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October 18, 2020 In Outdoor Edventures

Ribbon Falls Hike

Where:

  • Ribbon Falls

 

When:

  • October 17, 2020

 

Who:

  • Ed, Jace, Joey, Craig, Pete, Dave, Lorna, Ian, Lisa, Rod, Bauer, Peter, Suse

 

Trailhead:

  • the trailhead is off of Highway 40
  • take the turn for Nakiska Mountain Resort, take the first left at Centennial Drive, and  then a quick right onto Ribbon Creek Road
  • the trail starts out of the far end of the parking area at the sign that says Ribbon Creek Trail

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

  • 650 meters of elevation gain, but it doesn’t feel like this much elevation as it’s very gradual over the whole distance
  • 20 km out and back
  • at 3.7 km, there is a fork in the road near a unique stump where you want to go left (right leads across a bridge and up a steep hike to Memorial Lake)
  • the trail is quite rocky and rooted, which was tricky in places with the entire trail covered in ankle to shin-deep snow
  • the falls is just past the Ribbon Creek campground
  • the hike took us 5 hours

 

 

Interesting notes:

  • you can go beyond the falls up to Ribbon Lake, which adds 3 km and 250 meters of elevation along with a tricky climb up a chain link
  • there are numerous small waterfalls along the trail, and Ribbon Creek runs along most of the trail, providing constant picturesque views
  • the area is surrounded by Mount Kidd and Mount Bogart
  • the naming of these two mountains is that Fred Kidd operated the Scott and Leeson Trading Post and served as the Justice of the Peace. Part of his job was outfitting survey parties that worked in the Kananaskis Valley area. One of these was led by a geologist, D. Bogart Dowling, who chose Kidd’s name for the mountain
  • Donaldson Bogart Dowling (1858-1925) was a geologist who joined the Geological Survey of Canada in 1885 and worked for it until his death. He was a director of the GSC and one of the first scientists to study the Rockies. He reported not only on the geology but the geography, flora, fauna, and native history as he explored what was then, in a scientific sense, an unknown area
  • the parking lot was once the site of a logging and coal mining town called Kovach
  • this trail is quite popular given that it leaves from the Kananaskis Village area, although there were only a handful of people on it due to the first snowfall and cooler temperatures
  • you can ride your bike for the first 5.7 km until you hit the unmaintained part of the trail
  • the trail beyond Ribbon Lake provides access to Buller Pass to the east and Guinn’s Pass to the west

 

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