Horseshoe Ridge

Horseshoe Ridge
Bob Creek Wildland, Alberta
December 30, 2007
Distance: 16.5 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 947 m

With dry conditions persisting in Bob Creek Wildland, I returned to ascend Horseshoe Ridge. After parking on Saddle Mountain Road, I started hiking up a 4x4 road that led to open fields. To gain the west end of Horseshoe Ridge I first made my way through an unnamed ridge using a pass. After leaving behind the open spaces, I hiked through trees to reach Riley Creek which cuts through the pass.

After crossing the creek and minutes later, a tributary, I made my way up the west end of Horseshoe Ridge. In a short time, I was hiking on the mostly open south slopes. On a sunny day I probably would have enjoyed the scenery, but under overcast skies the landscape appeared dreary.

I made it to the false summit I had seen from Saddle Mountain Road only to find a higher point farther west. After reaching the cairn on the higher point, I noticed yet another higher point. This, the true summit, turned out to be two metres higher although there was no cairn. After a brief stay, I headed back down.

There was enough variety on the terrain to make this a worthwhile trip although the ups and downs added another 300 of climbing to the 700 m of net elevation gain.

KML and GPX Tracks

Horseshoe Ridge from the road: the summit is hidden

I'll get around the ridge in front of me by going left to a pass

The area supports a few huge trees. Here I'm standing beside the largest one that I came across.

I dropped down, crossed a creek below, and climbed up the treed slope only to realize it wasn't part of the ridge but a hill. I dropped down to another creek on the other side. On the return trip I avoided the elevation loss by hiking northwest around it.