Grass Pass

BOU AVENUE
Grass Pass

On 11 May 2024, Leslie Pryslak, Zosia Zgolak and I hiked up several ridges in the vicinity of Grass Pass near Highwood River in Alberta's Kananaskis Country Public Land Use Zone. The routes we used are well-documented in Gillean Daffern's Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, but we also drew our inspiration from Bob Spirko's 2020 trip report. Like nearby Bull Creek Hills, Grass Pass is a good early season hiking objective while higher trails and peaks further in the mountains remain snowbound.

Starting from the unsigned Grass Pass trailhead (north side of Highway 541 about 300 metres east of the Sentinel Day Use Area or 38 kilometres west of Longview), Leslie, Zosia and I hiked the well-defined trail up Pack Trail Coulee to Grass Pass without any issues. From Grass Pass, we turned right and headed southeast along a level trail to visit the Boundary Pine, a 400+ year-old limber pine featured on the cover of R.M. Patterson's The Buffalo Head. I have not yet read the book, but the Boundary Pine is apparently so named because it marked the boundary of the grazing land on Patterson's Buffalo Head Ranch. With snow-clad Holy Cross Mountain and Mount Head in the background, the Boundary Pine is a deservedly photogenic tree.

After stopping to take a few photographs of the tree, Leslie, Zosia and I continued further south to scenic Fir Creek Point before backtracking northward along the ridge. Instead of following the trail back to Grass Pass, we climbed a minor high point to the northeast which is on the connecting ridge to Bull Creek Hills. We took a short break on the high point before descending back to Grass Pass. Not yet done, we climbed up another ridge to the southwest separating Pack Trail Coulee and Gunnery Creek. Lingering snow patches made this ascent a little more problematic, but fortunately, we followed some old tracks where the snow was a bit packed down and still generally supportive. As tempting as it was to do a loop by descending Gunnery Creek, the trail there is not as easy to follow as the one in Pack Trail Coulee, and I was also concerned about the possibility of encountering more snow. As such, we simply retraced our steps after tagging the high point of the ridge, and once we returned to Pack Trail Coulee, we enjoyed a trouble-free descent back to the highway.

	Leslie and Zosia get ready to hike from the highway. In the background is Mount Mann.
	The hike up Pack Trail Coulee to Grass Pass is strenuous but straightforward.
	Zosia and Leslie arrive at Grass Pass.
	Leslie and Zosia head for a ridge to the southeast of Grass Pass.
	This is the famous Boundary Pine mentioned in Gillean Daffern's trail guide. It is apparently about 438 years old.
	The ridge southeast of Grass Pass culminates at this scenic viewpoint known as Fir Creek Point.
	Leslie and Zosia head for the bump (left of centre) northeast of Grass Pass along the connecting ridge to Bull Creek Hills.

So much reward for so little effort!

Sonny, Zosia and Leslie pose near the high point (1971 metres) of the bump northeast of Grass Pass. Holy Cross Mountain (left of centre) and Mount Head (right) fill the background.

	Leslie and Zosia descend to Grass Pass en route to the ridge (left) to the southwest which separates Pack Trail Coulee from Gunnery Creek.
	Blooming pasque flowers signify the arrival of spring in the hills.
	Zosia and Leslie consider the lingering snow patches ahead which complicate the ascent of the ridge southwest of Grass Pass.
	Old tracks in the snow help alleviate some post-holing misery.
	Zosia, Sonny and Leslie stand on the high point (1954 metres) of the ridge southwest of Grass Pass.

Trapezium deserves more love!

Holy Cross Mountain dominates the view to the northwest of the ridge. At distant right is the unassuming hill known as Trapezium.

	The east face of Gunnery Mountain is guarded by some daunting cliff bands.
	A dusky grouse hurries away from intruders on his home turf. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Leslie and Zosia hike out Pack Trail Coulee.
	Total Distance: 10.5 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 5 hours 43 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 593 metres GPX Data