Long Distance Views

Sat. 27 April:  Long Distance Views

Ski season at West Bragg Creek has finished.  But as I discovered, there’s still plenty of snow up on the high ridges.

The big issue around Bragg Creek is the logging which has been taking place in the hills to the west of the village.  The Kananaskis Blog has been reporting on progress of the logging.  Input was requested from hikers, so I set out to explore one of the major high level trails, called “Long Distance”.  This trail runs from the West Bragg Creek parking area, northwards up onto the ridges which run like a spine up the middle of the Telephone Loop cross-country ski trail.

I had forgotten what a spectacular route this is.  The ridges are tree covered, but there are still plenty of great views west to the Front Ranges and east across to the prairie and the City of Calgary.  It feels quite remote in here, especially the northern section, which climbs a ridge before dropping into thick forest.  While large sections of the trail were snow free, any north facing slopes were still drifted in.  I struggled through a few snow drifts which lay across, and along, my path.

I took lots of photos along the way, to be able to share the logging status with readers of the Kananaskis Blog.  But I was drawn more towards the views of snowy peaks to one side of my path, and dead flat prairies out to the east.

Finally I dropped down off the ridge at the far northeast corner of Telephone Loop, returning south along this well-defined trail.  It was harder going on the way back, along the ski trail, than it had been up on the ridges.  There seemed to be one uphill section after another, often snow-covered.  Finally I reached a high point, where Disconnect trail branches in from the West.  Then it was downhill most of the way back to the car.

I had this remote world all to myself, with no other people, and no animals – although I noticed some fresh bear paw prints.  I may have been lucky not to have met a black bear face to face.

I was able to report the progress of the logging on the Kananaskis Blog.  More important, I had rediscovered a grand high level walk across the forested foothills. 

Statistics:

Total Distance: 15.6 km (hike)

Height Gain:      1,500 ft.

Max. Elev.:       5,400 ft.

Time on Trail:    4 hrs. 44 mins.

Start hike:              7.21 am

4-Way junction:      8.28 am

Jn. Disconnect (W): 8.51 am

Jn. Telephone Tr:   10.23 am

Jn. Disconnect (E): 11.17 am

Car:                       12.05 pm

Temp:                + 8 to +13 deg.C

Weather:           Sun, hazy cloud, strong W. wind

Prairie Mountain (dark outline - 7,250 ft.) from Hwy. 22X

Front Ranges from Long Distance ridge.

Prairie to the East

Mountain wall to the West

Looking SW from ridge.

Foothills and mountains - endless great views from the Long Distance ridges.

The drifts were several feet deep as I dropped down off the north ridge.

And far off to the east is the City of Calgary.

View eastwards from the ridge down to the ranching country west of Bragg Creek.

Silver birch forest alongside Telephone Loop as I returned southwards.

  

Telephone Loop, a popular cross-country ski trail, with the snow rapidly melting on a warm, windy day.