I needed a mid-week pick-me-up so I headed to the mountains after work on Wednesday. For weeks now, I have wanted to explore the Wind Ridge trail near Canmore but something always came up.
The Wind Ridge trail shares the common parking lot for Pigeon Mountain, and Centennial Trail and across from the Banff Gate Mountain Resort. The trail is clearly marked with signs at all junctions. There is an option to do a loop to include the Wind Ridge pass but I decided to keep with a basic out and back.
The trail is very straight forward – easy running/hiking for the first three or four kilometres. Around the four kilometre mark, I emerged from the trees to the lush green Wind valley and the surrounding mountains. A group of people hanging out in the clearing. A man waved as I passed them.
I kept climbing through the exposed valley at a moderate pace until I reached the cliff band where there’s an option to walk around or climb over it. Clearly defined trails are the left and right of the cliff band.
I watched as two women climbed down over the cliff band. They didn’t seem to have any trouble. We chatted in passing about the views. Because the cliff band wasn’t that imposing, I decided to climb over it, and I figured it would be much more fun. Technically this would be called a “small scramble” but I am not one for labels.
Enough spots to grip and place my feet were easily found along the band. I continued climbing and meandering around the trails before reaching the summit. A small cairn marked the summit and I could see in the distance other trails that would require mandatory exploring on another day.
Three others – two runners and a hiker – crossed my path on their way down. Otherwise it was a super quiet afternoon on the trail – save for a little marmot that kept an eye on my every move. I won’t bore you with all the sweaty details because the photos and videos tell the real story. Truly, it was magnificent.
Don’t judge me because I got a little weepy. I was completely overwhelmed by the green valleys, the contrast of the rock cliff and the wildflowers peppering the valleys. I could have stopped right at the false summit and I would have been satisfied. My friend Jean said the cliff/rocks reminded her of Nova Scotia. I am not sure about that but this truly one hike/run that you should add to your list.
On my way down I called a friend while I had a little snack upon a big rock. The skies were sputtering with bursts of rain but I wasn’t concerned because there was no real signs of dark clouds moving in.
The out-and-back trail is relatively short covering 13 kilometres (700 metres elevation) in total and can be completed in a few hours. There’s some climbing but if you are relatively fit, you should have no trouble with this one without the need of poles.
I liked this trail. No wonder it is so popular. I can see it being super busy on the weekends. There are so many options for running and hiking. A few groups were heading up when I was running down. I can’t wait to try this again. When I was here a few weeks ago, there were cars lined up on both sides of the dirt road. Come early if you want to do this hike as the car lot fills up quickly.
Have you ever taken a mid-week trip to the mountains? Where are your favourite hikes? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.