February 21, 2020 - Prairie Mountain, Elbow, Kananaskis

I made a last minute decision on Friday afternoon to head out to Prairie Mountain.  The boys were all out or occupied, and Amanda had the flu and was stuck in bed.  In my defence, she is the one who put the idea in my head.  I did not abandon her in her hour of need!

I had originally intended to just go for a little walk along the river, but as I drove into the Elbow Valley, I could see the peak of Prairie Mountain, and it must have been calling me.  When I went there last fall the trail was icy, and we did not have our microspikes with us, so we did not make it to the top.  This time I remembered to bring them, and within a couple of hundred meters, I stopped to put them on.  The first half kilometre was very icy.  After that, the trail was mostly packed snow until the last few hundred meters, where it was bare.  I kept the microspikes on the whole way, and was glad I had them.  They are definitely a key piece of gear at this time of year - although the guy I passed wearing court shoes was giving it a real go!  We have the Kahtoola MICROspikes from MEC, which seemed to be a very popular choice that day.

The hike itself is short (~7.5 km return), but the elevation gain (~700 m) makes it a bit of a workout.  It is mostly treed with a few good views on the way up, and then some spectacular ones when you hit the tree line about 500 m before the summit.  Just before getting to the tree line I spotted a Gray Jay up at the next corner.  I got my binoculars out and was pleased when three of them started tree-hopping closer and closer to me.  In the end, I suspect they were hoping I had some food, but I did really appreciate the close look.

Gray Jay - NOTE: Not my picture, but they were this close to me.

Once I got through the tree line the wind picked up significantly.  I got to the summit just as another couple was, and stayed long enough to take a picture for them, and for them to return the favour to me.  I had no snacks or water, and it was super-windy so I turned around and started heading back down right away.

View Above The Tree Line (Wrong Focal Point - Sorry!)

"Breezy" Summit Shot Courtesy Of The Friendly Couple

Prairie Mountain is probably one of the most popular hikes in the Elbow Valley - there were at least 10 vehicles at the trail head on a Friday afternoon in the middle of winter...  I would still recommend it, though.  It has some great views, it easy to get to, and it it is a fantastic workout!  I was home within 2.5 hours, refreshed and more than a little tired!

UPDATE: Amanda survived while I was out, and has made a full recovery since then!😆