Pocaterra Ridge

Standing on the first hump on Pocaterra Ridge. Wildfires were unfortunately active in Alberta at this point, and the hazy effect of the smoke lent a velvety quality to the far-away peaks. Photo taken by Catherine Gagnon

Pocaterra Ridge is worthy of a top spot on your hiking list. Without a doubt, it’s one of my top 5 hikes - not just in Kananaskis, but in the whole of the Canadian Rockies. It’s a lovely fall larch hike as well.

Wildfires were active both times I’ve done this hike, and I’m hoping the third time will be the charm, when skies will be clearer. 

MAP

* Dayhike, ridge walk

* Option 1:  Point-to-point hike with shuttle cars. 10-11 kms, 700m elevation gain, 6-8 hours. (Start at A, end at B, drive back to A. Two cars are necessary.) Pocaterra Ridge (Point to point) - AllTrails site

* Option 2:  Out and back (return to starting point whenever you wish, so length and elevation will vary accordingly). Total length is 20 kms, 1400 m elevation gain, 8-9 hours.  Pocaterra Ridge (Out and back) - AllTrails site

* Trailhead for both options: Highwood Meadows parking lot

Option 1 - Shuttle (point-to-point hike):  I think this is the best way to do Pocaterra Ridge. Park car #1 at Little Highwood Pass parking lot, drive/park car #2 at Highwood Meadows parking lot (a few kms up the hwy at Highwood Pass) where you’ll start the hike. Finish the hike at Little Highwood Pass and drive car #1 back up to Highwood Meadows to retrieve car #2. 

Option 2:  Start at Highwood Meadows parking lot, turn around at any point and go back the way you came. It’s that easy. I’d recommend going as far as the 3rd bump on the ridge; there are four in total.

Highwood Pass is the highest point in Canada accessible by a public road - so you’ll get bragging rights even before starting this hike. It is closed between December 1st and June 15th every year, so this is not a hike you can access in the winter for snowshoeing.

Make sure you purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass before coming out; the fine for parking without one is 180.00 $. As an undesignated trail, there won’t be an update on the Kananaskis Country Trail Report website, but check other websites beforehand (this trail does go through grizzly territory). Hike in a group, bring your bear spray and don’t forget your hiking poles (they’ll be your friends on the descent).

Trail description

Trail-finding is a bit tricky in the beginning and at the end; we frequently retraced our steps, but it’s still rather difficult to get totally lost. You most likely won’t be the only person here, as this is one of the premier hikes in Kananaskis.

Wildflowers in bloom in July.

Take the trail that leads out of the Highwood Meadows parking lot. You will pass by the new parking lot built for Ptarmigan Cirque and see a sign urging hikers to stay on the trail. However, the less-defined Pocaterra trail veers to the left (the one toward Ptarmigan Cirque goes right and crosses the highway) and braids itself confusingly through the forest, eventually popping out in the clearing pictured below. 

The trail through the forest is less defined and harder to track. It clears up in this meadow and remains obvious all the way until the very end, where it becomes somewhat elusive again.

Keep walking through larch trees for about a kilometer; this is a gorgeous spot in autumn. 

You’ll eventually cross a few minor streams (where the trail might get muddy) and arrive at a shallow pond.  If you’ve got dogs, this is the last chance for them to hydrate. It’s also a good spot for a snack before starting today’s major ascent.

At the boulder field next to the pond, keep an eye out for pikas. Often heard but not seen, these small rodents emit a squeaky sound and can sometimes be seen darting from boulder to boulder.

Gotcha! Capturing the elusive pika.

Just after the pond, Pocaterra Cirque will become visible. That large green lump is really the only major slog on this entire trail; think of it as an investment in your future reward (fantastic views). If you don’t have the time or the energy to keep going, this would be a good turning-around point.

The steep incline of the first summit takes about 45-60 minutes to tackle, and will be (by far) the biggest push of the day. So suck it up. And drink your water! 

Enjoying a well-deserved break near the top of the first lump. Only an hour ago, we were walking through that green patch way down there!

Once you reach the top of the first summit, the entire ridge unfolds in front of you. The trail goes up and down repeatedly, but is neither exposed or technical. You have completed the most difficult part of the hike. Many hikers turned around at this point, as this panoramic view is quite satisfying.

For a good sense of perspective, notice the two hikers at right.

The cool thing about ridge hikes is that once you ascend the initial elevation, your views are uninterrupted. On Pocaterra, that means roughly 4-5 kms (2-3hrs) of happy tramping along gentle lumps, almost like traipsing along the rolling spine of a gigantic brontosaurus. 

You will gain and lose elevation as you walk over Pocaterra’s four lumps (along with the last green hill which could count as a fifth lump). Then, steeply descend the forested North end of the ridge. We struggled with the decline; we had to tie our shoes tighter to keep our toes from cramping and had to grab some trees to steady ourselves. 

Eventually -mercifully- we reached flat land and a little stream. However, we mistakenly followed a well-defined trail that led us deeper into the forest to our left. This was the wrong way. At the small stream (which might be dried up at certain times), you must head right toward the large creek (you should be able to hear it), which must be crossed. This last section was frustrating, as we could hear the highway and we knew the car was close, but we just couldn’t figure out where to go. It must have taken us 20 minutes before we realized we needed to cross the creek. We took our boots off and crossed barefoot, as it wasn’t very high. 

Once that was done, we spotted flagging tape in the trees that indicated the path that crosses the highway and pops right out in front of Little Highwood Pass. It was very obvious once we had done it, but it wasn’t easy to spot if you didn’t know it was there.

And there you have it.  See ya on the trails!