Some snow offered good step-kicking. . Like many of the hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park, the hike to Opal Cone is one that seems to provide endless breathtaking views. The book says to follow the trail but we never found one. Park about one kilometre south of the Rocky Creek Bridge in a parking lot on the west side of the highway. Elevation Gain: approx. Opal Hills: Wonderful hike - See 57 traveler reviews, 52 candid photos, and great deals for Jasper, Canada, at Tripadvisor. Allow about 2 more hours for that add on. This is near the Eau Claire Campground. A great early season hike or first time scramble! Tent Ridge. 3,084 ft. Elev Gain. Stay on the right (counter-clockwise) for the fastest way, which is a very steep hike to the viewpoint. Distance: 7.5 km Elevation gain: 1020 m Route map The south summit of Opal Ridge is a relatively easy, albeit steep, early or late season objective. (I believe Opal Hills is in the 400 - 500m range.) Weather may play a role. The view to the other side fully opened up. High cloud and no wind were the weather conditions for this trip. I never want to undersell a route (and have someone get into trouble) nor oversell it (and scare someone off). Exact matches only Time. After completing Opal Ridge South this past week with my hiking partner Lucas, I was inspired to share some of the photos I took!! The majority of this trip is indeed a hike, but there is a mid-section of steep slabs with some cliffy bits that require route finding, plus a bit of hands-on-rock action. Dinah and I parked on the side of Highway 40 and hiked up the steep west slope of Opal Ridge. I debated whether the south peak of Opal Ridge should be classified as a hike or a scramble. We could see the impressive Mt. Where to Park for This Kananaskis Hike: Goat Creek Day Area; 3.) This time around, the route was completely different, and a whole lot easier. Limit of 10 participants. This is a moderate one way trail in Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park. 1,000 m (3, 280 ft) Best Season to Scramble: May to September. Sat, Apr 23, 2016, 6:30 AM: ***NEW***In signing up for this hike you will be automatically placed on a waitlist. Due to the weather forecast, it was decided to postpone the hike by 1 day from Thursday which was forecast to be cloudy with showers to Friday which is forecast to be mix of sun and clouds. terrain. gain: 1000 metersTime required: 5 - 7 hours be prepared for longer we are in the Canadian RockiesDifficulty Rat Opal Ridge South. This is truly one of the best hikes in Jasper. Tent Horseshoe Ridge is one of my favorite Kananaskis hikes in all of Alberta, it’s easily one of the best Kananaskis hikes – just look at the photos! Many of the kilometers covered are on rolling, wide trail. Generic selectors. Denny and Mt. Opal Ridge North is not a grand objective by any means. May 30, 2010 Sunday 9:00 AM Calgary, Alberta, Canada. But once you break out into the open the views are tremendous. I decided to go Sonny’s route since he usually researches things quite thoroughly! This event has been marked mature level 1 due to the following, "crack". Altitude: 2,590m (8,495 ft) Ascent Time: 2 -3 Hours. Its full of surprises. On Saturday, Paul, Robin, Adriane, Tom and I decided we would hike to the south peak of Opal Ridge, which is located off of Highway 40, about 40 km south of Highway 1. 100 Likes, 0 Comments - Alberta Hikes (@albertahikes) on Instagram: “Opal Ridge . Opal Hills: Wonderful hike - See 57 traveler reviews, 52 candid photos, and great deals for Jasper, Canada, at Tripadvisor. The Opal Ridge is on the East side of the Kananaskis Trail (Hwy 40). Heading south on Hwy 40, travel for 41 km, until you reach the Fortress Junction service station on the east side of the road. Follow the Opal Creek trail a quarter mile past the Gold Creek Bridge. Find the Rocky Creek Bridge, and it's easy to find the place to park. World's largest black opal set to sell for up to $1million after being found in a mine in the Australian outback 'The Pacific', a gargantuan opal found near Lightning Ridge in NSW The Opal Hills hike in Jasper National Park is exhilarating, with a unique beauty that casts a spell on the hikers who make it through the steep trail – moving up to a lush meadow and beautiful mountains. A map is highly recommended on this hike. NeluGoia 1 year, 2 months ago Opal Ridge. There is also a small general store that you can also park behind. She usually hikes it in the spring when the winds can be quite cold, but this time, the weather was gorgeous and warm. Snow is melted from most of the trail except…” Ask Richard R about Opal Hills. The North Peak is actually the start of a long ridge. Difficult Hike - Opal Ridge South in Calgary Track Share. There is no water access for the first 9 miles. Rate this Hike ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Public Tracks. Scramble: Class 1 – Steep Hiking. Opal Ridge is one of Adriane’s favourite hikes. 5432 Dalhart Rd NW Calgary, Alberta. Crocus on the lower section of the Opal Ridge trail. Short, hard and Sweet !! This trail goes by Opal Ridge. Highlights. You could alternatively go left for an easier hike. The views from the top, however, easily justify doing this hike at any time of year. After that, it was a matter of following the ridge south to the summit. 