Mount Mann

Mount Mann (West Approach)
Kananaskis, Alberta
April 17, 2021
Distance: 9.9 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 502 m

New adventures are scarce during the shoulder season, so when I saw a west route for Mount Mann in the spring, I zeroed in on it. This route wasn't feasible when the valley west of Mann was uninterrupted timberland, but recent logging has since stripped the area of trees leaving two vast cutblocks separated by a band of forest. I noticed the cutblocks when we hiked up Stony Ridge a few weeks ago (no trip report). They weren't there in 2012 when we did Stony. The usual route for Mount Mann, which Dinah and I did in 2004, approaches the mountain from the east.

The plan was to reach the west cutblock, cross the band of trees to the east cutblock and then ascend the north ridge of Mount Mann. But I had two questions. Where do we access the west cutblock? Where was the best place to cross the woods that separates the cutblocks? Google Earth was no help as it still displayed a forested valley.

After driving down Highway 541, we had an answer to the first question. 1.6 km east of Highwood Junction we found a “skid trail,” a temporary trail used by logging equipment to remove logs from a timber stand. That's where Dinah and I, along with Zora, Christine, Glenda and Teresa, started our hike.

We found ample parking for our five cars on the roadside. We gathered our gear and started down the skid trail, picking our way through the “slash,” debris from fallen trees. It was probably left on the trail to reduce erosion. 300 m from the highway, we forded Highwood River. Unlike the river crossing for the east approach, this was like crossing a creek. It was short and only ankle-deep. 70 m after the river, we came to a frozen stream. We walked across it and continued up the trail to the edge of the west cutblock.

After climbing a rise in the west cutblock, we solved the question of where to cross the band of forest. We spied a thin spot in the trees. Beyond it, we could see the east cutblock. But when we reached the spot, we realized this was no easy passage: the trees hid a deep drainage. We climbed over some logs at the edge only to realize the deadfall intensified as we descended. But four of us got through it, crossed a frozen creek and climbed up the other side. Meanwhile, Dinah and Glenda fared better when they ventured downstream and found an easier crossing, one with gentler slopes and no deadfall.

From the edge of the east cutblock, we sauntered to the north end where we could start up the north ridge. We hiked through a thin forest, went over a rise and soon gained the ridge crest. We followed the undulating ridge. Most of it was treed and snow-covered, but glades gave way to dry meadows. On the top of Mount Mann, we found a small cairn, a pink summit register and views open to the east. We stopped for lunch before heading back.

For our return, we didn't cross the miserable drainage. While hiking up the east cutblock we noticed a skid trail. We followed the trail, crossed a frozen swamp and reached the west cutblock. We soon joined our ascent route and followed it back.

We all enjoyed the trip, and I think the west approach for Mount Mann has some advantages. The route is shorter than the east approach, and the river crossing is easier. I expect some enterprising party will build a makeshift bridge as the gap is small and logs are plentiful. The cutblocks are unsightly, but the open sky is a welcomed delight when much of the hiking around here is done in trees. The skid trails are muddy, however, so it's best to do this trip in dry conditions.

KML and GPX Tracks

Mount Mann and the cutblocks seen from Stony Ridge