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Rocky Mountain Ramblers Association

Trip Report
Trip Date:
11-Sep-2020
Activity:
Trail hike
Trip name:
Prairie Mtn - West Ridge Loop
Coordinator:
Carl
Report:

It was another bluebird day and very hot on Prairie Mountain. The trail up the front side is getting wider, more eroded and more braided every year and we all look forward to the rumored building of a new, high quality trail by the West Bragg Creek Trail Association. We lounged on the dry summit for a long, leisurely lunch.




Doug, Bob, Linda, Carmie, Chris on Prairie Mountain summit

The horizon was clear to the Rockies and even the Calgary skyline.




Romulus and Remus with Nihahi Ridge in front on bluebird day

There was considerable traffic to the summit, but it was quiet on the west ridge trail. This trail is well marked as it leaves the summit ridge, with a large cairn with horns pointing to more cairns at the start of the trail. Unfortunately somebody has built a larger but very similar cairn closer to the summit, and we wasted a lot of effort trying to find the trail below that cairn, before realizing our mistake and climbing back to the summit to start over. The trail is now very well trodden at the top and after the hell of loose rock on the front side, a joy to hike, with soft tread under foot.




West ridge trail nice and soft underfoot

The Prairie Creek valley is in its autumn prime and a wonder to behold.




Autumn leaves in the Prairie Creek valley

Participants: Carl, coordinator and scribe, Carmie, Linda, Robert, Douglas and trial member Chris.