Sometimes I have decision fatigue when it comes to picking a trail for a weekend excursion. After a long week of making daily decisions, I tend to draw a blank for trying something new.
That’s why I have a few trail fallbacks that I will keep returning to until I get bored of them. Lately, one of those has been = Powderface Ridge.
I like approaching Powderface Ridge from the creek trail from Hwy 66. Since the Friends of Kananaskis re-routed the upper section of Powderface Creek Trail leading up to the saddle, it has become a favourite of mine.
Starting just after 9 a.m., I don’t see many cars in the small parking lot on this unseasonably warm Saturday morning. In the summer, the lot would already be packed with cars spilling into the ditch and lining the highway. Several popular trails start directly from the trailhead including White Buddha, Prairie Mountain and Prairie Link Trail.
What I especially like about this trail is how many options it offers to extend the route, keep it short, or decide as I go.
From the parking, it’s roughly 6.5 kms to the saddle, and another 2 kms to the ridge. The trek along Powderface Creek is mellow and runnable. Having run it so often lately, I can visualize teach trail marker before I reach it. It’s roughly 1.4 kilometres to the cattle fence, another 1.5 kilometres to the Prairie Creek and Prairie Link junction, and around 3.5 kms the climb through the forest begins.
There’s something comforting about knowing the ins and outs of a familiar trail. There are no surprises, and sometimes you can simply run on autopilot. You know that trick where you don’t want to do something, but you commit to do it for 10 minutes and you’ll usually get over the discomfort/lack of motivation and keep going?
That’s how I feel some mornings when I reach the trail. I’m unmotivated and feeling blah, so I make a little promise with myself. Get to the Prairie Creek/Link sign and if I’m still feeling blah, I give myself permission to turn around.
Usually, by the time I get to the signs, I’ve already forgotten all about internal debates. I’m already halfway to the saddle, and turning around would be silly. Maybe that’s another reason why I keep coming back to familiar trails. When my motivation is low, it removes the decision making. Some days, that’s exactly what I need.
What’s the one trail that you continue to go back to week after week? What do you love about it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.