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Mist Mountain
Kananaskis, Alberta
August 22, 2009
Distance: 11.4 km (7.1 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 1280 m (4196 ft)
This was Dinah's first time up Mist Mountain, but it's been ten years since I visited the mountain. We followed the “usual route” described in the Kananaskis Country Trail Guide. Unlike my 1999 trip, we didn't visit the warm springs.
The trip unfolded much like the book describes. We had no difficulty routefinding: trails leading to the col and to the cirque were well-trodden. We plodded up the broad south face to gain the ridge that leads to the false summit. After the false summit, it was a quick, easy ridgewalk to the true summit.
It was too cold and windy to linger on top, so we descended the scree slope to the cirque and took our first break on the boulders there before hiking back down.
Postscript: The approach road that we used has since become overgrown and is no longer used. See our Nameless Ridge trip for the new approach.
Starting up the trail
Heading to the col after coming out of the trees
Odlum Ridge behind
After climbing above the col, the way is obvious
Looking back at the col
Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus
Coming to the end of the cirque
The broad south slope leads to the ridge high above
Starting up
Looking back as we near the ridge crest
The summit ridge comes into view
On the ridge going to the false summit
Big drop on the other side
Closing in on the false summit
The false summit wasn't as steep as it first appeared
From the false summit, we followed the ridge to the true summit
Looking back just before the summit
On top of Mist Mountain
Summit memorial: the hiker was killed by lightning on Mist Mountain
Descending the scree gully
Fast descent on good scree
Heading back to the col. Mist Ridge on the left. Ahead is Nameless Ridge.
82 J/10 Mount Rae
