Close • Posted by 3 minutes ago. The temperature was calling for plus 9 degrees, the perfect time for a change of plans! The Nihahi Ridge lies at the far end of the Elbow Valley, close to a number of peaks named after either World War One Royal Navy battleships (Cornwall, Glasgow) or Roman Mythology (Romulus, Remus). We turned around when the ridge became a bit too exposed for our comfort with a possible storm looming in the near future. The ridge component of Nihahi is 7 km long, with the descent route consisting of the hike. Unbelievably! The Nihahi Creek turn off is on your right just before crossing the Nihahi Valley drainage, which may or many not contain Nihahi Creek. Park on the shoulder of Hwy 66 immediately before the pavement ends. There is a newly renovated parking lot (2018). Nihahi Ridge has been mentioned quite a few times on this blog, but it's simply one of best hikes in the area -- especially if you have a group of people with mixed hiking ability. We continued on up to where we left our bags and climbed up another crevice (Darryl made the comment that the top section was like the Hillary Step lol). Nihahi Ridge - B1 level hike. This trail follows beside and above the creek behind Nihahi Ridge. There are no viable ski routes up the ridge. The Nihahi Ridge Hike in Kananaskis Country - Hike Bike Travel If you're looking for a great hike that won't take all day & is relatively close to Calgary, you would do well to choose Nihahi Ridge in Kananaskis Country. I heard Highway 66 is closed from December to May after Elbow Falls. About the Author: CORE Author Nihahi Ridge If you're looking for a fairly tame hike with some amazing views, Nihahi Ridge is the way to go. If the creek is present, the canyon will be inaccessible. Last month we added the Nihahi Ridge hike to our victory list and we managed to make it 95% of the way to the south summit. Starts a bit boring along a dirt road near the Little Elbow Campground but quickly gets interesting when you take the trail up towards the ridge. share Share . I was super excited about the whole thing. If you are looking for a hard hike that gives you a little bit of everything you’ve found it. Frank climbs up a steep wall just before reaching the north summit of Nihahi Ridge. Start: Hwy. Worth It! This magnificent ridge, long and straight, stretching northwest from the Elbow Valley, looks a tempting hike from some angles. Nihahi Ridge hike. So don't miss the turn! The start of the hike is a bit underwhelming, as you will have to make your way past the outskirts of the Little Elbow Campground along the road, about 1.5 km. Bring a lunch and enjoy the most outstanding views! But it is in fact a challenging scramble. I say 'summer' because it's June and this weekend the temperatures dropped right off and the snow returned. about 4 years ago. To get to the summit, we had to hike up a crevice to get over a rock band. 11km, 780m climb. When plans fall through on a weekend, then there is no better time to go out for a hike instead! Scramble: Most of the way up is hiking until you get to the ridge except there is one spot where you need to scramble up a weakness of a rockband. … If you're looking for a great hike that won't take all day and is relatively close to Calgary, you would do well to choose the Nihahi Ridge hike. Ironically, the drive along Powderface Trail in the dark (to pick up the second car and bike) proved more frightening than the ridge itself. Nihahi Ridge Hike in April? About an hour from the Southern edge of Calgary, this hike starts near the Little Elbow Campground and takes you up and away into the mountains. Nihahi Ridge - changed to Powerface Ridge – A level hike. Stay on Little Elbow Trail for 4.1km past the two Nihahi Ridge turnoffs and along the flats, next to Little Elbow River. Anyone know if the Nihahi Ridge trail is open in April? The start is beautiful and scenic. Take the Little Elbow trail heading south along the Little Elbow River and eventually west along the campground. Another 1.9K will take you to the top of Nihahi Creek. In a short distance the trail … Close. Hikers can follow the canyon for a … About 550 m after the sign you will see another sign (waypoint "Sign 1") where you need to get off the main trail and take the trail to Nihahi. Park anywhere where trailhead parking is permitted (the rest of the parking is limited to campers). I did mount Glasgow today in Kananaskis country off HW 66 and noticed Nihahi ridge. Participants to drive themselves to Little Elbow Recreation Area on Hwy 66. Solo hiking adventure up Nihahi Ridge – June 4. Once you hit the scree it can be a little challenging, but dig in, you won't regret it. Nihahi Creek Canyon is a 9.