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Indian Graves Ridge and Willow Ridge
Kananaskis, Alberta
October 31, 2021
Distance: 8.0 km (5.0 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 373 m (1224 ft)
What better hike to do on Halloween than Indian Graves Ridge? That must have been what Sonny and Zosia thought when they planned the trip and invited everyone to dress for the occasion. So Dinah and I joined a motley crew that included cows, a witch and a devil.
The trip was a repeat of what Dinah and I did in January 2012: traverse Indian Graves Ridge and finish with a loop that included a high point above Willow Creek. It was a good choice for a late-season hike as I have found the area surrounding Highway 532 to be relatively dry even in the middle of winter. But to our surprise, we encountered deep snow. While the snow and cold fell short of our expectations, we welcomed the calm air and clear, blue sky.
We parked east of the bridge over Willow Creek and took advantage of a road that climbs a short distance up the end of Indian Graves Ridge. After the road ended, our group of eleven costumed hikers soon exited the forest and reached the open slope. A steep hike brought us to the ridgetop, and we followed the ridge to the summit nearly a kilometre away. We saw no sign of graves, or ghosts for that matter.
After summiting, we continued along the ridge, following tracks in the snow that someone had conveniently created for us. The tracks dropped down to the valley and started up the other side, up the ridge where we would claim another summit. But when the tracks turned left to follow an old well road, we broke a trail to the summit.
In dry conditions, it would have been simple to cruise down the ridge to Willow Creek trail which leads back to our cars. But the well road, along with a track in the snow, proved irresistible. We followed the ridge, passing steep slopes until we found a way down to the road. The well road leads to Willow Creek trail.
Dressed ghoulishly for Halloween, Indian Graves Ridge was more fun than scary. Thanks to Sonny and Zosia, Dinah and I had fun making new friends and reconnecting with old acquaintances. I wonder what they'll plan for next year.
KML and GPX Tracks
Sonny's Trip Report
Gathering at the start
A short hike through trees brought us to the open ridge
We hiked along a fence
Almost on the ridge
Sonny makes his way to the ridgetop
Taking a break on the ridge
Willow Creek lies below
We continued along the ridge to the summit
On the summit: me, Sonny, Zosia, Lena, Christine, Shaun, Glenda, Dinah, Shelley, Aga and Daniel
We followed the ridge mostly in trees
Two cows in our group led us to cattle on the ridge
On the other side of the valley is the ridge we would soon climb
Our second summit appears ahead
On the way up, we paused to regroup
We followed the well road a short distance before leaving it to climb the ridge
Coming up to the ridge
The summit is nearby
The summit is higher than Indian Graves Ridge, but views are limited
We made our way down to the road
Back on the well road
Our last 1.5 km followed Willow Creek trail and passed under Indian Graves Ridge
We passed horses on the trail
82 J/8 Stimson Creek, 82 J/1 Langford Creek
