Forgetmenot Ridge 548262 Off-Trail hike on 25-Sep-2024

Participants: Annie, Heather, guest Lorna

The most scary and gripping aspect of this hike turned out to be the ferocious wind. We heard it was going to be 60 kph at around noon, and that was significant enough, but by the mid-afternoon as we were on our way back, it was 91 kph. It was a lay-down on the trail and hang onto your hat blast.

We crossed the salmon colored bridge, crossed the dry river bed and made our way up the relatively steep climb until it leveled off in the trees. Our first great view was of the Little Elbow meandering along.

The Little Elbow and Forgetmenot Pond-the first of many great views.

With the North Summit to our left, we made our way to the cairn where there is the option to veer east to the North Summit or keep going to Forgetmenot Ridge.

The cairn that marks the intersection to the North Summit to the east and Forgetmenot Ridge straight ahead.

The trail is not as defined after the cairn, but no matter. We made our way -staying high- to the base of the hill taking us up to the easy scramble and up to the ridge. In the photo, our destination is the tip on the left side.

Our destination is the tip of the ridge on the left side of the photo.

Up to the easy scramble.

Up through the rock pile with Calgary way in the background.

We then navigated the boulder field which is interspersed with patches of the tough and hardy ground cover.

Boulder field on the Ridge. Banded, Outlaw, Cornwall and Glasgow in the background.

Our destination-where remnants of the fire lookout are all erased, but a wind break stands sentinel. Wonder why they need that up here?

It was a bit windy on the way, but we earned our stripes on the return trip. Hard to tell in the photo, but the grass was laying almost flat and the trees were lurching crazily back and forth.

Who has seen the wind?

We all lost our buff or toque secured caps and raced for the trees to retrieve them, which surprisingly, all of us did.

What a relief when we finally hit the trees.

In spite of the challenge of staying on our feet, gripping the hillside as we crouched with our poles dug into the trail and even laying down on the trail when going over the edge seemed imminent, we would not have missed it.

We won't soon forget this memorable hike on Forgetmenot Ridge.