This Hike wasn't EASY, attempting to SUMMIT Mount Baldy South

The Mount Baldy South Trail in Alberta is a popular and challenging hike. The trail provides panoramic views of the Kananaskis Valley and surrounding peaks. On a clear day, you can see for miles. This trail is known for its steep sections and scrambling opportunities, making it a great choice for experienced hikers looking for a challenge.

June 9/2024 Spring Hike, Alberta Canada

Today we are in Kananaskis Country, and we will be attempting to summit Mount Baldy South. The Trail is 10.8 kilometers (6.7 miles) out and back, with an elevation gain of 904 meters (2970 feet). Our maximum elevation was 2053 meters (6740 feet). Just a quick note that there is some scrambling on this hike. We will be heading up the Baldy Pass Trail and then heading up Mount Baldy South.

We parked in the Baldy Pass parking lot, which is a pretty good size. To get to the trailhead you must cross Highway 40. There is a trailhead sign on the other side of the highway. The first part you will be in the trees. The trail is relatively flat. Just under 1k you will reach a T in the trail, and you want to make a left. Soon you will enter a rocky area with a dry creek bed on your right. The trail will start and open up and you will have a beautiful view in front of you. The elevation up to this point has been minimal. As the trail opens up even more, look back you will get a great view of Nakiska Ski Resort. Just under 2.7k you will be heading back into the trees. The trail will gradually get steeper from here. The rocks on the trail will get a little bit bigger and you will start and get into roots on the trail. Now get ready to climb, as the trail gets a lot steeper until you get to Baldy Pass. Around 3.8k you will cross the first of two avalanche paths. We made our way over the snow relatively easy. There was no snow on the second avalanche path. Just under 4.4k you will arrive at Baldy Pass. If you look up to your right, you will see Midnight Peak. Now you will want to continue left and start climbing the ridge up towards South Baldy Peak. You cannot see the peak from here. Basically, from here the higher you climb, the steeper the trail gets. Views will now start to open up to your left looking across the valley. The trail will now get a lot rockier. Here is where the trail gets a lot steeper, and you will be going up a lot of little switchbacks. As you climb the view to your left just gets better and better. At 5k the trail levels off for a bit and you will get a great 360 view. Get ready to climb again. Soon you will arrive at the crux of the hike. To your left is a section that you must scramble up. To your right is a narrow path with a steep drop off. Bill and I continued scrambling up the left side. Here is where the ladies decided to call it. At the top of the scrambling section, you can see another peak in front of you. I thought it was the summit, I was wrong. The trail gets steep here again, but there was no more scrambling.

I paused the video here for a second. Just last week, Nakoda, a rare white Grizzly Bear, was killed by a motorist in British Columbia, Canada. Even more tragic, her two cubs were also killed in a collision earlier on the same highway. Please don’t speed when you’re in a Provincial, State or National Park. At the end of this video, I have linked two videos made by Jason Leo Bantle showcasing Nakoda.

Here are the links as well

   • Nakoda - A Reminder to Respect Bears  

   • A Tribute to Nakoda - The White Grizz...  

Just under 5.6k I arrived at the false summit. From here I could see the true summit in front of me. I decided to call it here as my group was now waiting for me. The views from here were stunning I all directions. I had my beer and then it was time to head back down. I met up with Bill at the top of the scrambling section. It was definitely a lot easier going up than going down. Soon we met up with the ladies and continued our way down. We had to take it slow as there were some tricky sections on the way down to Baldy Pass. From the pass it was an easy hike down to the car.

This hike was a lot more difficult than I had planned. I wasn’t aware of the scrambling section. All in all, though it was a great hike with awesome views. If you do this hike you will have to scramble for a section of it.

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Thank you,
Cary Mason

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