Observation Peak | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 3,174 m (10,413 ft) [1] [2] |
Prominence | 644 m (2,113 ft) [3] |
Listing | Mountains of Alberta |
Coordinates | 51°44′32″N116°28′01″W / 51.74222°N 116.46694°W [4] |
Geography | |
Interactive map of Observation Peak | |
Location | Alberta, Canada |
Parent range | Canadian Rockies |
Topo map | NTS 82N9 Hector Lake |
Geology | |
Rock age | Precambrian to Jurassic |
Mountain type | sedimentary rock |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1895 by Bill Peyto and Walter Wilcox [3] |
Easiest route | easy/moderate scramble [5] |
Observation Peak is a 3,174-metre (10,413-foot) mountain summit located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The mountain can be seen from the Icefields Parkway near the Bow Summit.
The peak was named in 1898 by Charles L. Noyes, a Boston clergyman, who upon climbing to the top found it to have the best viewpoint he had ever reached. [3] [1]
The mountain can be scrambled using the western slopes and after reaching the top of the false summit, a 20-minute plod to the northwest leads to the true summit about 100 metres (328 ft) higher. [5]
Like other mountains in Banff Park, the mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. [6] Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny. [7]
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Observation Peak is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. [8] Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C. Precipitation runoff from Observation Peak drains into the Mistaya River, a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River.
Mount Chephren is a mountain located in the Mistaya River Valley of Banff National Park, Canada.
Mount Hector is a 3,394-metre (11,135-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The mountain was named in 1884 by George M. Dawson after James Hector, a geologist on the Palliser expedition. The mountain is located beside the Icefields Parkway, 17 km (11 mi) north of Lake Louise.
Peyto Peak is a mountain in the Waputik Range, part of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada. It lies at the north end of the Wapta Icefield, in Banff National Park, about one km (0.6 mi) east of the border with British Columbia and 32 km (20 mi) north of the town of Field. Five kilometres to the northeast lies Bow Pass, one of the high points of the Icefields Parkway. Between the peak and the pass lies picturesque Peyto Lake. Three kilometres southwest of Peyto Peak is Mount Baker, the highest point in the immediate vicinity.
Cirque Peak is a 2,993-metre (9,820-foot) peak located directly west of Dolomite Pass in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.
Mount Coleman is a 3,135-metre (10,285 ft) mountain summit located in the upper North Saskatchewan River valley in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Cirrus Mountain, 4.46 km (2.77 mi) to the north. Mount Coleman is situated along the east side the Icefields Parkway midway between Saskatchewan Crossing and Sunwapta Pass.
Mount Wilson is a 3,260-metre (10,696 ft) mountain summit located in the North Saskatchewan River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Cline, 9.81 km (6.10 mi) to the northeast. Mount Wilson is situated immediately north of the confluence of the North Saskatchewan River, Mistaya River, and Howse River near Saskatchewan Crossing, where the Icefields Parkway intersects with the David Thompson Highway.
Epaulette Mountain is a 3,094-metre (10,151-foot) mountain summit in Alberta, Canada.
Nigel Peak is a 3,211-metre (10,535-foot) mountain summit located on the shared border of Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Nigel has two peaks, the north summit is the highest point. The nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 6.4 km (4.0 mi) to the south-southwest. Nigel Peak is situated immediately north of Sunwapta Pass and can be seen from the Icefields Parkway and from Athabasca Glacier. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,100 metres (3,609 ft) above the parkway in two kilometres (1.2 mile).
Mount Thompson is a 3,089-metre (10,135-foot) mountain summit located four kilometres west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Baker, 5.0 km (3.1 mi) to the west. Mount Thompson is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Mount Thompson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.
Mount Jimmy Simpson is a 2,966-metre (9,731-foot) summit located 3 kilometres northwest of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 3.0 km (1.9 mi) to the southwest. Mount Jimmy Simpson is a member of the Waputik Mountains, and is situated east of the Wapta Icefield and west of the Bow River valley. Mount Jimmy Simpson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake. Jimmy Simpson Junior is a 2,721 meter sub-summit east of the mountain.
Dolomite Peak is a 2,998-metre (9,836-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Cirque Peak, 3.98 km (2.47 mi) to the northwest. Dolomite Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway with its distinctive crags and colorful towers that are a mixture of dolomite and limestone. Dolomite is rare in the Rockies and is stronger than limestone.
Bow Peak is a 2,840-metre (9,320-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Crowfoot Mountain, 2.11 km (1.31 mi) to the east. Bow Peak is situated north of Hector Lake, southeast of Bow Lake, and can be seen from the Icefields Parkway. Although not of remarkable elevation, the mountain is a conspicuous landmark and visible from as far away as the Lake Louise area. Its position in the Waputik Mountains provides magnificent views from the summit.
Mount Weed is a 3,080-metre (10,100-foot) mountain summit located in the Mistaya River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Weed is situated at the confluence of Silverhorn Creek and Mistaya River, 3.5 kilometres southwest of Mount Noyes, 4.5 km east of Mistaya Lake, and 14 km north of Bow Lake. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Patterson, 5.82 km (3.62 mi) to the southwest. Patterson stands directly across the Mistaya River valley from Weed, and both are prominent features seen from the Icefields Parkway.
Watermelon Peak is a 3,095-metre (10,154-foot) summit located in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Deluc Peak, 13.5 km (8.4 mi) to the east.
Mount Andromache is a 3,033-metre (9,951-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher neighbor is Mount Hector, 4.00 km (2.49 mi) to the south. Mount Andromache can be seen from the Icefields Parkway as the road traverses the western base of the peak. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,180 m (3,870 ft) above the parkway in 1.5 km (0.93 mi). The Molar Glacier is situated on the northeast aspect of the mountain. Precipitation runoff from Mount Andromache drains into tributaries of the Bow River.
Portal Peak is a 2,926-metre (9,600-foot) mountain summit located four kilometers west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the northwest. Portal Peak is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Portal Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.
Little Temple is a 2,653-metre (8,704-foot) mountain summit located in Banff National Park of the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Little Temple is situated in the Bow River Valley between Paradise Creek and Moraine Creek, 6.0 km (3.7 mi) south of Lake Louise, Alberta. The mountain can be seen from the Icefields Parkway along with its nearest higher peak, Mount Temple, 1.07 km (0.66 mi) to the southwest.
Pulpit Peak is a 2,720-metre (8,920-foot) mountain summit located one km south of Hector Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Lilliput Mountain, 3.6 km (2.2 mi) to the southwest. Pulpit Peak is situated east of the Waputik Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Pulpit Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway towering 900 metres (2,950 ft) above Hector Lake.
Big Bend Peak is a 2,804-metre (9,199-foot) mountain summit located in the upper North Saskatchewan River valley in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Saskatchewan, 5.5 km (3.4 mi) to the south. Big Bend Peak is situated on the west side of the Icefields Parkway four kilometres southwest of the "big bend" in the road, hence the peak's name origin.
Mount Noyes is a 3,080-metre (10,100-foot) mountain summit located in the Mistaya River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Noyes is situated at the confluence of Silverhorn Creek and Mistaya River, 3.5 km northwest of Mount Weed, and 9.2 km east of Howse Peak. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Patterson, 8.55 km (5.31 mi) to the south. Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 1,380 metres above the Icefields Parkway in two km.