We decided the best recovery from Minotaur Skyrace was an easy jaunt up a mountain the next day. After some back and forth on possible summits in Fernie or Crowsnest Pass, we decided on Table Mountain.
Table Mountain is famous for its table top summit. A quick Google search and you will find it is one of those “instagrammable” mountains. The trailhead begins at the Beaver Mines Lake Campground near Pincher Creek. You know you are close when the wind turbines begin to come into focus in the distance.
A short 10-kilometre hike with less than 900 metres gain was just what we needed before heading back to Calgary. We were all feeling a little groggy but in good spirits. The sun was shining and the skies were blue.
Our pace was pretty chill as we took in the surrounding views and monkeyed around on the trail. For whatever reason, I kept losing my voice in the morning. I wasn’t sure if it was the dust from the Minotaur or the air conditioning in the AirBnB. By Wednesday, I had my full voice back so it wasn’t a major concern.
The hike started on a forested trail. At a junction about a third of the way up, there was a bench where you could spot Beaver Mines Lake.
The trail was in great shape. After the trees, we came across some loose rock and shaley spots through the riverbed but nothing too technical. It felt steep especially the day after the Minotaur. Going down was a little more challenging in spots because of the dry conditions and the tired legs.
We headed to the ridge where we chatted with some locals and took photos. The red cliffs were outstanding. I was warned more than once not to get too close to the edge.
We then headed over to the true summit following the gentle grassy slope. This was a nice change from the mountains in Kananaskis and Banff area. Instead of seeing other peaks in the distance, we were greeted with lush, green Prairie land.
At parking, we had an impromptu picnic followed by ice cream at a random little country store. What a perfect way to cap off a race weekend.!