Pa Butte And Bald Hill

BOU AVENUE
Pa Butte And Bald Hill

Kicking off a three-week road trip, Zosia Zgolak and I ascended unofficially-named Pa Butte located just north of Coleman, Alberta on 5 August 2024. Though not as high as many surrounding peaks in the area, Pa Butte's prime location and open summit grant unobstructed views in all directions when the weather is clear. A somewhat bushy but fairly straightforward snowshoe route is described by Dave McMurray, but by doing this ascent in summer, we had the benefit of snow-free conditions and a shorter approach.

From Highway 3 in Coleman, turn north onto 61 Street, and in a few metres turn right onto 22 Avenue. Almost immediately, veer left onto 23 Avenue which quickly winds uphill becoming 63 Street. Drive northward for about 2.8 kilometres to cross under a power line right-of-way and enter the McGillivray Staging Area (toilets available here). Drive to the north end of the staging area and continue on the road for about another kilometre to a turnoff to the McGillivray Creek Youth Camp. There is space for parking opposite the turnoff, and 2WD vehicles should park here since the road deteriorates considerably beyond this point.

From the youth camp turnoff, Zosia and I continued along the road on foot. We took a brief short cut through a reclamation zone (prohibiting motorized traffic) before rejoining the road a little further to the north. We then walked another two kilometres or so before abandoning the road to plunge eastward into forest. Shortly after leaving the road, we easily forded McGillivray Creek and then worked our way up a forested ridge. Despite some toothpick deadfall, the bushwhacking was generally not bad, and we made steady progress uphill. Unfortunately, the forest was still wet from the previous day’s rains, and it did not take long before our shoes and pants were soaked. Undeterred, we continued climbing and eventually broke out of the trees onto a large talus slope. Ascending this slope was straightforward, and we had no problems reaching the high point of Pa Butte.

While Zosia and I were taking a break on the high point, we noticed a trail running south into the forest and thought that it might be a good route to descend. To reach the trail, we first had to drop down a steep slope on the east side of the high point. The looseness of the rocks on these slopes made the footing tricky, and we also spread out side by side to avoid knocking rocks down on each other. Upon reaching the trail, we followed it down into the forest but found that it eventually turns eastward into the next valley. Luckily, we were able to work our way back to the west and descend toward our approach road by following game trails or simply bushwhacking when necessary. We ultimately forded McGillivray Creek a second time, and after regaining the road, we enjoyed an easy walk back to our starting point. Our shoes and pants even dried out nicely by the time we returned to our parked car.

We're not breaking any rules here! Zosia takes a short cut through a reclamation zone (prohibiting motorized vehicles) near the start of the hike. She would soon rejoin the same road on the other side of the zone.

Can be rock-hopped if you wanna keep your shoes on! After abandoning the approach road, Zosia fords McGillivray Creek.

Sigh... Sonny's pants are soaked as he bushwhacks through the forest which is wet from recent rains.
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Look out! Here comes the Spiderman!
A spider web glints in the morning sunlight.

How is it possible to climb above the clouds on diminutive Pa Butte?

On this morning, a sea of clouds separates Pa Butte from much bigger peaks to the southwest.

	Zosia navigates a rocky slope on the upper part of Pa Butte.
	Zosia pauses briefly just before the top to admire the surrounding scenery.
	Sonny and Zosia stand on the high point of Pa Butte (2117 metres).

I never tire of looking at these mountains!

Crowsnest Mountain and Seven Sisters Mountain dominate the view to the west.

	To the north are Ma Butte (left) and McGillivray Ridge.
	Zosia takes a sip of whiskey from this bottle found in the summit register.
	As Zosia leaves the top of Pa Butte, the previous cloud cover has all but disappeared.
	Zosia carefully descends a steep slope on the east side of Pa Butte's high point.
	Zosia picks up a surprisingly good trail to descend the upper slopes.
	Zosia descends another obvious trail in the lower forest. Ultimately, she would still have to bushwhack a bit to get across McGillivray Creek and back to the approach road.
	Sonny finds a muddy toad on the road not far from the starting point. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Total Distance: 9.6 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 5 hours 4 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 564 metres GPX Data

Before leaving the Crowsnest Pass region, Zosia and I made a brief stop to tag a small but scenic bump tucked between Highway 3 near Crowsnest Lake and the access road to Emerald Lake. Though officially unnamed, the bump has recently been labeled as "Bald Hill" on most online maps. Starting from a small pullout (49.62507, -114.63133), we followed an old quarry road eastward for a short distance before taking a trail which climbs steeply up the east end of the bump. We easily followed this trail through a slight dip before reaching the high point of Bald Hill. From there, we completed a traverse by descending a dirt road on the west side of the bump which ultimately led us to an old quarry and the same road we had started on further to the east. A short walk from the quarry led us back to our starting point to close the loop.

	The hike up Bald Hill (right of centre) is so short that Zosia is choosing not to bring any water or gear other than her hiking poles.
	A convenient trail runs up the east end of Bald Hill.
	There is a slight dip before the very top of Bald Hill just ahead.
	Sonny and Zosia stand on the high point of Bald Hill (1465 metres).

Great views for so little effort!

The top of Bald Hill grants a more comprehensive view of Crowsnest Lake, Crowsnest Ridge, and Mount Tecumseh (far right).

Laughably short but still a nice hike to do if you're in the area or passing through.

Total Distance: 2.1 kilometres
Round-Trip Time: 55 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 70 metres

GPX Data

	Zosia takes a short cut through a reclamation zone (prohibiting motorized vehicles) near the start of the hike. She would soon rejoin the same road on the other side of the zone.
	After abandoning the approach road, Zosia fords McGillivray Creek.
	Sonny's pants are soaked as he bushwhacks through the forest which is wet from recent rains. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	A spider web glints in the morning sunlight.