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View from Forgetmenot Mountain

Forgetmenot Ridge and Mountain
Kananaskis, Alberta
September 2, 2008

Distance: 20.0 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 1042 m

With cool temperatures and snow coming to the mountains, we settled on hiking up Forgetmenot Ridge and Forgetmenot Mountain. Although we didn't completely escape the snow, we did find sunshine.

The route unfolds as it is described in Kananaskis Country Trail Guide. We walked over the suspension bridge, but after that we deviated slightly from the book. We kept left, close to the river bank and in the sunshine. Then we caught an old road that took us into the trees and onto the main trail.

In a short time, we came to the cairn marking the trail up Forgetmenot Ridge. The trail ascends steeply without respite until it reaches an open ridge, and incidentally, the snow line. After that, the grade levels and the trail ends. We followed the open ridge toward the summit which is called Forgetmenot Ridge.

After reaching the summit, we continued along the ridge, losing nearly 150 m in the process, to climb Forgetmenot Mountain. The guidebook says the summits are of equal height. We were hoping that for the added effort, Forgetmenot Mountain would be higher. It wasn't the case: our GPS units showed Forgetmenot Mountain was lower than Forgetmenot Ridge by 10 metres.

Nonetheless, Forgetmenot Mountain provided great views of Bluerock Mountain, Mount Rose and Threepoint Mountain. We spent forty minutes on the summit, most of it searching fruitlessly for the cave mentioned in the guidebook, before heading back.

I was expecting a monotonous hike, but for some reason – perhaps it was the wide-open vistas – Forgetmenot Ridge turned out to be a memorable hike.

KML and GPX Tracks


Heading to the end of Forgetmenot Ridge (far left) where we'll start our ascent


Crossing the gravel flats by Elbow River


Harebell covered in frost: Record lows were reported in a few places in Southern Alberta the previous night


Hiking up the ridge, we came across a tree with rocks hanging from it


Iyarhe Ipan


Red crossbills were busy feeding on pine cones


Forgetmenot Ridge North is left but we didn't bother doing it


Nihahi Ridge fills the background


The summit is still far off


The trail ends at a cairn


Dinah reaches the cairn


We headed to Forgetmenot Ridge


The summit of Forgetmenot Ridge is near the point on the left


The trail heads up the left side of a minor cliff band


Glad we didn't have to climb straight up these cliffs!


Ascending the rock band


We continued our walk to the summit


We passed some interesting rocks (mouse over)


A lot of annoying loose, jagged rocks before the summit of Forgetmenot Ridge


Banded Peak, Outlaw Peak, Mount Cornwall and Mount Glasgow on the skyline


On the broad summit of Forgetmenot Ridge


Starting out for Forgetmenot Mountain


Looking back at Forgetmenot Ridge as we ascended Forgetmenot Mountain


Threepoint Mountain


Bluerock Mountain, Mount Rose and Threepoint Mountain


Hiking to the summit


Looking back at a dry stretch just before the summit


On the summit of Forgetmenot Mountain


Dinah gazes at the hills to the southeast


82 J/15 Bragg Creek

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