Paskapoo Slopes Loop from Piita Rise

Here’s a nice hike on a wooded hillside overlooking the west end of Calgary. You’d see lots of urbanity if not for the trees, but every once in a while, they do thin and this allows a look out. Here’s a loop hike on Paskapoo Slopes and it starts from the bottom.

It’s a short one but still quite delightful. There’s a bit of a history angle here (remains of an old homestead) and the trail passes a large glacial erratic. This big rock came from somewhere far away and it happened long ago. There’s a number of erratics in the city but none have a better view than it.

There’s a maze of trails here so duplicating our track might be hard. At the same time, there’s always a trail going in the direction you need, so you’ll get there. There are no signs that we saw so you’ll have to rely on your wits and instincts.

Begin off Piita Rise and just up from the roundabout. There is one house at the end of the road and this parking lot just before, and that’s all. The Winsport Ski Hill (formerly Canada Olympic Park and earlier Paskapoo) borders the opposite site of the road.

Note the old ski jumps from the ’88 Winter Olympics. They’re not used any more, at least in that capacity, although one tower was incorporated into a zip line. It ends right near the fence at that elevated platform.

This hike happens on Medicine Hill/Aiss ka pooma. Paskapoo is the old name, one mistranslated from the native tongue and not recognized officially anymore. Yet it’s still used to describe the slopes. They’re a prominent landmark in Calgary and seen by many motorists on the #1.

From the plaque at the trailhead: “Medicine Hill refers to a place of health and well being, a gathering place that the (Blackfoot) community returns to for renewal and natural healing.”

Drop down and take the most defined path into the woods. This trail angles up the slope at an easy and fairly consistent grade. Small spring-fed streams are bridged and this keeps the habitat from being chewed up. There’s lots of minor dips and rises thanks to the many ravines on Paskapoo Slopes.

If you visit in the fall, the colours will be amazing, but we came a little late and most trees had already dropped their leaves. The bright red berries of Mountain Ash were nice and colourful though.

This trail is marked “Ridge Run” on some maps.

In no time the glacial erratic comes into view. It’s a big one, and standing atop it give one a nice viewpoint to look down on city below. There’s nose hill (a huge urban natural space) far in the distance and many residential neighbourhoods between here and there. The rock was transported down from the Jasper area (some 300km distant as the crow flies) to Paskapoo Slopes and it happened some 12-18k years ago.

Those old photos got the gears grinding…I wonder if we could find the originals and use them for a comparison view? File that for later.

Continue on this line and as before ignore any trails heading more steeply up or down. At a open area, the trail bends right and tackle the slope head on. Keep this line (through several junctions) until you top out at a broad landing and turn right on a well defined trail.

The neighbourhood of Cougar Ridge is off to your left but mostly obscured by trees.

At a large meadow, note an old and well graffitied foundation off to the right. It’s remains of the Gerbrandt Homestead and from 1943-1956 home a family of ten. Ten…in that small place? An old railway boxcar once sat atop that long section of foundation and connected to the house to be used as a kitchen.

All that white stuff in the photo is animal hair and we’re not sure what happened. The amount suggests something bad befell what ever left it behind.

There were other buildings on the property, including a barn and other outbuildings, but there’s no evidence of them any more. Expect to see old fence lines in the area, however, both out in the open and deep in he woods. The trees are a fairly recent thing and old aerial photos of the slopes show there were few here in the past, save for the more sheltered ravines.

We came with some old images of the old homestead and used them as fodder for some Then & Now comparisons to be shared later. If they work out.

Continue on and keep the same heading on what was the old road into the homestead. It drops down the slope at an easy grade and parallels the trail used on the up leg. It’s marked “Lemon Orchard” on certain maps.

Once the trail enters the trees, it becomes clear that it’s an old road and it’ll be used almost to the end. Ahead, there’s two old cars at a small pond. They’re easily of the 1940s or 1950s era and have likely been here a long time. They’re too mangled to make out what exactly they are but if we had the time, you know we’d try and ID them.

It’s not known if they’re connected to Gerbrandts or dumped by someone else. It was not odd in the old days to take junkers into the woods and abandon them when no longer needed. Out of sight and out of mind. We see dumped cars all the time while out exploring and back then it was an almost acceptable way to dispose of them.

Proceed along the old road, pass below that one house we spoke of and bending right hit the paved pathway on Piita Rise. It’s just a short jaunt back to the car at this point and almost quickly as it began, it’s over. It packed a lot of interesting things into that short distance – nature plus natural and human history. That’s a hiking trifecta in our world.

Look at that, only a bit more than an hour has passed and it’s still early morning. It was quick but thoroughly enjoyable.

Know more (new tab): Paskapoo Slopes Calgary Trails.

They’re saying…

“This is a magical website!” Johnny Deutch.

Calgary Hikes…
Nose Hill Park Centre Loop.
Edgemont Ravine (NW Calgary).
Fish Creek Park West.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: October 2024.
Location: Paskapoo Slopes, west end of Calgary off the #1.
Distance: 3.5km loop.
Height gain maximum: 100m.
Height gain cumulative: 125m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: Watch for bikes.

A little history of Medicine Hill, home to these trails.

Thinking back to the ’88 Winter Olympics.

On a cool and crisp fall morning.

Ridge Run is a gentle traverse of the slopes.

Most trees had already dropped their leaves. but not these.

The glacial erratic comes into view.

Dropped here 12-18 thousand years ago.

The city in view only once in a while.

Pleasant going on the forested slopes.

A few spring-fed streams are born here.

Heading directly up now.

The Gerbrandt Homestead – that’s animal hair.

An old fence line.

More remains in the woods.

One of two old cars at this pond.

The second.

On the Lemon Orchard trail.

Early morning long shadows.

Mountain Ash provides food for many bird species.

Near the end – zipline platform in back at Calgary Winsport.

A nice little outing on Paskapoo Slopes.