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Terrace trail follows terraces of the Kananaskis River between Ribbon Creek and Galatea Creek. The northern section is a four metre-wide ski trail, not too interesting on foot, but a useful connector to the usual starting point if you haven't got a vehicle.
North to South From Ribbon Creek picnic shelter the trail crosses Ribbon Creek and winds up the bank to Kovach trail. Stay left and watch for Terrace Link coming in from the right. At 2.4 km you reach the four-way junction next to the parking lot for Kananaskis Inn. Go straight for Woody's Pub. Seriously, turn right. Pass a baseball diamond, soccer field, horseshoe pitches, picnic tables and biffies. Keep right at Rim trail. Pass the road to the reservoir, then at your second junction with Kovach turn left.
Head downhill on an older narrower track. At the right-angled bend to the left, transfer to an even narrower trail carrying on in the same line as before. Finally free of junctions, though not yet of Japanese tourists, the trail makes for the lowest terrace overlooking a chain of beaver ponds. This is a satisfying viewpoint looking across the golf course up Evan-Thomas Creek to Fisher Peak, the valley bounded on either side by Old Baldy and The Wedge. I've spent an enjoyable 10 minutes at this spot watching golfers putt into the largest pond, a small, and some might say petty, revenge for being turfed off the golf course for wearing a Mo Zeegers T-shirt.
From here on the twisting trail rises and falls between various levels of river terraces below the east face of Mt. Kidd, which acts like a giant reflector, throwing the sun's heat back down onto dry prickly hillsides of grass, pine, aspen and scrub. During spring melt, waterfalls leaping down gullies in the cliffs fill small streams crossing the trail. Further on you cross assorted alluvial fans and one wide stony creekbed, the scrambler's jumping-off point for Mt. Kidd. Five minutes before a trail junction the trail makes its closest approach yet to the Kananaskis River. A sloping ledge dipping into the water is a fine place for a few quiet minutes before joining the mob on Galatea Creek trail.
Keep left and cross Galatea Creek. Shortly cross the Kananaskis River via suspension bridge and climb the wretched hill to Galatea Creek parking lot.
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