Same for the rocks- very slippery. Facilities: At the trailhead there are outhouses and a picnic table. Definitely going to head back with the right equipment. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 47 min to complete. It does not store any personal data. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Lots of side paths that can get you lost for a short while, know where you're going, no trail signs for these hikes anywhere. Its also well known for being a great larch hike in the fall. The trail eventually comes to a small tarn (mountain lake) before heading up the first peak. Learn more on the about us page! Pocaterra Ridge Hike Where: Pocaterra Ridge When: September 28, 2021 Who: Ed, Dave, Phil, Erin, Rod, Bauer, Ian Trailhead: take Highway 1 west and turn south onto Highway 40 follow Highway 40 for 67 km to the top of the Highwood Pass park in the lot on the right (west) side of the highway the trailhead is out of the north end of the parking lot Pocaterra Ridge is typically done as a point-to-point hike, so if you have two cars I would definitely try to do it this way. 359.5 m Up If the lot is full, youll likely see vehicles parked on the sides of the road. My recommendation is to start at the Highwood Pass parking lot and finish at Little Highwood Pass as youll save yourself 280 m of elevation gain. Soon into the climb youll notice that the path splits- one side turns right into the trees while the other goes straight, keeping near the edge of a slope. In theory, for keen hikers like me, the short distance and the mere 500m elevation gain to the first peak should have been, literally and figuratively, a walk in the Alberta park. The area covered in the pass includes Kananaskis and the Bow Valley corridor. Eventually the forest opens up allowing for better views of Mount Tyrwhitt on the left, Mount Pocaterra straight ahead, and Pocaterra Ridge on the right. Pocaterra Ridge is known for being one of the best larch hikes in Alberta to see the famous larch trees in the fall. Pocaterra Ridge is a mild enough hike for most dogs and kiddos. Heres ALL You Need to Know, The ULTIMATE Banff Itinerary You Should Follow. The wind can be ferocious at times. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It shows the correct trail way, elevation, and other hiker reviews. Pocaterra is rated a moderate and I would have to agree, out of many hikes in Kananaskis this is one of the easier ones Ive been on. The Pocaterra Ridge hike in Kananaskis Country deserves to be on your must-do list. Keeping straight on the path, it wont be long until you reach a scenic small tarn. We were surprised by the amount of snow. Pocaterra Ridge Trail is easy to follow, even though its not marked with signs, and isnt physically taxing until you get to the ridge. Still giving it 5 out of 5 considering how amazing this hike was! Where the trail is not muddy it's pretty loose dirt and very angled terrain. The famous Mount Pocaterra (2941 m), Mount Rae (3128 m) and Elpoca mountain (3036 m) will surround you. It was a beautiful hike woth some pretty steep uphills at the end. Pocaterra Ridge Hike Details Trail length: 9.3 km one way Elevation gain/loss from Highwood Pass: 550 m gain; 875 m loss Highpoint: 2670 m (8758 feet) Time needed: Allow six hours one way with breaks. Well that was super easy route description! View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. If you'd like to support our work check out our shop for unique prints and souvenirs or support us directly here. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Did not think we would need snowshoes this time of year. Continuing your journey up to the ridge, Mount Pocaterra will be close by on your left. Bring warm clothes this time of year, quite cool and windy. Its a great hike to enjoy at a leisurely pace because the journey is just as beautiful as the destination. We got to the parking lot at 7am at were one of 10 cars. It's sad to see how degraded the trail up the ridge has become. This article may contain affiliate links. Head here in late September to walk through a field of golden larches. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Thrilled to have you along. Pocaterra Ridge Key Stats Length 11.4 km (point to point) Duration 4 - 7 hours Elevation 764 meters (point to point) Difficulty Moderate Trailhead Highwood Pass A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is Needed to Hike in Kananaskis Visitors are required to hold a Kananaskis Conservation Pass. Well worth it. This is a stunner of a hike almost from the moment you start. Mystic Ridge #456 All Inclusive Resorts & Hotels in New South Wales Quinault Beach Resort & Casino Hotels in Las Vegas Hotels in Aston Econo Lodge Pigeon Forge Riverside Aqua Log Cabins Resort The . The whole hike took us just over 4 hours and the views from the. The parking area is directly adjacent to the highway and clearly marked. From the Kananaskis Lakes Road turnoff continue along Highway 40 until you reach . All in all, a nice quick hike. