Mount Cascade: August 26th, 2023

Mount Cascade from the hospital in town

Cascade Mountain towers over the town of Banff. It is the sort of thing you can't ignore. It's about 5000' from the parking lot to the summit. That is another way of saying it was a big day.

It had been a slow summer. We did some paddling but no big trip of mind-bending proportions—just another summer in Banff. Swimming in the river had become a daily thing. When the parents came up with this idea I was for it.

OK, first thing you have to get up at 4 am.

We started from the Norquay parking lot around 4 a.m. The first two hours were by headlamp. We made our way through a park's tree tunnel that slowly entered Cascade Circ. Just as you enter the circ, you head up to the ridge. We took a good break at the base and had the first breakfast of the day. Fuel is important. So far it was Easy Peezy. Mom has had me in CrossFit all summer, which may have helped with the fitness part. It was a slow easy pace but steady. We ate up the kilometres and the elevation.

The sun came up about the same time we hit the ridge just above the treeline. I had been hoping for a break a bit earlier but waiting till we had a clear view in the alpine was worth the effort.

Mountain climbing is different from rock climbing. There is not that instant excitement. Instead, things happen slowly and you have to take in the whole world around you. Weather, sun, and land are all factors. There is so much to learn to be a good mountaineer. Hey, I'm thirteen I have some time. Winter is just around the corner. Ice Climbing maybe?

The secret to route finding on Mount Cascade is the orange dots Parks Canada placed along the scrambler's route. Just keep looking ahead and spot the next. They can be tricky. Also, look at how firm the trail is. If the ground is loose then maybe you are a little off the beaten trail. Look around.

The trail is pretty good all the way up. I am told it is a bit more primitive early season after the snow has just melted. The last couple hundred meters just before the summit is the hardest. Steep and loose. A good eye can find some solid rock but it takes some doing.

We made the summit around 10:30 a.m. The day was still fresh. A goat was hanging out below us. I could see Lake Minawanka, Banff, and the mountains around Sunshine.

Lunch on the summit then a quick trip back down. It took us ten hours from car to car. We met several parties coming up. They were a little surprised we had been to the summit and were back to the treeline.