North Powderface Ridge

Sat. 1 June:  North Powderface Ridge

This is an “unofficial” trail, but it’s perfect for hikers lacking time or energy to reach the main Powderface Ridge summit.

I only had time for a half-day hike today, so J and I decided to leave our ambitious Bryant Lake plans for another day, and tackle this easy ridge hike.  The trail from Powderface Trail road, up to the Three Trail Pass, through the trees on a good track, seemed shorter and less steep than I had remembered.  Very quickly we came out of the trees onto the col below Powderface Ridge.  To the south, the snow-encrusted cone of Banded Peak dominated the skyline, while along our western horizon was the wall of Nihahi Ridge, with its many avalanche paths falling to the forested Powderface Trail valley below.

There is a tiny pond beside the trail sign at the col.  It had a thin coating of ice on it.  Instead of turning south up the steep hillside to Powderface Ridge, we headed north onto the lower slopes of North Powderface Ridge.  A low rockband leads through the trees to a wide, sweeping ridge.  The views were immediately fine.  We could see through a gap in the foothills to the flat prairie and the distant downtown Calgary skyscrapers.  It didn’t take us long to reach the first gentle summit, marked by a small cairn with a spiky upturned stone.  Now we could see the open ridge stretching northwards towards the distant Jumpingpound Ridge, and the familiar Moose Mountain range.

There were a few snow drifts remaining on the ridge, which made good foregrounds for the spectacular mountain views.  The most northerly summit of this ridge was a tree-covered knoll.  From here we could see more clearly the landscape to the north.  In the middle distance was Canyon Creek, the starting point for our planned Bryant Lake hike, and we could see the high ridges linking Jumpingpound Ridge with Moose Mountain.  In the far distance was the cliff line of Yamnuska, north of the Bow Valley corridor.

As we dropped back down to the col, we heard the voices of hikers below.  We met a couple of small groups heading up the damp trail, but this was still early for the usual weekend crowds.  Halfway down the forested hillside we stopped to admire a lively mountain stream which tumbled down the slopes and across the trail.

There had been no wildlife up on the high ridges.  In the valleys we had seen several deer, and one owl which had just swooped down to the roadside to catch its prey (we couldn’t see what it had caught).

Driving back down the Elbow Valley, we were a little surprised to see the number of vehicles already parked at the popular hiking trailheads.   At Station Flats, the area was mobbed by dozens of mountain bikers.  On the road we passed a large number of road bikers heading westwards.  Another busy outdoor weekend was already well under way, yet it was not yet midday.

Statistics:

Total Distance:  6.4 km (hike)

Height Gain:      1,100 ft.

Max. Elev.:       6,850 ft.

Time on Trail:    3 hrs. 12 mins.

Start hike:            7.16 am

Ridge Jn.:            7.48 am

1st summit:          8.29 am

N summit:            8.57 am

Ridge Jn.:           10.06 am

Ret. to car:         10.28 am

Temp:                +3 to +9 deg.C

Weather:           Sunny, cloud moving in from West

The rain had cleared away just a few hours ago, and the trees were still wet

Heading up North Powderface Ridge from Three Trail Pass

First summit of North Powderface Ridge looking north along the ridge

Banded Peak (9,626 ft) dominated the south-western skyline today

Grand views back along the ridge

Moose Mountain (7,995 ft.) with its fire lookout on the summit

The next band of weather is moving east across the mountains, over Nihahi Ridge

It may be June but there's still plenty of snow around

Nihahi Ridge from North Powderface Ridge summit

This lively mountain stream crosses the trail not far below the ridge