01

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

Hailstone Butte
  • Location: Cowboy Trail (Highway 22)
  • Activity: Scrambling
  • Height: 2,374 m (7,789 ft)
  • Elevation Gain: 400 m (1,312 ft)
  • Distance: 5.2 km / Loop (3.2 mi)
  • Avg Steepness: 8.8°
  • Estimated Time: 1.5-3 hrs
  • Technicality: Intermediate
  • Fitness Level: Easy

After leaving Crowsnest Pass in afternoon, I still had time to go for a short hike on the way back to Calgary. I thought Hailstone would be the perfect one to do except it was a lot shorter than I expected and shorter than I wanted.

I parked at the Summit parking lot. There was a trail from there which went through small valley east of Hailstone. This trail extended near the bottom of where the tower on the ridge top was. From there I went straight up the hill. Near the ridge top, there was a rockband to scramble up. So technically this one can be or should be rated as easy scramble rather than hiking. Once on the ridge I walked towards the summit.

On the way back, I came down the same way to scramble down the rockband, but instead to take the same trail to walk back the small valley, I decided to follow a southeast ridge. There was actually a trail too even though it was not continuous. This ridge took me back to right at a pond near my car.

02

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

The trail from parking lot led me to right bottom of the lookout.

03

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

Windy Peak hills, Mount Livingstone, and Saddle Mountain.

04

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

Hailstone summit.

05

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

Lookout. Quite high tech.

06

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

I was amazed by this summit cairn. Look at the size of rocks!! That must have been so heavy.

07

Hailstone Butte | 2010-10-04

My alternate descent ridge.

RETURN TO TOP