Jimmy Simpson Jr.

Jimmy Simpson Jr.
Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta
July 22, 2023
Distance: 7.0 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 849 m

I considered climbing Jimmy Simpson Jr. ever since it appeared in More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. However, the scramble route looked tricky and held little appeal for me. Fortunately, a simpler route that's little more than a steep hike appears on Alltrails. It worked well except for the trail in the trees. On our descent, we found an alternative trail that we preferred.

From the parking lot, Jonathan, Bernadette, Zora and I gazed up at Jimmy Jr. looming above Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. So close, there was no question it would be a short approach. We hiked 550 m along Bow Glacier Falls Trail to the path leading to Jimmy Jr. The rudimentary trail climbs steadily up a steep, wooded slope. Occasionally, we stepped over logs, and where the path was tight, branches poked and scratched us. It wasn't easy to follow, and when we hit extensive deadfall, we were forced to go around. We ended up on a different trail although it led back to the main trail.

Eventually, the trail leaves the forest and crosses a landscape of stunted evergreens bordered by cliffs. We followed the path to a break in the cliffs. After climbing a steep gully, we reached a perch with a grand view of Bow Lake. After viewing the scene, we turned to the broad ridge leading to the summit.

The trail disappeared in the rocks, and we plodded up a steep slope. Partway up, we climbed a short, black rock band. Above the rock band, we found a trail in the scree. Had we swung left before the rock band, we would have caught the trail earlier. We followed the path up a narrow ridge to the summit.

We spent 45 minutes on top, having lunch and snapping photos of glaciers and sharp peaks before heading down. We followed the scree trail until it faded into the broad, lower ridge. To ease our descent, we meandered on the steep sections. Before long, we were retracing our steps back down.

In the trees, however, we took a wrong turn and came down on a different trail, one that paralleled our ascent path. This turned out to be fortuitous as it was a better trail – spacious with little deadfall and easy to follow with reassuring yellow flagging. It ended at the lakeshore trail 150 m from our ascent trail. Jonathan, Bernadette and Zora stopped to soak their feet in the lake, but I returned to the parking lot.

Jimmy Simpson Jr. stands out for its short approach with views that rival bigger peaks on the Icefields Parkway. I suggest using our descent track. Hike 700 m up Bow Glacier Trail and look for a trail with yellow flagging. It's the beginning of a rewarding climb.

KML and GPX Tracks

Zora starts up the trail. Jimmy Simpson Jr. is in the centre with Mount Jimmy Simpson behind .