Barbara B.'s Adventures: Observation Peak

It seems that summer has had all these amazing adventures, but with the big trip to the coast, I realized that it was September and I hadn't done a real scramble yet this season. I was heading up the Parkway with different plans when a friend asked if I'm up for something above 3,000m. How could I say no to a scramble breaking that magic 3,000m mark on a day that had perfect weather forecast? I had suggested Eiffel Peak, but too lazy to coordinate, we couldn't be bothered trying to recruit a group of four, so we went with Observation Peak. And as luck would have it, another friend just spent a week up at Bow Hut and was looking for a Saturday outing as well. The night before the scramble, we had a group of three.

This scramble absolutely has to be one of the best for views. Identifying peaks in the distance, we determined that we could see at least 110km in every direction. There was Assiniboine, Temple, the Bugaboos, and countless more. For lakes we had Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Iceberg Lake, Caldron Lake, Mistaya Lake, and Isabella Lake. We saw the medial moraine of Peyto Glacier, a good portion of the Wapta, Crowfoot Glacier, and numerous others. Wow. This one knocks down the likes of Bow Peak, Cirque, and even Temple by one notch. As far as scenery goes, it may be the best one I've done.

I hadn't read Kane until we were at the trailhead, so was expecting an easy scramble. It is that for the most part, with the exception of the crux along the ledges at the cliff band. We found an easy, solid way up, but on our return went down a steep gully. There were portions of good scree, but also portions of ball-bearing rocks, rockfall, and places where you just have to watch your step. I was tired at the end, but it was a very rewarding day.