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Continuing on Pocaterra Ridge Trail, youll come to a creek at the end of the meadow. If you are lucky enough to be here in late September take lots of photos. On the other side of the cirque, three hikers can be seen trudging up the trail towards Mount Tyrwhitt. Take the exit for Highway 40 and continue for 67.0 km until you reach the Highwood Pass parking lot. Purchases made through links earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. The ridge is off to the right (north). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It costs nothing extra and helps support this website. Beautiful day but winter hiking is definitely here on this trail. If this is your first time hiking in the Rockies take a conservative approach. Visitor Guidelines and Safety: This hike is in bear country so bring bear spray, make noise while hiking, and educate yourself on what to do if you encounter one. We love the Nano from Gregory with a hydration reservoir. Id rate as moderate. However, the Pocaterra Ridge summit (2667 m) with the heavenly view will be your reward! The ridge is often hiked in combination with Little Highwood Pass and Rockfall Valley to make an 11.9 km loop back to the parking lot. In some areas it was quite muddy but manageable. Any time we set out for an objective I determine a time at which we need to turn around in order to arrive at the parking lot or campsite by dark. In winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are her passion. At the bottom of the hill youll arrive back at the creek. As you cross the meadow below the ridge, there are great views to your right of Elpoca Mountain at the end of the valley, as well as Pocaterra Ridge. Author of, Get travel tips & outdoor inspiration by signing up for our monthly newsletter. Further ahead the trail passes through an area of scree then proceeds into a patch of larch trees. Only 1h20 away from Calgary, Wasootch Peak can be climbed with an easy but tiring scramble. You may also enjoy these other trails in Kananaskis: For your convenience, here is a list ofHOTELS IN CANMOREandKANANASKIS. The descent from the first summit is steeper than all but the final descent to the parking lot. This can be your life if you rent a villa in South Jakarta. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The path still follows closely beside the larch before once again its framed on both sides by trees as it passes through another small patch of forest. As you continue hiking through the forest, the trail will have some ups and downs, but overall it loses elevation. When completing the entire ridge, visitors will need to bring two vehicles. 1559.66 m Down, 6.2 mi Worth the views. I also find them very useful when a stream crossing is involved. Everyone should carry bear spray. The Pocaterra Ridge hike is known for being one of the most beautiful autumn hikes in Kananaskis, thanks to a plethora of yellow larch trees, but even in summer the trail delivers an abundance of breathtaking scenery. At the end of the forest, about 1.5 km into the hike, the trail arrives at an open meadow framed by mountains and larch trees. The trail is obvious fora good chunk of the descent. While most of the hike is considered moderate, the final ascent to the south summit of Pocaterra Ridge offers some challenges. Now we live in Canmore and spend as much time as possible exploring and hiking around Banff. Get to know this 8.4-km out-and-back trail near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta. Leave no trace by packing out your garbage. Its here that you can either turn around and head back the way you came or continue along the ridge (this would have been needed to plan in advance with a car shuttle). The South Pocaterra Ridge hike is an enjoyable trip filled with incredible scenery, especially during larch season when you can admire the fall colours from above and while immersed in the forest. Don't forget to throw couple stones in the little pond, it makes a very interesting sound! Pocaterra Cirque and Ridge trail starts at the Highwood Day Pass Area off Highway 40, 67km south of the TransCanada junction. Easy start through the trees then a steep incline to the top of the ridge. The trails leading to the ridge are a bit like a Choose Your Own Adventure and a lot of people were confused, including us for a while. We started out around 7:45 and watched the sun come over the mountains and it was beautiful! Snow was mid-shin in places. The southern end of Pocaterra Ridge looks like an Alpine meadow. Our aim is to help you get the most out of your trip to Banff National Park and the surrounding areas. Its a beautiful hike that doesnt have crazy elevation gain or length and is very attainable as far as hikes in the Canadian Rockies go. A true adventurer, Leigh prefers wilderness experiences, camping and glamping in unique locations, long hikes, multi-day bike rides and paddling trips where few people go. The trek up to the ridge took about 35 minutes and was challenging at some parts as the loose rock and dirt is slippery but the views made it worth it! The trail was muddy during the beginning of the hike but was relatively easy to bypass the worst of it. The footing is poor on steep side slope and springs making it very muddy. 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