Mount Coulthard

August 29, 2021. A scramble in the Crowsnest Pass featuring 3 summits, an outlier, and the debris from a plane crash. Region: Crowsnest Pass. Traditional territory of the Tsuu T’ina, Ktunaxa, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 22.9 km round-trip Total Ascent: 1493 m Elevation of Objective: 2640 m Total Time: 6h 50m Safety and Disclaimer […]

Rainy Ridge and Middlepass Lakes

June 18, 2021. A bike and hike trip to a true hidden gem of the Southern Rockies. Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 23.8 km round-trip Total Ascent: 1300 m Elevation of Objective: 2463 m Total Time: 6h 46m Safety and Disclaimer I decided to visit […]

Mount Gladstone (via North Castle)

June 11, 2021. A bike & scramble featuring some great views but also some prolonged hiking off-trail in dense forest. Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional territory of the Tssu T’ina, Ktunaxa, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 20.5 km round-trip Total Ascent: 1500 m (the route involves some gain/loss/gain of altitude) Elevation of Objective: 2453 m Time: […]

North Drywood Falls

May 29, 2021. An easy and popular family hike to an attractive waterfall. Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional Territory of the Tsuu T’ina, Ktunaxa, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 4.1 km one-way Total Ascent: 150 m Elevation of Objective: 1690 m Time: 1h 15m one-way Often just referred to as Drywood Falls, this trail is a […]

Spread Eagle Mountain (Mount Roche)

August 23, 2020. A scramble to the summit of Spread Eagle Mountain and its impressive western outlier in the Castle Wilderness. Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional territory of the Blackfoot, Tsuu T’ina, and Ktunaxa First Nations Distance: 17.8 km round trip (I estimate that omitting the outlier summit would shave about 2-3 km off that distance) […]

Victoria Peak

August 4, 2020. A scramble to the summit of a distinctive mountain in the Castle Wilderness. UPDATE September 3, 2021: This post has been updated to reflect changes to access. Old access instructions have been deleted but time and distance information below still reflects the old route. The new route can’t be bike easily. Region: Castle […]

Drywood Mountain

July 10, 2020. A full-day excursion involving biking, scrambling and ridge walking in the Castle Wilderness. Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 25 km round-trip Total ascent: 1417 m Elevation of objective: 2473 m (official summit), 2485 m (ridge high-point) Total Time: 7h 33m Climbing Pincher Ridge last week, I spent […]

Pincher Ridge

July 3, 2020. An easy scramble (with some unpleasant bushwhacking) to the summit of Pincher Ridge in the Castle Wilderness, followed by a quick visit to Drywood Falls. Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 14.7 km round-trip Total ascent: 1082 m Elevation of objective: 2426 m Total Time: 4h 49m Pincher […]

Avion Ridge via Goat Lake

June 22, 2020. A bike and hike to a high mountain ridge on the northern border of Waterton Lakes National Park. Region: Waterton Lakes National Park. Traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations Distance: 21.6 km round-trip (approximately 10 km on bike) Total Elevation Gain: 886 m Elevation of Objective: 2370+ m Total Time: 5h 32m […]

Vimy Peak

July 18, 2018. A challenging bike-and-hike to the summit of Waterton’s iconic peak. Many (possibly most) promotional pictures featuring Waterton Lakes National Park will show the amazing views the park offers – of mountains not actually in Waterton. A common photograph is of the picturesque Prince of Wales Hotel looking south across Upper Waterton Lake […]