Powderface Ridge 515344 point to point Trail hike on 14-Oct-2026

The forecast predicted it would be windy today and it was correct! We started a bit later to take advantage of the afternoon warming - also thankfully accurate. Nine of us met at the junction of Highway 66 and Powderface Trail and got cozy in two vehicles to shuttle the 7 km up the road to our start spot for the traverse of Powderface Ridge. We arrived at the normal parking location just off the road, to be greeted by lots of activity of the construction kind. It appears they are making a larger parking area on the east side of the road.

A brisk pace uphill warmed us up and we reached the junction with the ridge trail in no time. Out of the trees, we were soon greeted with some strong winds and most donned an extra layer or jacket. We encountered some lingering snow and ice in the sheltered tree sections but nothing that required microspikes. Fortunately, the trail weaves in and out of small bands of trees and we elected to stay – more or less – along the ridge top until finding a gloriously sheltered spot for lunch. Here, we enjoyed a leisurely break before our 5-minute warning to get trail-ready.

We passed the highest exposed bump on the ridge but elected to climb the next high point south which allowed for blue sky views across to Forgetmenot Mountain, as well as up the Elbow and Little Elbow Rivers and beyond. After this, a relatively quick descent back to the road where the drivers headed back north to retrieve their vehicles and the rest of us enjoyed the heat of the sun – out of the wind! Overall, there was not as much snow as we thought we might encounter. The ridge was bare with the only snow seen in the odd spot in the trees. Thanks to the group for a lovely mid-October day in the mountains!
Participants: Alda, John, Gordon, Jenny, John, Jo, Annie, Lilianne, Jiaping