Rainy Summit And Powderface Ridge South

BOU AVENUE
Rainy Summit And Powderface Ridge South

This year's Halloween-themed hike took place on 29 October 2023, and the scary objective of the day was the southernmost high point of Powderface Ridge--or "Powderface Ridge South" as I call it--in Alberta's Kananaskis Country Twilight Zone. A record twenty-one souls plus two hellhounds participated in this year's death march. Despite frighteningly fresh snow cover, the trail was dead easy to follow at least for the first part through the haunted forest. Somehow, a hex made the group take a wrong turn and wander into limbo below Rainy Summit. Rather than get stuck in purgatory though, everyone climbed up to Rainy Summit because that was better than a sunny day in Hell. Fortunately, there was plenty of time to kill, and except for four ghosts who vanished into thin air, the majority of the walking dead successfully backtracked to the correct turnoff and reached Powderface Ridge South, the final destination.

A big thank you goes out to my favourite witchy woman, Zosia Zgolak, for organizing this year's spook-tacular event!

Like herding cats! The large Halloween hiking group starts up the trail to Powderface Ridge.

What makes you think she is a witch? She turned me into a newt! It got better...
The forest appears to be haunted by witches.

Looks like this would be a great ski run in winter! Trees begin to thin out as two witches make their way up the broken trail.

Bewitched!
An evil spell has evidently made the group miss the turnoff to Powderface Ridge South which is the white patch at far left.

Anyone bring a toboggan or crazy carpet? Despite missing the turnoff to Powderface Ridge South, the lost souls happily steer themselves up Rainy Summit.

21 hikers and 2 dogs--a new record for our annual Halloween hike!

The Halloween hikers crowd the high point of Rainy Summit (2140 metres).

Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble!

This coven is up to no good.

Absolutely spellbinding!

The view of Big Elbow valley to the south is absolutely bewitching on this day. In the foreground at left is Powderface Ridge South.

	Moose Mountain (left of centre) and Prairie Mountain (right) look no less spellbinding to the north.
	After retreating a short distance along the trail, the Halloween hikers take the correct turnoff to Powderface Ridge South.

Some of the group have become ghosts!

A slightly smaller group gathers at the high point of Powderface Ridge South (2065 metres).

	The batty witch did the hard work of luring all the souls for this hike while her partner in crime, Gaear Grimsrud, conjured up the amazing weather with his lucky human's foot!
	Here is a last haunting view of Rainy Summit from Powderface Ridge South.
	Total Distance: 7.3 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 4 hours 3 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 524 metres GPX Data

	The large Halloween hiking group starts up the trail to Powderface Ridge.
	The forest appears to be haunted by witches.
	Trees begin to thin out as two witches make their way up the broken trail.
	An evil spell has evidently made the group miss the turnoff to Powderface Ridge South which is the white patch at far left.
	Despite missing the turnoff to Powderface Ridge South, the lost souls happily steer themselves up Rainy Summit.