Powderface Pass

Tues. 28 December: Powderface Pass

Powderface Pass - my final adventure of a record year. It was fitting that I made use of my MICROspikes and my snow shoes on this trip. Both were added to my outdoor arsenal only this year.

Despite the plentiful snow all along this trail, this popular route, leading to the Pass over the Powderface Ridge, was actually named after a Stoney Indian, Tom Powderface, whose family lived down in the Elbow Valley back in the early 1900’s.

Just as an aside, I searched the internet for references to Tom Powderface, and came upon the story of Tom’s death. The author wove a tall tale which makes amusing reading. She then relates some fascinating stories of the Stoney Chief Hector, who as a young man would go hunting in the Highwood – one of my favorite hiking areas. It was a little different in those days. There were more important things to worry about than meeting bears, such as looking out for one's "deadly enemies" who were waiting to ambush and kill you.

Anyway, back to today’s story. There was hardly any snow on the road beyond the winter gate at Elbow Falls. I strode up the road for a few hundred yards to the start of Powderface Trail. This is one of the more popular trails year-round, and I was counting on it being well compacted by many feet since the last snowfall. I was right. I was able to travel the entire six and a half kilometres to the top of the Pass wearing my hiking boots with my trusty MICROspikes for traction.

The snow conditions would have been good for skiers, but this trail is so popular with hikers and horse riders that any ski tracks are quickly obliterated. Nevertheless, higher up the Pass I did see that an intrepid skier had made it to the top.

It was familiar going up the narrow-sided valley, through the drift fence, and up to the junction with Prairie Link trail. Most people turn right here to make a loop with Prairie Creek trail, ending up back at their cars on a perfect hiking circuit of about eleven and a half kilometres. I continued up the Powderface Creek. The trail was initially gentle and fairly straight, but then it started to climb more steeply as the valley meets the hillside ahead.

There is a tight bend curving to the right, followed by another to the left. At this point, one is treated to a surprise view eastwards to the slopes of Prairie Mountain, and the downtown skyscrapers of Calgary on the prairie beyond the foothills, under clear skies. The trail continued to climb up the forested hillsides, finally reaching the Pass. Here was a different world. The long, snow-covered Nihahi Ridge dominated the views to the west. Above it the clouds were thick. A cold wintry breeze was blowing snowflakes around. This is a popular place in summer, with hikers reaching the Pass from the much shorter trail from the west, and then heading up onto Powderface Ridge.

There was a tempting high point above the Pass but I had already climbed over 1600 feet today and the route was not obvious. And it felt very much like real winter up here with the blustery wind blowing the snow around. So instead I clambered the few feet up onto the open ridge above the Pass, where I had even more impressive views east to Calgary as well as west to the mountains.

Switching to my snow shoes, I made good time back down the snowy path. It seemed much steeper going down than when I was climbing up to the Pass. Back in the meadows at Prairie Link junction, I was perhaps a little surprised that I had not yet seen any other travelers. In fact, I was almost back at the start before I passed a group of five hikers plodding up the trail. There were signs of a horse and rider having come up the path this morning.

Although the skies had been mostly clear, except on the Pass, the sun was so low at this time of year that I only had a few glimpses of it in the valley. But the days are now getting longer. Today, for instance, there were now forty seconds more daylight than on the shortest day!

Back on the road, I passed a couple of groups out for an afternoon’s stroll. I had been first car at the gate this morning. Now I counted twenty three vehicles plus three horse trailers. Somehow I had missed all these people, but they were out there somewhere on the trails, and more people were preparing to join them. In fact the Elbow Valley was busy with families enjoying the last day of the Christmas Holiday. There is a popular slope by the road which some kids were tobogganing down, and there were cars parked by the trailheads of the popular hikes.

This had been a great way to end this year’s record-breaking campaign. During the trip, temperatures had risen from about minus 5 degrees C to minus 1 degree. But the forecast was for snow and falling temperatures. It was wintry enough today on top of Powderface Pass, and I was glad I had chosen today for my last adventure of the year.

The photo in this blog is a close-up of the eastern “face” of Nihahi Ridge. I have not touched it up at all, but is that a wry grin under a large hairy moustache, or a large scary open mouth?? One is never alone in the mountains - but then perhaps this is what happens when one goes on too many trips alone.

END OF MY 2010 BLOG
The Passionate Hiker

Statistics
Powderface Pass
Tues. 28 December

Total Dist. 6.5 km (hike) + 6.5 km (’shoe) = 13.0 km
Height Gain 1,670 ft.
Max. Elev. 6,650 ft.
Time on trail 4 hrs. 16 mins.
Temperature: Rising from minus 5 degrees C to minus 1 degree C