Prairie Bluff Attempt

Elevation: 2258 m
Elevation Gain: 700 m
Prairie Bluff was officially named in 1941 for its bluff-like profile which overlooks the expansive Alberta prairies to its north and east. The peak is also known as “Corner Mountain” since its southwest-to-northwest-trending range turns abruptly to the west at its summit. Prairie Bluff’s extensive summit plateau features 2 active gas wells that can be reached via a gated access road. The Bluff also features a number of other hiking and scrambling routes.
My Attempts:
May 30 2020
Trailhead: Roadside Pullout
GPS Track: Prairie Bluff Attempt

As COVID-19 restrictions continued to ease and warm summer weather finally arrived in southern Alberta, it occurred to me that Brianne and I had not been on a date or had any respite from our young children since March 10. 81 days at home is enough to drive anyone batty but 81 days at home with preschool-aged children will test the resolve of even the steeliest characters. So, when Grandma and Grandpa mentioned that they would, once again, be comfortable babysitting our kids, we didn’t wait for them to reconsider; we were GONE!

Now where does a weary pair of parents go for a date in the COVID age when many things remain closed? The same place we go every time we get a date day…to the mountains, of course! Brianne didn’t much care where we went hiking, provided that it:

A) Wasn’t a HUGE objective and B) Wasn’t an absurdly long drive away.

After a hurried discussion, “we” settled on Prairie Bluff in Castle Provincial Park. I’d suggested Prairie Bluff figuring that it couldn’t count as HUGE given that it was a “bluff” not a “mountain.” I also reasoned that the 2-hour-and-20-minute drive was short-ish. Finally, I figured it would be nice to bring Crux along (one less “kid” for my parents to babysit). Unfortunately, the terms that Brianne outlined for a “short, pleasant hiking date” were ill-defined and I got carried away (as I always seem to).

Right from the get-go, everything went wrong. We got off to an unusually late start and ran into standstill traffic immediately. Efforts to escape the gridlock using an alternate route were thwarted by multiple construction zones and, by the time we reached the trailhead, our 2-hour-and-20 minute drive had become a 4-hour exercise in frustration and marital tension. As we grumpily laced our boots, I figured “At least things can’t get any worse.”

(SPOILER ALERT: Never figure that.)

As we set off through open meadows, horn-shaped Victoria Peak made for a scenic backdrop. Crux and I climbed Victoria about 1-year earlier and, it was then, that I decided we’d need to return to much-smaller Prairie Bluff at some point. As the warm sun kissed our skin and sweat began to bead on our brows, I hoped that pastoral mountain scenery and blue skies might brighten our moods.

Prairie Bluff (right) and one of its several outliers rise up from the prairies. Looks small-ish, right?

LEFT: Not far from our parking spot, grassy meadows gave way to a spectacular preponderance of glacier lilies.
RIGHT: Blanket flowers and lichen-laden logs provide a splash of color on Prairie Bluff’s steep and sunny south slopes.

A closer look at the beautiful blanket flowers. As we hiked up amidst ample wildflowers, I could feel months of accumulated tension melting away. How could anyone not feel rejuvenated when surrounded by flowers and mountains and sun?

Hmmm….Based on the expression on her face, Brianne did not seem to be experiencing the same flower-induced catharsis.

Crux and Brianne navigate a veritable carpet of glacier lilies.

As the afternoon sun beat down upon us, we opted to make a small detour towards a noisy stream so that our black fur baby could “tank up” in preparation for the ascent to come.

Unfortunately, during the course of our detour to the stream, I let a GPS track convince me to cross said stream (even though my route-finding instincts told me otherwise). My, almost-always game, wife laughed as I attempted (and failed) to build her a stone bridge. Eventually, she took her shoes off and forded the cool watercourse. It seemed that her mood was improving. Perhaps this date could be salvaged?

Nope. Nope. Nope.

5-minutes after we’d crossed the stream, I told her I’d been mistaken and that we had to go back and cross it again. The doubly unnecessary ford and the time it wasted after an outrageously long drive proved to be the straws that broke the goat’s back. As I recrossed the stream, she chose to pout on the far bank. We sat across from one another for a good long time in silence before electing to yell at one another (scaring poor Crux in the process) and then returning to silence. Certainly not how either of us planned to spend our long-anticipated date…

After she (eventually) crossed the stream, we continued up. Brianne suggested turning back and enjoying a cold beer in a meadow filled with flowers. I should have listened to her. But, of course, I did not. We followed a fence line and set our sights on Prairie Bluff’s south slopes instead.

Pleasant views back towards Pincher Ridge (despite the palpable tension between Brianne and I).

Brianne charges up Prairie Bluff’s steep south slopes. Her anger proved to be rocket fuel and it was hard for Crux and I to keep up with her!

As we ascended, I tried to enjoy the, suddenly, green prairies to the east but it was difficult to do so because I knew I was in BIG trouble.