1 of 1. Jun 21, 2018 - A trail description and photo journal of Opal Ridge South in Kananaskis Country. Leg burner hike up to opal ridge. On your left (north) take trail 3369 to climb up an old road towards Whetstone Mountain. . And if you have the time, you can continue on to the highest ridge and then back to the more traditional route. From the gates cross over the col to Opal Ridge and the start of a nice ridge hike of about 2 km. Events Opal Ridge - A Level Hike - now Friday, June 19. Opal Ridge South is a great early season hike in Kananaskis Country. Sign up on line &/or contact me. At 35 km, the hike is a very long day-hike, however, the trail is not overly challenging or technical. Because Lineham Ridge is a full-day hike, Kim and I decided to book the 10:00 am shuttle time (I would have booked the earliest time at 8:00 am but had a wedding the day before…and well, you fill in the blanks). Old growth trees and blooming wildflowers complement the rock formations, the last of which is a fifty-foot high natural arch which frames the montane woodlands. The weather forecast was a bit sketchy as it was calling for thunderstorms in the area starting in the afternoon. Jun 16, 2018 - If you're looking for Kananaskis hikes that deliver big time on mountain views be sure to include the steep hike up Opal Ridge South. Elevation Gain: 1,026 m How To Get There: From Calgary, travel west on Hwy 1 until you reach the turn off for Hwy 40. They both are scrambles and I’d like to tick them off in the following summer. Date of experience: July 2019. Please answer the questions on the RSVP if you have never hiked with me before so we ca Opal Ridge South. Don’t let the short 4.6 mileage fool you. I also noticed Dave didn’t even have pictures from this trip. It can be accessed by foot and bicycle. The group set a moderate steady pace to the 'Hump' where a well deserved rest break was taken. Some snow just made them even more attractive. After dropping in to the creek we edged are way on the right bank until a rock gorge forced us to the left. This event is for A level hikers. This hike heads west from the French Creek Ridge Trailhead, making an undulating path along a rugged ridge crowded with features and views. Jun 21, 2018 - A trail description and photo journal of Opal Ridge South in Kananaskis Country. Best of all, this hike … Caught this picture in late October a few years back. In fact, there is a trail. As a matter of fact, in my research to see how far up the ridge I should go to ‘officially’ nab the north summit I couldn’t find two accounts that gave the same idea of the summit. A great early season hike or first time scramble! The trail has a lot of steep up and down … Time: 4 1/2 hours Distance: 6.4 km (return). After snapping some summit shots of the scenic Opal Range vistas, I descended for a round trip time of under 3.5 hours. The summit was not far up, and it was mostly just a hike. The idea to return back through Grizzly Creek came from Dafferns trail guide. We enjoyed a very good HalF-day hike at Opal Hills trail. The eastern area of the national park is prone to afternoon thunderstorms, especially on warm days. Opal Ridge – A Level Hike – now Friday, June 19. Opal Ridge is a 4,718 foot trail in Alberta. I should have saved this for a family hike, but I enjoyed it enough that I’ll go back some day. Noble firs and Pacific silver firs dominate the summit ridge with rhododendrons and beargrass in bloom from June to early July. Sun, May 26, 2013, 9:00 AM: Opal Ridge South Scramble/Strenuous HikeDistance: 10 kmElev. Potts. Travel Resources Great Places To Stay Packing Guides. Overview. Difficult Hike - Opal Ridge South Event Time & Tickets; Mature Level: Machine-set Level 1. Opal Ridge South is a peak you don't mind repeating. Early season last year, I completed an easy scramble in the same range, Grizzly Peak. Opal Ridge North Peak Kananaskis, Alberta July 21, 2002 . Best Time To Hike: Possible year-round, but attention must be paid to avalanche cycles in winter/spring. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country. You will climb steeply to a trail junction where the Opal Hills Trail begins. While not sunny the conditions were perfect for a 'grunt' offtrail hike. The Sulphur Skyline is rated as strenuous, due to the 723 m. elevation gain. Following the steep way to the view, you will reach a sign at mile 1.7; where the hiking route divides. Distance : 7.2 km (out & Back) Elevation Gain : 1,035m Summit on July 25, 2020 Indian Paintbrush - the Creator's handiwork. Opal Ridge South reminded me very much of King Creek Ridge, another easy scramble that I’ve done more than once. There were a number of flower species in bloom on the lower section of the trail. This ridge, which reaches down from the heights of the Turquoise Range, has been informally named Opal Ridge and a trail goes up its southeast nose. The Opal Hills loop, if you stick only to the loop and don’t add on the extension up the ridge, is rated as a moderate hike. Disappointed ... Not impossible, just slow going. Just hike straight ahead. Moderate One-Way. Opal Cone Hike Intro. The large ACC group, half of whom were last-minute event crashers, took a relaxed pace up and down the tourist trail to Opal Ridge South Peak. 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