Prairie View
Not for the weak of heart, lung or calf. A fire road that starts off at a deceptively easy angle before increasing to the point of no ride. A great loop with amazing views of both the prairies and the Kananaskis Mountain Range, followed by an arm pumping technical downhill.
Style: Cross-country
Distance: 15km Elevation Gain: 521m Total Elevation Gain: 634m Physical Difficulty: 3/5 Technical Difficulty: 3/5 Time: 2-4 hours 
Prairie View - Map (Click to Enlarge)
Prairie View - Elevation Profile (Click to Enlarge)
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To Get Here: From Hwy 1 and Hwy 40 intersection, take Hwy 40 for 9.1km to the Barrier Lake dam turnoff on your right.
Trail Description:
Start off on the fire road at the end of the parking lot, that crosses the dam. Continue on the fire road as it progressively gets steeper and steeper until you have to shoulder your bike and scramble up a rock bluff to the top. A gigantic reflective shield will mark the end of the climb and an amazing viewpoint to make you forget about that radiating pain coming from your legs. From the reflective shield, work your way down the loose rock until you spot a single track trail heading back into the woods to the west. Follow this trail down technical steeps that get more extreme every year with continued erosion and tree roots. Upon reaching the trail sign at Jewel Pass summit, turn left and follow Jewel Pass southbound to Barrier Lake. Keep left past a number of adjoining trails, climbing back up a short distance until reaching the main fireroad that you rode in on. 
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