Characteristic Castle trees and fine views. Again, Brianne suggested stopping here. It would have been a nice spot! She even told me that I could go on to the summit without her and that she wouldn’t be mad. I’ve left people behind to tag a peak before and it’s always a decision that I struggle with. Obviously, I’m obsessed with summits but I hate to be “that guy” who cares more about summits than people (especially the person I’m on a date with). As she tired of me deliberating endlessly, she became frustrated and, as earlier, that frustration amounted to rocket fuel. Up she charged once more.

LEFT: A very tiny Brianne navigates the steep rubble just below Prairie Bluff’s south ridge crest. As I attempted to gauge her anger level by the increasingly significant gap between us, I questioned what it is about me that makes me do these things. Why can’t I just be happy in a beautiful meadow?
RIGHT: Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any worse, IT GOT WORSE. Near the ridge crest, I noticed that Crux was becoming extremely resistant to continuing. He’s always stubborn and steep rubble is not his (or anyone else’s) favorite but this seemed different. I coaxed him upwards for a while (as I’ve done before) but, again, this seemed different. As he panted on the baking hot scree, I summoned my courage and called up to Brianne: “I think something’s wrong with Crux!”

After giving Crux, essentially, all of our water, he still didn’t seem himself and we both grew more worried. Faced with the fact that the miserable slope I insisted we hike up appeared to have injured our dog, I had a breakdown of my own and choked back tears. As I attempted to compose myself, any issues between Brianne and I quickly faded from memory as we debated how best to proceed in our “firstborn’s” interest. The summit (right) was no longer of any relevance.

We knew we had to get down.

LEFT: Brianne shows Crux the best way down. We hoped that the snow and stream in the valley below would recharge our drained pooch and plotted a course directly down towards them.
RIGHT: Passing, yet another, remarkable Castle tree on our descent slope.

Ever the nurse... Once we reached the snow-covered stream below, Crux plopped down and Brianne proceeded to hand-feed him in the hope that he’d start to bounce back.

After he enjoyed a decent rest in the snow, we knew that we needed to continue down and roused our hiking hound.

Brianne follows the valley back down towards our vehicle (some 3 or so km distant still). As we left the stream, Crux was still slow but we were relieved to have all of the steep, difficult terrain behind us and figured that our well-traveled mountain dog would be able to manage from here on down.

Trying to enjoy the wondrous display of prairie crocuses despite the day’s trials.

Unfortunately, has had been the case all-day, greater misfortune loomed and the lovely flowers were soon an afterthought.

LEFT: From bad to worse - With about 1 km separating us from our car, the day became a full-on rescue op. We didn’t know what was wrong but Crux could no longer move. At one point, he collapsed and starting to slide down a steep embankment towards a stream. He made ZERO effort to arrest his fall, proving that something was seriously awry. Luckily, we caught him. Efforts to spur him on failed as he collapsed over and over again. Without knowing what to do, Brianne texted her Dad who suggested that we support his hips (which seemed to be the trouble) with a jacket. While this didn’t work, it ultimately provided the inspiration for the dual jacket slings that we ended up using to carry Crux back to the car.
RIGHT: Brianne takes a turn hoisting the front end while I document my shift carrying Crux’s hindquarters. Sweaty, hot, exhausted and swarmed by flies, we carried on. Crux is a BIG boy (120 lbs apparently!) but, with great difficulty, we were able to get him down 20-feet at-a-time.

Not what you want to see when you’re struggling to carry a 120 lb family member who’s suddenly come up lame! It was fresh too… Fortunately, this was the first time all day that our situation didn't get worse and we never did meet this print's maker.

THANK GOD! After struggling to sling our poor helpless dog out, our vehicular salvation finally appeared. As soon as the terrain became drivable, I left Crux and Brianne and returned with our SUV, sparing us all a final 100 m of hiking hardship. After fetching the car, Brianne and I completed our rescue op by giving Crux one final hoist into the trunk.

With the A/C cranked, Crux and Brianne each enjoy a cool refreshment after a small-ish day, unexpectedly, turned into an epic. On a day when nothing went right, at least we had a pair of cold beers waiting in the car!

After racing the sunset home, we carried Crux out of the car using a blanket. A couple of days later, we took our still-listless pup to an emergency vet. Thankfully, X-rays showed no acute damage but they, unfortunately, revealed chronic arthritis. After a dose of puppy painkillers, Crux’s mood improved considerably and, a few days later, he was back to his normal (sometimes annoying self).

We’re overjoyed now that Crux has recovered but also saddened that our Prairie Bluff attempt will likely mark the final chapter in his scrambling adventures. After 84 unique ascents, it may be time for our 8-year-old “Wonder Dog” to hang up his scrambling boots and focus on what he loves most of all: laying lazily in our backyard, surrounded by his family. Come to think of it, that sounds like a nice way to spend some of my time as well. Very slowly, I’m learning that there’s more to life than summits…