Ribbon Falls Hike

Adding another notch in our belt this weekend, we hiked the beautiful Ribbon Falls trail.  The trail is 22 km (13.5 mi) round trip.  The hike is done in two parts.  The first part of the hike is to the falls, and the second part is a 2 km hike/climb to Ribbon Lake.  The trail is a very gradual grade, only 1,020 ft elevation gain to the falls.  The last 2 km (1.25 mi) up to the wall of chains is another 1,000 ft elevation gain, so a pretty steep climb at the end.  Once you reach the wall of chains, you can either climb the chains, hand over hand, all the way up to Ribbon Lake, or you can turn right around and run screaming down the mountain..... like I did.  Jim thought we could do it, but I told him I didn't give a rip about seeing the lake if that chain was the only way up!  You'll see what I mean when you see the pictures below.  

The day was beautiful and we met lots of great people along the trail.  Hikers are the friendliest people around.  I guess they are just really happy about being outside in the sun and 70 degree weather instead of the miserable 40 below conditions that we will all experience come winter time (I’ve heard this 40 below horror story more times than I can shake a stick at.)  One man in his late 70s gave us a walking play by play tour of the trail all the way down the mountain.  I know what you're thinking.....but this guy was keeping up quite a clip while giving us a history of the whole area.    The hike took six hours including 45 minute break for lunch and photo snapping.   Every pore on my body was sore and achy by the time we got back.   And even as I sit here today, writing this blog, my muscles are screaming in revolt!  

With each hike we take, we learn a little bit about what we need to take with us and what we need to leave at home.  At first we were taking waaaay to much stuff with us, and our packs would feel like they were filled with rocks about halfway to our destination.   You can tell the locals from the tourists. The locals wear shorts, t-shirt, and either boots or sneakers while us tourists are wearing hiking pants, hiking shirts, hiking jackets, hiking belts, hiking hats, hiking sun glasses, hiking backpacks......you get the picture.  I know we just want to be comfy and acclimatized, but all these extra clothes have to go somewhere as we start to peel them off.  So our packs become heavier and heavier and heavier.  We finally figured out that the following are necessities. Everything else is just fluff:

• Bug spray - Horse flies can pick up small animals and carry them off into the woods.  
• Water, lots of water - We are using the Camel Packs from our bikes now.  They work great.
• Sun screen 
• Rain jacket
• Hat
• BEAR SPRAY!

That’s pretty much it.  We will be in Edmonton next week.  Uh Ree Va Dare Chee until next time. J

Views of the surrounding peaks from the trail

Our first glimpse of the falls

At the bottom of the falls.  From this angle, you can only see 1/3 of the falls.

Jim at the foot of the falls.  Note the bear spray holster on his hip.

Two old geezers.  

Seriously!!?? Does that look like something I would climb?  No way, Jose!  These hikers are using a chain that has been hammered into the rock to haul themselves up, up, up....

Looking back through the valley we just hiked.  Mt. Kidd on the right and Mt. Bogart on the left.

A view of the falls from further up the trail.

Amazing view of mountains while driving back to Calgary.

This little guy was standing in the middle of the highway licking the salt off the road.  He belongs to the Long Horn Sheep family.