Adventures for Wilderness, Forgetmenot Ridge – Oct. 1, 2023
October 1, 2023
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Photos: Chris Saunders
It was a beautiful fall day, with clear skies and a pleasant temperature, when the party of 5 hikers set out across the bridge over the Little Elbow river to climb Forgetmenot Ridge. The first portion of the route involves a pleasant stroll through some woodland and a crossing of the Big Elbow river. In the spring, the flow of the river is usually considerable, but at this time of year the riverbed is dry and the flow is under the gravel. After a further stroll through the woods, the route left the valley and climbed steeply through trees up the northwest flank of the ridge. The climb was lengthy and unrelenting but brought the group out at treeline with great views of the Powderface and Nihahi ridges to the north and the Elbow river below.
The trail then ran southeast climbing gently through patches of trees and open hillside until the plateau of the ridge was reached. The views from the plateau of the mountains to the west were spectacular and under the still clear skies. It was also possible to see far out across the Prairie, although Calgary, which is normally visible from the ridge, was obscured by low cloud. After an excursion across the ridge and lunch, the group returned by the same route. More than 2,300 feet of elevation gain had been achieved on the way up.
