Thu, Jul 23 2015 - Pasque Mountain (View Original Event Details)
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Today, we enjoyed a fabulous time in the mountains. The hike was very scenic and definitely secluded. We did not encounter a single person all day and it was pure heaven! There were absolutely no signs identifying the trailhead "parking area" which was little more than a gated 200m stretch of dirt road just off the main gravel logging route. At times the trail was obvious but in certain areas it was very faint. There are at least 2 places (within the first half hour or so) that you can easily continue in the wrong direction without realizing it so researching the hike before you go is highly recommended. Existing trail markers definitely helped and I did my part by adding about a dozen more along the way. lol
We encountered about 4 creek crossings but none that couldn¡¦t be handled by simple rock hopping. The first 30+ minutes of the hike was fairly level and provided a good warm up for the steep sections ahead. When we eventually rose above the tree line, the full horseshoe shaped ridge came into view but we still had one more big push to get up on top of it. Once there though, the views were spectacular in every direction.
Not long after reaching the ridge we broke for lunch. Afterwards we explored a little further and within 20 minutes or so found ourselves taking photos from the cairn at the north summit with the true summit of Mount Pasque in full view just a kilometer away. The final stretch to the peak involved plenty of ridge walking over loose stones and some light scrambling but it wasn't long before we made it and started pulling out the cameras again. From there you could continue on and complete the horseshoe but that would add several additional kilometers and another 400m elevation loss/gain to the trip plus a lengthy walk along the road back to the trailhead so returning the way we came sounded just fine to us. ļ
Moving at a relaxed pace (including lunch, photo ops etc) it took us about 7.5 hours to complete the hike. Approximate distance to the summit and back was just under 14km with an elevation gain of about 850m. Drive time from South Calgary to the trailhead (including emergency stop for Subway cookies at Black Diamond) was about 90 minutes.
As always, event photos are attached but it was next to impossible to do any justice to the stunning views we all enjoyed from the ridge.
Duane