Dist: 10.2km Elev: 730m Summit: 7780' Time: 5h Difficulty: 3/5
With sunny skies and warm weather projected for the weekend, a plan was hatched to get out to the mountains. Nihahi Ridge was chosen for its close proximity to Calgary, shoulder-season accessibility, and rewarding views for the effort required. It was initially going to be a small group, but by Saturday morning we had two full vehicles of eager mountaineers! After viewing my photos, however, apparently I only managed to capture photos of the hikers in the "fast lane..." Oops!
The trail began in the Little Elbow Parking lot, at the west end of Highway 66 beyond Bragg Creek, as a long gravel road through the campground before reaching the Nihahi trailhead. From this point the path began a fairly steady climb, first through forest and then above the treeline into rocky alpine terrain. Views exploded after the first hour or so, particularly of the numerous snow-capped peaks to the west. The final push to the ridge required hands-on scrambling and concentrated effort to avoid being blown off the mountain - it was windy up there! The panorama from the ridge was spectacular and offered big vistas of rocky mountains to the west and treed foothills to the east. We even spotted the Calgary skyline from up there.
After enjoying summit views we decided to regroup and enjoy our lunches below the ridge, sheltered from the aggressive wind. Lots of laughs were had as we shared our unique snacks. Eventually we headed back down the way we came, continuing to enjoy the beautiful autumn day. We passed dozens of people on our return trip, which made me grateful for our early start. This trail is apparently quite popular, and it is easy to understand why!
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| Catching our first views after the initial ascent. |
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| Jordie channeling his inner mountain goat. |
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| We are headed to the ridge in the top right. |
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| Trees thin and the path becomes increasingly rocky as we gain altitude. |
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| Looking west as we climb. |
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| Kirk takes in the big views. |
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| On the final scrambly stretch to the ridge summit. |
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| Jeff celebrates reaching the ridge with some "power lunges" |
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| Brooke and Reuben traverse the narrow ridge. |
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| Summit panorama, looking north. |
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| Summit group shot (thanks, Kirk!) |
Great shots! looks like a fun hike!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I wish I knew who to thank for these kinds words. Beautiful scenery and great company always seems to make for a memorable adventure :)
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