Rain on Wind Ridge

British conditions on Wind Ridge

Wind Ridge is one of those hikes that I drive past every time I go to Canmore or beyond, and that make me wonder what's up the next valley.

It's a straightforward outing, once you get past the initial flood damage and cross a creek via a slightly precarious makeshift bridge. The angle is steep, as befits all of the Bow Valley hikes I've done so far, but unlike most of the country in this area, there are lush meadows and flowers to look forward to.

I hiked this trail with my Australian friends Mike and Suzanne. It was their first Rockies hike, and I think we chose a pretty good one, although higher up the rail gets a bit washed-out. I'm not sure whether this is due to the hike becoming more popular of late, but on the trail, the topsoil is now being eroded through to bedrock, by rainfall runoff. There are few zigzags; that may be part of the issue.

The weather threatened something special all the way up, and by the time we left the forest, the wind was whipping up huge black rain-clouds and trail dust with equal enthusiasm. I hadn't been out much lately, so I was keen to get to the top if possible.

After the meadows there was a little scrambling step. Suzanne decided to stop there and enjoy the view while we continued to the top. Shortly after we got up the step, the weather turned decidedly British, but by the time we'd met up with Suzanne and reached the valley floor, the ground was steaming, and the skies were clear.

Alpine meadows below the summit For a full description of this hike, refer to Gillean Daffern: Bow Valley and Ghost volume.

Toiling up against the wind; Windtower provides a fitting backdrop.

The low cloud added a different feel to the hike.