Sheep Valley

Fri. 27 September:  Foran Grade/Windy Point Ridge

Sheep Valley classic

What better place for an afternoon hike, especially if you have an out-of-Province visitor you want to impress.  My Irish visitor P M and I only had an afternoon to spare, and it was after 2 pm that we left town, heading south to Turner Valley, then west into the Sheep Valley.   That still left us plenty of time for a good hike up Foran Grade Ridge then across and up to the spectacular Windy Point Ridge.

As we prepared to head up the trail, two horse riders came out of the woods, with a friendly greeting.  A little higher up we passed two hunters with guns, reminding me that I needed to find my bright orange toque!  Foran Grade is a good choice as it’s a fairly gentle trail, but with spectacular views west to the Front Ranges.  You also get glimpses eastwards to the prairie and the city.  There are no larches up here, but there was a little colour in the deciduous trees, brightening up a cloudy day.

At the col below Windy Ridge, we still had plenty of energy so we made perhaps the perfect angle up through the trees and onto the steep open slopes to the ridge top.  Here the mountain views suddenly open up, as you come to the edge of a steep cliff.  This was the first peak I ever climbed in Kananaskis Country back in early 1982 and I have come back several times since – and each time it’s a joy.

We negotiated the steep rocky descent from the ridge, down onto the wide grassy ridge leading to the road below.  Here a hunter was checking out the hillsides.  We returned eastwards high above the Sheep River, along the Sheep Trail, enjoying the pastoral scene, avoiding the cows and the cow pats!

Returning to the car, we drove west up the valley to Indian Oils parking area, to inspect the flood damage.  The bridge had been swept away in June, and we could see twisted metal girders lying in the riverbed several hundred metres downstream.  Across the road, a large moose ambled through the trees, hopefully aware of the dangers of hunting season.

Returning east, we were struck by a spectacular display of what looked like sun rays in the eastern sky.  Of course, the sun was setting in the western sky at the time, so we had no idea what could cause this display.  Thanks to the friendly CTV meteorologist, David Spence, we later learned that these were apparently rays of sunlight that shine through gaps in clouds, and are known as “crespucular rays”.  I may have been up the Sheep Valley countless times, but today I leaned something new!

Statistics:

Total Distance: 8.0 km (hike)

Height Gain:         980 ft.

Max. Elev.:        5,750 ft.

Time on Trail:    2 hrs. 58 mins.

Dep. car:                  3.07 pm

Windy Pt. Summit:    4.33 pm

Road:                       5.12 pm

Ret. to car:               6.05 pm

Temp:               +8 deg.C

Weather:           Mostly cloudy, no wind

Sheep Valley from Foran Grade ridge

Foran Grade from Windy Point Ridge

On the summit ridge of Windy Point

Fall colors in the Sheep Valley

Back down on the road

Sheep River

This poor guy didn't make it across the road

Plenty of cattle up in the hills

Dark skies but no rain

Sheep River gorge and Windy Point Ridge

A shy moose

Strange cloud shadows in the eastern sky in late afternoon