Seventy Buck Viewpoint

This hike starts out well enough, but roughly mid-point takes a turn for the worse, before things improve again. The destination is a little bump in the Sibbald area of Kananaskis, with a really nice vantage point atop some cliffs open to the south. There’s rolling hills all about, precipitous peaks off in the distance, a valley down below, creeks and ponds too, all waiting to be seen. It doesn’t get much better than this. in that respect, but still those cutblocks. There’s the rub…cutblocks…shudder…they are no fun to cross. Not sure how others are getting up to the Seventy Buck Viewpoint, but there must be a better way than ours. So use this report as a guide on not what to do (unless you’re into self abuse), then search out a better way. The goal is still worth it just not this way.

Park on the side of Highway #68 about five clicks west of the Sibbald Lake turnoff at a sweeping bend in the road. This spot is called Crane Meadows on some maps. Look for a wide trail heading north and start your journey. This is a former logging road, marked by a no motor vehicles sign. Along here the going is easy and straightforward, but later much of the route described is off trail. You might just share the area with free roaming cattle at certain times of the year – hey, they left a calling card! At a junction (look for a yellow sign marked 2823 RD on a tree) take the overgrown road heading up to the left. There is a faint trail in the tall grass.

The road passes below a series of logged area to the left. With some height gained, there’s now some views to be had. To the north, it’s Eagle Hill a place we’ve been up a few times before. One route in takes in some of the trail just hiked (here: Eagle Hill via Seventy Buck Valley) where as another has a different approach altogether (here: Return to Eagle Hill. Further in back one can see the busy TransCanada Highway and Stoney Nation Lands.

Climbing up at a steady rate, it’s a split in the road. We considered the left option and it was heading in the right direction, but it was too overgrown compared to the one we were on. Back in motion, continue up and soon in enter a cutblock where the track ends. From now on much of the hike is off trail. We elected to make a bee-line for a treed high point (roughly to the SE) on the far side of the logged area. You can see it easily.

Little did we know what we were getting into. It looked benign enough but hidden in the tall grass was a mess of slash, cut offs, branches and such left behind after logging. It’s all intentional and helps the forest repair itself – it’s stabilizes the ground, provides nourishment for the soil as the wood decays and is shelter for small animals – but for hikers it’s no fun. I guess we really didn’t consider how difficult it’d make the crossing beforehand. At least the land was relatively flat here.

So for the next while it was dodge this, jump over that, trip here, fall there and so on. Going was slow and expletive filled. It seemed to never end.

But it does…eventually. Now enter the woods, a narrow belt of trees protecting the south end of the hill, and breath a sigh of relief. To the left the signs of logging, to the right, a steep drop off or cliffs. It couldn’t be easier – just keep between them and head east-ish. There is no trail but the way is clear and with the soft mossy forest floor it’s like walking on air. There’s a couple rises and falls and before long come to a promontory marked by a stone shelter. Welcome to Seventy Buck Viewpoint! The wind it blows up here, a lot, and so it makes a welcome respite. A particularly raucous cheer is heard on uncorking (okay, unscrewing) the wine. This is well deserved! We bought the “Off the Eaten Path” chips for obvious reasons. Didn’t like them, though. Eww, cardboard with some powdery stuff on it!

Sit back and take it in. All around it’s places familiar to readers of this website, with Moose Mountain Jumpingpound Mountain, Cox Hill, Hunchback Hill(s) and Horton Hill all to be seen. To the west, it’s a big impenetrable wall of limestone marking the Alberta Front Ranges. Below, beside the highway (aka Sibbald Creek Trail) is a swampy area and Moose hotspot.

The highway directly below is a gravel affair (the BIGDoer-mobile thrives in such an environment) with big clouds of dust marking the passing of each vehicle. Once in a while the wind subsides and it’s dead silence. A quick hop over to the cutblock affords us a look of Grouse Ridge that connects to Eagle Hill. The logged area is not the prettiest place, but it does support much biodiversity and the forest will return, healthy as ever.

Lunch is usually an hour or so for us – we take our time. We originally planned to retrace our steps but given how it played out, that was a now a non-option. With that we tackled the wooded east slope, steep and grassy in places, but doable, with some minor cliff bands to avoid. We just had to take it easy. This might be an alternate up route (and we did find occasional trails), although it’s not without problems in that direction – route finding issues due to cliffs for example and an overall general extreme pitch.

About this point we have a clear view to cars parked at the trailhead. What’s this? Hey, it’s some prowlers checking things out. We could see a truck stop at each car and someone would get out, peer inside and try a door. Break ins do happen, unfortunately, but they saw no potential I guess and moved on. The mighty BIGDoer-mobile is marked safe! By the way, all other hikers must have been on the Seventy Buck Valley to Eagle Hill Route – we saw no one on our “trail”. All were gone by the time we finished, with us once again, the stragglers. Will the last one off the trail turn out the lights…

The grade levels out and soon in, come to that familiar logging road. Turn right and in a few minutes you’re done. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad in hindsight. Any outing in the woods is a good one and we sometimes have to take the bad, that awful, awful cutblocks for example, in stride. Great company, outdoor fun, fresh air, good eats (‘cept the chips), some decent views, trees and birds. I’d call that a fine day and with the brain’s capacity to block painful memories, it’s looked back on fondly now. It was a year ago after all. I know – why so slow to post? It’s complicated.

Seventy Buck, what an odd name. One hiking books speaks of the story behind it, something about a cowboy and a wallet of cash lost long ago. Treasure hunt!

Hoped you enjoyed this little trek. Here’s to the next one too…

They’re saying…

Wonderful hikes for us slowpokes. We’ve done about half the ones on your site and enjoyed them all” Richard LaFlamme.

More in the general area…
Jumpingpound Loop Clockwise – back where you started.
Deer Ridge – a little hill to the east.
Ole Buck Mountain – on nobody’s top ten list but we liked it.

If you wish more information about this route, by all means contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2019.
Location: Sibbald area Kananaskis, AB.
Distance: 6km Loop.
Height gain maximum: 280m.
Height gain cumulative: 310m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other people’s trip reports.
Technical stuff and notes: the cutblock won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Reference: Kananaskis Trail Guides by Gillean Daffern.

It begins here…

At a split in the old logging road, go left.

The grade is never too steep.

It’s a blue sky kind of day.

Eagle Hill in back, which we’ve visited before.

Oblivious to what’s ahead.

Welcome to hell – looking NW-ish here.

In the cutblock.

Lots of unseen tripping hazards in the grass.

Was that cursing I heard?

Once in the trees the fun returns.

Soft moss underfoot.

The view west.

A shelter from the wind.

Off the Eaten Path…

The highway below.

All those trinkets.

Grouse Ridge across the valley.

Cliffs on the hill’s south face.

Soon to drop down.

Looking east-ish – and hold on to your hat!

Some car prowling going on down there.

Bushwhacking it on the steep descent.

The cows roam free.

Mostly fun…