I went for a 10km trail run last July 20, 2019 at Nose Hill Park, Calgary. That was 1 week after I came back from a month-long vacation back home in the Philippines. Not to mention that I went back to work immediately and had no training at all. 😀 Ending? I was 5th to the last who finished the race (At least I did!). During and after the race, I realized how bad my shape was. I have another trail race coming up in September and I decided that this time, I will train harder!
As a fresh start, my friend and I decided to hike Prairie Mountain.
Prairie Mountain Trail is a 6.4 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located Elbow Valley, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
It was a tough hike for me! The trail is straight and really steep. It is a well marked trail and a good mix of steady incline and level ground at first but when you get halfway, things got difficult! The incline seemed to be never ending! Lots of wild flowers everywhere as well.
We stopped quite a few times for me to breath and enjoy the view as we get closer to the summit. The view at the top is really beautiful! It is very rewarding and relaxing. Fresh cool air will blow away all the hard work climbing up!
We sat down on the edge of the cliff and had a bag of potato chips while enjoying the beautiful view. Of course, we didn’t forget to take photos beside the famous landmark at the summit, the CANADA FLAG!
We did the hike for about one hour and 45 minutes going up. Since we started a little late in the afternoon, we were able to enjoy the almost sun set moments on our way down.
I am so glad that I did this hike! I can’t believe I waited 5 years and did it after moving to Calgary from Redwood Meadows that is so close to this trail. I strongly recommend this hike for beginners but be ready for it! I will surely do it again.