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Vic Panei Crowfoot Mountain in Banff National Park (November 11 , 2006)

Vic’s View – November 11, 2006:

Crowfoot Mountain has an elevation of 10,007 feet (3,050 meters). It is located along the Icefields
Parkway in Banff National Park, Alberta. It can be seen from Highway # 1 and Highway # 93 north. It
was first ascended in 1950 by Mr. and Mrs. E. Cromwell.

Crowfoot Mountain lies to the west and south of Bow Lake, the highest (southernmost) of its three
peaks rising above Crowfoot Glacier. The mountain, glacier, and high pass to the west of Bow Peak
were not named to honour the great native leader who, trusting in the Royal Northwest Mounted
Police, signed Treaty #7. Rather the name’s origin derives from the lower part of the glacier that
formerly had the shape of a crow’s foot.

Dolomite Peak has an elevation of 2,782 meters. It is located northeast of Helen Creek and west of
Mosquito Creek in Banff National Park. It can be seen from Highway # 93 north. It was named in
1897 by Charles Fay & Charles Thompson and friends because the mountain was thought to
resemble the Dolomite Range of the Italian Alps. It was first ascended in 1930 by J. Monroe
Thorington who was guided by Peter Kaufmann.

“Crystal Ridge” is the name that Vic has given the unnamed ridge east of Highway # 93, and across
from Bow Lake. You’ll find a parking lot on the east side of Hwy 93 and a pull off on the west side of
the highway at this point.

For a 3-D view of these mountains, or any of the 1,558 mountain peaks identified on Dave Birrell’s
web site, surf up www.PeakFinder.com and click on the Google Earth link.

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On Saturday Oct. 25, Goulfia, Kari, Kirsten,Rita, Zora, Andre, Rick and I went to the Bow Lake area in
Banff National Park and snow-shoed up to a knob on what we call Crystal Ridge (the unnamed ridge
east of Highway # 93, across from Bow Lake). It was our first snowshoe trip of the season and the
snow conditions were ideal – one foot firm base (after the rain earlier in the week) and another foot
of fresh snow on top made it much easier breaking trail.

Low, dark clouds coming and going with some flurries here and there and the sun trying to poke
trough a few times (successfully later in the day). It wasn’t bad down in the trees, but when we got in
the open higher on the slopes, a nasty, although not strong wind, kept biting on every inch of
exposed flesh. I don’t thing I’ve ever been so cold before in all my years of snowshoeing. Of course,
we didn’t spend much time at the top of the knob and, almost magically, as soon as we came down
from it, the wind seemed to die making the return down much more pleasant.

Well, coming down was the most fun we’ve had in a while. We found three or four sections steep
enough to slide down on the shoes, giggling like little kids. On one of them, the group (not me) went
up twice to slide again and again. Oh boy! Snowshoeing is so much fun!!!

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