The adventure actually started before we even set foot on the mountain. We kicked off the trip by setting up base at the Bragg Creek campsite, soaking in the morning sun before heading out to check out the nearby waterfalls. It was the perfect, relaxed warmup for what was to come.
Left: Morning vibes at Bragg Creek campsite. Right: Checking out the waterfalls before the hike.
After the waterfalls, it was time to tackle Prairie Mountain. The trek up with my boys Charles and Christian started out completely normal. We were just pacing ourselves, taking in the scenery, taking trail selfies, and admiring Christian’s very fancy, red-wrapped walking stick.
While we were slowly making our way up, we noticed three other hikers on the trail. They honestly didn't look like the fittest people in the world, yet they somehow managed to hike up and down the mountain repeatedly in the time it took us to go up just once. Those individuals were simply built different.
Left: Trail selfies on the ascent. Right: Christian and his highly tactical walking stick.
Slow and steady on the steep ascent through the trees.
We eventually made it to the summit and were greeted by an absolutely epic, sweeping view of the range. We snapped some pictures with the flag and felt pretty accomplished. But this is exactly where the peaceful part of the story ends, and the absolute chaos of the descent begins.
The breathtaking panoramic view from the summit.
Left: Charles and Christian at the summit. Right: Celebrating at the top before getting horribly lost.
When it was time to head down, my friends somehow decided on two completely different routes. Christian decided to trail behind a group of elderly ladies, while Charles took the exact path we used to come up. I was caught in the middle, completely indecisive.
First, I tried to follow Charles, but realized I had to hike slightly back up to catch him—which I absolutely did not want to do. So, I pivoted and tried to catch up to Christian and the elderly ladies. Instead of catching them, I just got completely, undeniably lost.
"I kept wondering how those old ladies managed this track. It was so vertical and dangerous, I was literally sliding down the mountain like in Apex Legends."
Armed with nothing but a compass, I started trailblazing my way south. For a while, I convinced myself I was still on a real trail. But as the terrain got steeper and more treacherous, I realized I was in trouble. I kept sliding down vertical drops until I eventually hit a sheer cliff area.
It was incredibly dangerous. With no trail in sight, I just guessed my direction using the compass and bushwhacked my way through the wilderness until, by sheer luck, I finally hit a marked path. I checked later, and it turned out to be the Prairie Creek Trail.
Reunited at Last
I finally made it back to the car and sat there waiting. About 30 minutes later, Charles and Christian emerged from the woods—walking together. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I had spent the last two hours sliding down cliffs and fighting for my life in the brush, completely alone, and I hadn't run into either of them! We spent the drive back laughing off the absurdity of our divergent paths, just relieved we all made it off the mountain in one piece.