Hello, old friend: Ribbon creek

The new ski trail

For cross-country skiers, a new trail has been constructed to join Ribbon creek trailhead to Link junction, utilizing some other trails in the vicinity. Starting out from the Ribbon creek parking lot, you’ll follow Hidden for 400 metres to the junction with Coal Mine. Turn left onto Coal Mine and follow it for 560 metres.

I can't wait to try out the new ski trail

I can’t wait to try out the new ski trail

You’ve come almost 1K, and climbed a net elevation of 70 metres. Now the newly constructed trail begins on your left. It climbs a further 30 metres elevation to the high point, then drops 60 net metres, down to the creek where you can see a huge log jam and a damaged bridge from the floods.  It’s a further 900 metres to Link junction, of which 600 metres is on the original trail.

The viewpoint from a high section of the new ski trail

The viewpoint from a high section of the new ski trail

The distance of the new trail is 1.2K, and the total distance from Ribbon creek parking lot to Link junction 3.1K which is 100 metres further than Gillean Daffern clocked.

Gillean rates it as “hard intermediate,” as it has some very steep sections with tight turns. It is not a beginner’s trail, but it looks like fun for the seasoned, fit, intermediate skier. I’ll be skiing it mostly in the west-to-east direction. I prefer to climb the steep hills and enjoy a more gradual downhill to the trailhead.

The new ski trail has some very steep downhill sections if skiing east-to-west

The new ski trail has some very steep downhill sections if skiing east-to-west

Of course, it is wide enough for the snowcat to travel over.

I can envisage the hiking and snowshoe trail being used by skiers who don’t want the challenges of the new trail.

Name the trail

Does anyone have any suggestions for a name for the new ski trail? I don’t know what K-Country’s official name for this trail is going to be, but let’s give them some suggestions. Trail names in K-Country can be related to a geographical feature(such as Ribbon creek), a historical figure(Kovach), a builder/designer(Bill Milne), an animal(Whiskey Jack), a historical use or event(Hay meadow or Coal Mine).

Most of the Ribbon creek trail had to be rebuilt

Most of the Ribbon creek trail had to be rebuilt

What would be a relevant name for this new trail? K-Country probably already has a name picked out, but what the heck.

The hiking and snowshoe trail

The “old” Ribbon creek trail has been rebuilt as a hiking and snowshoe trail along the creek. It’s the same distance as before, 2.5K to Link junction, with a very gradual elevation gain of 80 metres.

Again, I’ll refer you to the Kananaskis Trails blog for a more complete report on this trail from Gillean Daffern.

The hiking and snowshoe trail is narrower for the initial 1.6K

The hiking and snowshoe trail is narrower for the initial 1.6K

The floods of 2013 destroyed most of the original trail, but the final 600 metres follows the old trail to Link junction. You might remember the picnic tables? They’re still there, in the exact same location where I saw them during my first year of skiing here, 18 years ago.

The newly constructed part(the initial 1.6K) is quite narrow in places, crosses 6 bridges, and will not be groomed for xc skiing. That’s not to say that people won’t be skiing on it anyway.

5 Comments:

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  1. Along the theme of Ruthie’s Trail and Bill Milne Trail who have made significant contributions to the Ribbon Creek area, I suggest “Bob’s Trail” in honour of all of the great work that Skier Bob does for the X-C ski community in this neck of the woods.

  2. A great name given the connection people had with the old trail is ” Future Nostalgia’ ( thanks to the Sheep Dogs for that one] . Also on the list Miner’ s Meander , Cowboy Up and Coal Shoosh.

  3. Thank you for the update and looking forward to skiing this!

  4. I received this email from Ed who has 10 suggestions for a name:

    Hi bobski. This new trail was built due to a ravaging flood, and should be named to remember this event ( possibly it was a once in a century occurrence).

    This flooding event has true historical significance for both the Bow Valley Corridor, and also Kananaskis Country.

    Some possible names are:

    DELUGE TRAIL

    INONDATION TRAIL (this is the French pronunciation of flooding, or river flooding)

    SOGGY RIDGE TRAIL

    CLAMMY CLIMB

    WET WONDER

    DRENCHED DIVERSION

    AQUA RIDGE

    AQUA ASCENT

    FLOOD FOLLY or FLOODED FOLLY ( oh, I’m sorry, those last 2 should be reserved for the $ 18 million being spent on rebuilding the Mount Kidd golf course again…….Where you ask?…..on a flood plain)!!

    Thank you.
    Edward Wiercinski.

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