while, then departs into the trees and switchbacks up the mountain at a moderately steep grade.  A small clearing in the trees eventually reveals a nice view of the surrounding area. Push a little further, up a slightly steeper and less obvious path, and soon arrive at a large rocky outcrop with great views of Barrier Lake and Mt Baldy on its opposite shore. Most people turn around here, making for a short and rewarding hike. However, for a different and arguably more scenic descent, we continued on the Jewel Pass trail that drops into the trees on the right side of the outcrop.  This path eventually leads back to the shore of Barrier Lake, which hikers can follow all the way back to the parking lot.

Mt Baldy on the opposite shore of Barrier Lake

First clearing. These guys seem to be enjoying themselves.

It's called "prairie view" for a reason

Panorama from the outcrop. The first clearing can be seen in the bottom left.

Mt Baldy and Barrier Lake. The Jewel Pass trail starts in the trees to the right.

On the return walk to the parking lot. Barrier Lake's surface  is still mostly frozen