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Located by the Little Elbow Campground, you have to walk about 2 kms through the campground which is probably the most boring of the hike. Nihahi Ridge is a wonderful hike located just 45 minutes west of where I call home, in beautiful Kananaskis country. A scenic meadow walk onto the lower south end of a very long ridge called Nihahi, meaning"rocky" in Stoney. Nihahi Ridge is a wonderful all-terrain hike close to Calgary. Some easy scrambling will take you to the south summit. Bragg Creek Provincial Park. link Copy Link. Nihahi: familiar to anyone who has visited the western end of the Elbow Valley – which is practically the entire population of Calgary. 30.09.2017 - If you're looking for a great hike that won't take all day & is relatively close to Calgary, you would do well to choose Nihahi Ridge in Kananaskis Country. So I grabbed my sister and we headed out west towards blue bird sky. Always liked this hike and it was a great way to break in my new hiking shoes. We started from the car at about 10.30 AM, and were back down by 2.10 PM. I marked "Scramble Up" on the map. Nihahi Ridge. Time: 5 hours. 1. I blog about hiking, climbing, scrambling, cycling and paddling, mostly in western Canada. Nihahi Ridge - Trail Particulars: Take Highway 66 west to the Little Elbow Recreation Area/Campground. Not sure if that would therefore make the Nihahi Ridge … Some 20+ km of ridge walking and 14 hours later, we reached the parking lot. "Nihahi" is a Stoney word meaning rocky and is a great Mantra for those running the exposed rocky ridge with endless false summits. Enjoy a short hike to expansive views at the south end of the ridge, or continue the adventure on a tightrope, across the entire length of the ridge. Nihahi Ridge is a challenge and a half. This is an intermediate hike but can be a hard one for some. Description: Hike up the road along the Elbow River to end of the campground passing the locked road barrier until you see the signed trailhead located on your right. First time I've done this hike and wouldn't definitely have no issue coming back to it in the summer. Nihahi Ridge has two published routes, a hiking trail leading to within 1300’ of the south summit and a scramble route that ascends the south summit and traverses the entire ridge to the north summit with a challenging descent. Limit of 10 participants. You can enter Nihahi Creek from the top and work your way down or you can enter from the south and hike through it both ways. I did my research and can see all I need to know for the basic hike (what all trails had). And was just wondering if anyone on here has gone far down the ridge where it goes quite a distance. When the packed dirt trail exits onto the dry upper creek bed, there is a sharp left downstream. By CORE Author | | Comments Off on Nihahi Ridge – End of hike treat. Next time we'll go a bit further and we'll just keep lengthening the ridge walk each time we go. Participants to drive themselves to the trailhead at the junction of Hwy 66 and Powderface Trail (end of pavement on Hwy 66). Nihahi Ridge Hike - June 6th 2009 3 fellow ThoughtWorkers and I headed off for our first hike of the 'summer'. The hike is reasonably close to the city, sits at the edge of the Rockies, and gets you to places no road can take you. Nihahi & Compression Ridge Route Map Thanks to Bob Spirko’s excellent route description we had a plan to do both of these peaks in one day (I’ve actually already done the Nihahi traverse but the chance to nab two peaks was irresistible) and return to the same parking spot rather than have a different start and end as suggested in Kane’s book. 2 reviews | | DIFFICULT #2 hike out of 5 in Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area | DIFFICULT. This event is for A level hikers. This event is for B1 level hikers. Get there in time to start hiking at 9:30 am. Some scrambling at the end (optional).. and it's the elevation that will kill you on this hike. Hike Nihahi Ridge. Archived. Nihahi Ridge. Once on top, the ridge continued on. Nihahi Ridge hike. not only are you dealing with a decent distance, but you are fighting with an insanely extreme elevation gain. Nihahi Ridge Tr. My local area is Kananaskis/Bow Valley, but I go further. The trailhead for the Nihahi Ridge hike located at Little Elbow Campground, is just an hour's drive from Calgary via Highway 66 near Bragg Creek. It's generally a moderate climb that will get you to some pretty amazing views. 66. 66 (Elbow Falls Trail) at Little Elbow Recreation Area. Posted by 4 years ago. There will be a sign directing you to Nihahi Ridge with a map and from there that is where the fun begins. This one is worth the trip! Nihahi Ridge is essentially a long series of bumps just like this one. The trailhead is located at the Little Elbow parking lot near the end of Hwy. From there, it’s a quick hike up to the scrambling/bouldering part. we don't recommend it if you have not had a lot of hiking experience. Continue hiking up the Nihahi Ridge trail through a spruce and fir forest. Nihahi Ridge – End of hike treat. Nihahi Ridge Hike in April? The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from May until September. 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