Prairie Mountain loop, Kananaskis, AB - March 7th 2026

Trail : Prairie Mountain, Prairie Mountain West ridge, Prairie Creek, Prairie Link, Powderface Creek Date : March 7th 2026 Location : Kananaskis Country Public Land Use Zone Trailhead location : There is different areas where you can park for this hike (Powderface parking lot, along Hwy 66 or at Elbow Falls) Distance : 16.2 km Elevation gain : 1055 m Starting time : 7h36 Time to complete : 4h21 Difficulty : Hard hike (because of distance but nothing technical), no scrambling Trail traffic : moderate Park pass : Kananaskis conservation pass I hate wind… but not enough to stop me from hiking! With wind gusts reaching 87 km/h, the trail options aren’t endless when you’re looking for distance and solid elevation gain, especially in winter. So we chose something that would keep us sheltered in the forest for most of the day while still offering some great views from the top. Prairie Mountain has a reputation for being extremely windy, but with its wide summit and no real exposure (in terms of danger), it’s actually a great option for days like this. Though Steve may disagree with the extra extension we added after the summit 🤓. Let’s just say… wood and Steve don’t always get along 😂 The day started with a 7:15 a.m. meetup at the parking lot, but it seems we forgot there are multiple parking options. So we ended up waiting in different spots… 🫣 Carey at Elbow Falls, and us in the small parking area along the road. Thankfully, satellite texting saved the day and we figured it out! Definitely a bit of déjà vu for us. The trail to the summit was almost snow-free, though there was a lot of icy and muddy sections. Spikes were very helpful but not absolutely necessary. As expected, the summit was extremely windy, but honestly, we’ve experienced worse up there. Still, it wasn’t exactly the kind of wind that makes you want to hang around for long! Heading down the backside of Prairie along the west ridge, there was quite a bit more snow, but it was nicely packed. That said, it was slushy and slippery, so spikes were definitely a must in that section. From the summit, along West Ridge, Prairie Creek, Prairie Link, and Powderface Creek, there isn’t much excitement, just forest and no views. But if you’re looking to add distance and elevation to Prairie Mountain, this is actually a great way to do it! (Again… Steve might disagree 🫣.) The last section along Powderface Creek was… well… pretty gross. Lots of wild horse 💩 creating a lovely mixture of yellow-brown soup along much of the trail 🫠. Thankfully, it improved past the turnoff to White Buddha, the trail became mostly snow-packed and much nicer to travel on. All in all, it was another great day in the mountains, an escape from the craziness of the world. And at the end of the day, a day in the mountains is always a good day.