Newman Peak and Avion Ridge

July 8, 2025. A long, beautiful loop route in Waterton that lends itself well to multi-day backpacking or a big day trip. After my recent adventure in scrambling and route-finding on Mount Richards, I was looking for a day in the mountains that would allow me to just follow a trail and admire the views. […]

Mount Richards

June 19, 2025. Engaging route-finding and scrambling in Waterton Lakes National Park. The defining view greeting hikers when they arrive at Bertha Lake is the imposing rock wall hemming in the far (southern) end of the valley. That wall is the connecting ridge between Mount Richards on the left and Mount Alderson on the right. […]

Mount Alderson

July 9, 2024. Straightforward but scenic scrambling to a summit overlooking the Carthew-Alderson trail. Mount Alderson is one of the Waterton scrambles described in Kane’s Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. The ascent route is very obvious when hiking on the Carthew-Alderson trail from Cameron Lake down to the Waterton townsite. From the hiking trail the […]

Crypt Lake

September 16, 2023. A beautiful day on Waterton’s most famous trail. Sooner or later, this blog was going to have a Crypt Lake post. I’ve hiked the Crypt Lake trail twice in the past, most recently just before I started writing this blog. The hike is a true gem, though, and I was bound to […]

Bertha Peak – “Gullies” route

June 3, 2023. Route finding and moderate scrambling to the top of Bertha Peak. Alan Kane’s Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies describes a route to the summit of Bertha Peak which involves scrambling up gullies on the east face beginning at a spot somewhere behind the backcountry campground. On previous visits to the lake I’ve […]

Forum Peak & Akamina Ridge

October 8, 2022. A scramble to a summit on the Alberta/B.C. boulder followed by an iconic Southern Rockies ridge walk. Akamina Ridge is one of the premier hikes the Southern Rockies. The usual route involves following a well-maintained trail starting in Waterton Lakes National Park which passes over Akamina Pass and enters British Columbia’s Akamina-Kinishena […]

Anderson Peak and Lost Mountain

August 6, 2022. Visiting a pair of summits near Waterton’s Red Rock Canyon. Region: Waterton Lakes National Park. Traditional territory of the Blackfoot, Tsuu T’ina and Ktunaxa First Nations Distance: 18.2 km round trip Total Ascent: 1325 m Elevation of Objective: 2692 m (Anderson Peak), 2513 m (Lost Mountain) Total Time: 7h 16m Safety and […]

Hawkins Horseshoe Part 3: Mount Lineham

July 24, 2022. The third and final leg of the Hawkins Horseshoe: Lineham Ridge to Mount Lineham. See Part 1 of this trip report for distance and elevation details for the entire route. Part 2 can be found here. Safety and Disclaimer From Mount Hawkins to Mount Lineham there’s no more scrambling to be found, […]

Hawkins Horseshoe Part 2: Mount Hawkins

July 24, 2022. The second leg of the Hawkins Horseshoe: the ridge walk to Mount Hawkins. See Part 1 of this trip report for distance and elevation details for the entire route. Safety and Disclaimer Departing from Aahkoinimaiisták, I proceeded west along the ridge top to a slightly lower adjacent high point before descending further […]

Hawkins Horseshoe Part 1: Aahkoinimaiistak (Mount Blakiston)

July 24, 2022. An amazing high level ridge walk, starting off with a visit to Waterton’s tallest summit. Region: Waterton Lakes National Park. Traditional Territory of the Blackfoot, Tsuu T’ina, and Ktunaxa First Nations. Distance: 24 km loop Total Ascent: 2200 m Elevation of Objective: 2910 m (Aahkoinimaiisták/Blakiston), 2607 m ( Mount Hawkins), 2728 m […]