Rainy Creek Trails/Eastern Route to Powerface Ridge | Hiking Trails | Kananaskis Outdoors Forum

Post edited 7:51 pm – July 3, 2011 by Bob Stebbins

Sunday, 3 July 2011 was our day to tackle some of the Rainy Creek trails as well as the eastern route to Powderface Ridge. Referring to Daffern’s vol 2 of the 4^th edition, we started onTrail 28B, climbed to the col on Trail 29, and returning the same way to the logging camp meadow, set out for the lay-by from there on Trail 28A. The first thing to look for going north on 28B from the lay-by on hwy. 66 is a pink ribbon with black strips tied to a tree at the edge of the forest on the opposite side of the road (the trail head). This was the initial one of possibly 100 of these markers which guided us through roughly 95 percent of the hike to the logging camp meadow. Sometimes they led us along an obvious trail, at other times they accompanied us on an old road, but at least as much of the time, they were the only sign we could follow through the bush in the absence of either trail or road. The forest is reasonably open, but there is nevertheless noticeable deadfall in places, and at a point where the trail forks, the pretty pink flags come to an end in a colorful flourish of three wrapped conspicuously around the trunk of a tree. At this point, which is maybe 200m from the logging camp, both trails of the fork are clear; our party split up and followed both. Where the trails rejoin the camp meadow is visible through the trees. Not finding a decent trail at this point, we (easily) bushwhacked our way.

The description of 29 is excellent. This trail entails an arduous ascent to a col, after which remains the grunt of the final set of vertical meters to the ridge. Impending rain and fatigue combined to force us back down the trail to start the third leg of our hike: 28A. A main characteristic of this trail is its many alternative routes. We learned that it was best to stay as close as possible to the west fork (of Rainy Cr.). But, in general, going was easier on this trail than on 28B. It is also somewhat shorter. Since the elevation gain of the two is about the same, 28A may the preferred route to 29, when approached from the lay-by.