Powderface Ridge is found in the Elbow Valley region of Kananaskis — about 25 minutes from Bragg Creek or an hour from Calgary. It is a beautiful ridge walk that is accessible from various points (e.g., South Ridge trail, East Ridge, etc.). At the end of June, we decided to hike the Powderface East Ridge trail which is around 4.5 km. We also added an extra viewpoint at the end overlooking Nihahi Ridge which made our total hike around 6 km.
Powderface East Ridge Hike Summary
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 4.5 km round trip
- Elevation: 388 metres
- Trail type: Out-and-back
- Time: 3-4 hours
- Trailhead: Powderface East Ridge Trailhead
The Powderface East Ridge Trailhead has a small parking area. We arrived at 9:00 on a Sunday morning and were able to park without any issues, but sometimes this area is a lot busier. Plan to come earlier or approach from the south if the parking area is full.
Detailed Trail Description
Powderface East Ridge Trail begins at the parking area with the “Harvesting” Alberta History sign. From there, follow the rocky pathway up through the forest. Shortly along this path the trail should become a dirt path with more coniferous trees than deciduous. The path has a gently grade to it at first, but quickly begins to climb.
You’ll ascend quickly through the forest until you come to the rocky ridge around 1.5 kilometres from the trailhead that leads to the open meadow two-thirds of the way up. From here, watch your step as the trail weaves in and over the rocky ground. Once you come to the end of this section, the forest opens up to give views of the Elbow Valley, Forgetmenot Mountain, and surrounding area.
It is at this point along the trail that you can see the final ascent. There is more or less a straight shot up the final steep section here to get to the mountain viewpoint at the south summit of Powderface Ridge Trail.
First the trail descends slightly, then begins to climb the steepest section of the hike. We found this section to be daunting from the bottom; however, it passed faster than we expected and we were soon at the top of the hike!
A Note About the Powderface Ridge Trails
This summit marks an intersection of the different trails, as hikers coming from the South Ridge Trail also ascend this summit from the other side. My favourite view from this lookout was overlooking the Elbow Valley and seeing the bright blue Forgetmenot Pond below us.
I love hiking in this part of Kananaskis and have done several backpacking trips including Mount Romulus and Big Elbow Backcountry Campgrounds. These are accessed from Little Elbow Day Use, which is next to Forgetmenot Pond.
Optional: Continued Ascent to Lookout of Nihahi Ridge
We ate an early lunch at the mountain view summit before continuing to one more lookout. This added about 1.5 km to our total trip. We had to descend from the summit where we briefly connected with the South Ridge Trail. From there, we took a small trail (it is easy to see from above, but not clearly marked) heading up the section of the ridge to the west. We passed the small trail initially as it is less defined than the main trail.
The ascent is short and steep, adding a little over 30 minutes round trip to our hike. From the lookout, we could see the tree mostly tree-covered Nihahi Ridge directly west of us, with Mount Glasgow, Mount Cornwall, and Banded Peak behind it.
Descending the Trail
Take the descent slow, as there are a few steep and slippery places. You can make up time on the flatter sections. Once you get past the rocky ridge, you can sail through the last 1.5 kilometres. In total the hike took us about 4 hours, including breaks from food and to appreciate the views.