The view from the road
Monday August 17th 2015.
Observation Peak is situated at the Bow summit on the Icefield Parkway Hwy 93 north. The turn off is opposite the Peyto Lake viewpoint turn off on an old gravel road. Park on the road and walk down until you see a cairn and a worn trail into the trees. Follow the trail to the foot of the drainage. Carry on following the trail and as the arrows on photo show watch for the trail to bear right up onto the ridge. Don’t be tempted to push on up the drainage the footing is horrible. The next obstacle is the rock band but this is a lot of fun and easy to find ways through that suit your own style of scrambling ability. There is a trail up through the talus after the rock band to the false summit so have a look around it will make the ascent easier. At the false summit the true summit is to the left. A small descent and then a steady plod up the round hill to the top. It is about another 65 m and 30 mins. We returned the way shown on the photo above. Great views and not a long day at only 6 hours.
The route ahead tot he false summit
This is the point we went left ( wrong) stay right of trees above
The spine we would take down and should have come up.
Looking up at the rock band
Through the rock band, The route is left of rock and then right to the trail up.
At a small col in the rock band
Lee admiring the view
Cecile coming through the rock band
This is the trail up to the false summit after the rock band
The final stretch to the false summit
Cecile and John Pierre trudging up. The ridge is bottom left below the rock band.
Lee on his way to Observation Peak. After leaving the false summit
Looking back to the false summit. Bow Lake behind and the Crowfoot Glacier
Isabella lake in Dolomite Creek Valley
Caldron lake and Peyto Peak top Lft
Distance return 9.0 km Time return 6:30 hrs ( inc 30 min lunch ) Elevation Accumulated gain 1175 m Elevation to Summit 1050 m Summit height 3133 m
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