Opal Ridge

Trip No. 125

Elevation
2603m

Height Gain
1013m

Distance (one-way)

3.43km

Time to Reach Summit
2.0 - 3.5 hours

Degree of Difficulty
2 of 5

Scenery
3 of 5

Date of Most-recent Ascent
July 4, 2003

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On the east side of the parking lot is a creek. As you head up along the left side of this sloppy drainage, look for a trail which enters trees. In another 5 minutes you'll come across an old road parallel to the power line. Turn north and follow the road for 10 minutes or so. Go straight past where the road seems to branch right. Just past a small drainage (may be dry) and beyond a belt of trees is a well defined trail on your right (GPS reference 50d47m21s N, 115d09m33s W). This point is just before you reach the third set of double poles for the power line.

The trail winds swiftly up lower benches, and climbs past the meadows into rockier terrain. About half way up look for entire walls of fossilized coral embedded in slabs. Turn around from time to time to enjoy the view of Mt. Lawson and Mt. Inflexible directly across the highway, and think how much easier life would be if a road similar to the one going up to Fortress ski area would take you to where you're standing.

Numerous rock terraces are either climbed or traversed through notches. The trails are intermittent but since you're on open terrain you really can't get lost.

Further up, the path levels off on a huge grassy clearing. Ahead on your left is a rather conspicuous rock pinnacle (GPS reference 50d47m37sN, 115d08m18s W). Make a note on your return trip to climb this impressive looking tower (elevation 2470m) from the backside. To your right is the long sweeping ridge connecting to northern-most summit. The way up takes you through a gap to the right of the pinnacle. When you reach the shoulder, a trail can been seen rising gently towards the ridge crest. A brisk 20 minute walk puts you on the base of the summit block, where easy scrambling completes the journey (GPS reference 50d47m09s N, 115d08m13s W). If you care to venture further, several minor summits can be picked off by heading south.

To the east is the vertically tilted Opal Range. Directly across the left-most summit is unnamed. To its right, Mt. Denny is the one with the double summit, and Mt. Potts stands above a large bowl.  Mt. Evan-Thomas is the pointy one, then comes Mt. Peckenham further south. To the southwest, you can see the tip of Lower Kananaskis Lake. Slightly to the right in the distance, Mt. Joffre rises high above the Mangin Glacier.

If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't recognize it from this point. Fortress Mt. to the northwest looks completely different. Gone are the classic notches so familiar from the highway, but quite visible is the gentle southwest ridge, allowing one to ponder next week's outing.

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Rock Pinnacle at GR312285

From grassy clearing; route goes up through gap in middle of picture

Opal Ridge

On top of rock pinnacle

Opal Ridge

Heading south towards summit

Access Map

Elevation Profile