Feeling solo. June 1st has patios open again and what better patio to go to than the one at Folding Mountain Brewery! Left Edmonton and headed to the brewery to stage for the hike. Beautiful weather and mountains await.
The trail head is just shy of 800m from the brewery itself. Park to the left of the brewery and start moving west on a quad trail next to the highway. You can't miss the trail with the Hiker sign. Very difficult to get lost on this trail.
The trail begins with a gentle climb, to then going straight up for the first 2km.
After the initial climb, the trees open up and you're on the ridge. The trail continues in and out of the trees with breathtaking views of the Rockies to the West. The first neighbouring mountain is Roche a Perdrix. After the open area with the boulders, you end up in the trees for 3km. This part of the hike is mostly uneventful until you start to climb again.
The mountain is about 4 steps the initial climb, the climb after the ridge at the bowl, one more bump that takes you to the final and steepest bump to the summit.
The summit is rounded with a small cairn and the pink box. The views of the peaks and valleys are worth it.
Don't forget to take a summit selfie or have a GPS track proving you made the summit. You'll need it to claim you FREE pint from Folding Mountain Brewery!
The descent is fast. The terrain is not technical and you can run your way down. It's nice to get to the brewery fast to refuel with a great meal and a refreshing pint!