Prairie View and Heart Creek: Frosted Peaks from a Cliff Edge
Prairie View in Kananaskis Country is one of the first trails to defrost after our long, cold, snowy winters. Due to a temporary trail head closure at Barrier Dam, we approached this hike from Jewell Pass which allowed a quick detour to explore Heart Creek. We hiked 19 kms (12 miles) with 650 meters (2132 feet) elevation gain and discovered an off-trail viewpoint of exceptional beauty.
Heart Creek Trail closely follows and crosses Heart Creek, then terminates at this gorge. Far below where I’m standing water rushes past the base of these rock walls.
Hayley en route to the Prairie View Viewpoint. The trail became drier closer to the top, while in the forest the winter snowpacks required crampons and poles to hike safely.
Due to some deep snow at the top we actually got lost. In the search for our trail we stumbled across this viewpoint of frozen Barrier Lake. Below the cliff edge where Hayley is sitting is a steep drop of hundreds of feet. What we learned is that getting a little bit lost is not always such a bad thing!
For additional information about this hike, contact the Peter Lougheed Park Discovery & Information Centre.
Photo Credit: Hayley Mead and Jolene Rempel
This post is part of the Kananaskis Country (North) series.
About Jolene
I’m an avid gardener whose mission is to bring more beauty into the world. I believe that with the right information anyone can create their own beautiful, small garden paradise.
When I’m not gardening you can find me exploring the Canadian Rockies. Learn more…
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