Little Lougheed

Little Lougheed
Kananaskis, Alberta
December 31, 2001
Distance: 5.6 km (3.5 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 812 m (2664 ft)

Lying in the shadow of Mount Lougheed is an unnamed outlier that I call "Little Lougheed." It enjoys a long season and delightful scrambling through a boulder field.

The trailhead lies next to Spencer Creek that flows between Mount Lougheed and Mount Sparrowhawk. A small clearing on the east side of the Smith-Dorrien Road marks the creek and the start of this trip (183460).

Along the north side of the creek, follow a trail for 5 to 10 minutes before leaving it to head up the treed slope. The ascent begins on an easy grade but soon steepens. Within 30 minutes of starting, you should reach a boulder field. Although most boulders can be skirted on the right, it's more fun to scramble straight through them. The cliff face at the top of the field can be circumvented by either going along its base or by climbing along its ridge. A knob (195464) marks the top of the boulder field and the halfway point – a good place for a rest stop. After the knob, follow the ridge to the summit.

Travel eases as trees thin. At one point you can expect to encounter sections of hip-deep snow late in the season, but shortly after you should arrive on wind-swept terrain. You'll break out of the trees onto a talus slope. Then it's a short hike to the summit.

GPX and KML Tracks

I got the idea of climbing this unnamed peak during a winter reconnaissance of Goat Mountain. Mount Lougheed lies behind Little Lougheed.