Date: January 30, 2022
Location/Route Map: Canmore
Elevation: 1996 m
Elevation Gain: 790 m (add 80 m for highpoint to the south)
Distance: 17.1 km (including Engagement Mountain)
Rating: Class 1
Avalanche Terrain Rating: Simple
Notes: A trail should pave the way along the northwest ridge to Yates Mountain. This trail, however, is sometimes hard to follow when snow-covered...
GPS Track: Download
After a thoroughly enjoyable trip snowshoeing Crystal Ridge and Cirque Sub Peak the previous day, we were off to bag something completely different in McConnell Ridge! While we were surrounded by big, glaciated mountains the day prior, trekking across snowy landscapes (often with a snow depth as much as 160cm!), McConnell Ridge sits right on the front range, overlooking the prairies, and holds little to no snow (or at least that's what we thought) throughout the winter. It's incredible how you can drive a little ways through the Rockies, and it feels like a completely different world! While it's most common to ascend McConnell Ridge (Yates Mountain) from Barrier Lake, we were trying to hold off from buying a Kananaskis Pass as long as possible (waiting for our park pass to expire, so that we'd only be paying for one pass at a time), and therefore took the much longer approach, starting from the Trans-Canada Highway. Although this route had us traverse the long treed ridge, stretching out to the northwest of Yates Mountain, we made the most of this longer approach, bagging Engagement Mountain ("McConnell Point", "Razor's Edge Peak", "Biffy Peak"...goes by many names apparently ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) on return!
Mcconnell Ridge (Yates Mountain) and Engagement Mountain Traverse Route Map (see link in desciption - or click here - for interactive version).
Starting out along the Trans-Canada Highway through already gusting winds! There's no official parking spot or pull-off, but there's plenty of room to park on the broad grassy shoulder of the highway.
We easily found the trail entering the trees, and followed it up, quickly emerging on the side of a more open ridge. Mount Yamnuska rises beyond.
Easily following the broad rocky ridge.
Looking ahead. Engagement Mountain rises to the right. There are plenty of options along the ridge...even a couple super short scrambly bits if you look for ‘em like I did ;)!
Morning glow to the east, towards the prairies!
Continuing up the ridge. It was quite windy on this open terrain (note how lopsided the trees are!), but I can't complain, as it meant we were rewarded with views early on!
We soon reached the end of the open ridge, and rediscovered the trail, descending slightly through the forest on the east side of Engagement Mountain...
...Then reascending until we reached the long, treed connecting ridge between Engagement Mountain and Yates Mountain. Luckily someone had been here before, and although we brought our snowshoes, we easily followed in their tracks without them (at least for now...).
A brief clearing grants us another view to the east!
We soon emerged at a bit of a lookout upon reaching the connecting ridge. Yates Mountain rises center. (Note the treed mound in front of Yates...unfortunately it's just a bump in the road, and has to be descended on the other side)
Looking down the valley, to the south, towards Kananaskis!
Engagement Mountain becomes more prominent behind us, as we follow the trail along the initially open ridge.
Pigeon Mountain's much more impressive east face rises behind Mount McGillvray's north buttress. The Three Sisters, with Big Sister meeting the clouds, rise beyond.
The ridge began bone dry, and travel was quick and easy!
...But as we reached more sheltered areas of the ridge, we were forced to compete with some deep snow! Looks like the person who had so kindly done the work for us up to this point had had enough (can't blame them!), and we were on our own, breaking new trail from this point on...
Good thing we lugged our snowshoes along with us :)
Even though the ridge was largely treed, we still enjoyed many views back towards Canmore! Mount Lawrence Grassi rises beyond Lac des Arcs, with Ship's Prow Mountain to the left, and Ha Ling Peak to the right! Grassi Knob sits below (center).
Similar to Pigeon, Grotto Mountain's east face is much more impressive than the Canmore view!
Gap Peak, and the long traverse ridge to eye-catching Mount Fable rise beyond treed Engagement Mountain.
Comprehensive view, looking back down the ridge.
We were constantly competing with variable terrain, but were eventually forced to take our snowshoes off when met with a lengthier section of bare rock...
...Only to turn the corner to this nice surprise :|
Screw it! I ain't switching again! I simply accepted the suffering, and broke trail through often knee deep snow in boots.
Feels so much farther away when you're trudging through snow!
After ascending, and then descending the bump in the ridge, we regained a bit of elevation before traversing below Yates Mountain's steep west slopes.
Note the small pink ribbon on the left of this picture...Pro Tip: Don't follow them!
We didn't have the luxury of receiving that pro tip, and initially followed the ribbons as we traversed around the base of Yates...We questioned their validity early on however, as they had us side-hilling steep slopes, bushwhacking along the way...Isn't there supposed to be some sort of trail here in summer?? There appeared to be tamer slopes above, and after giving the ribbons more chances than they deserved, we said goodbye, and headed up to look for something better!
AYY! There we go! Maybe only 10m above the ribbon route, we were certain we intercepted the trail...even if it was buried under snow (Note the clean cut tree on the right)! Whoever put up the ribbons was thoroughly confused, as we continued to spot them just a few meters below (one time they even crossed and were above) the trail. Moral of the story: Ribbons are not always your friends!
Although we still had to break trail, travel was much easier from this point on, and about 1km later we intercepted this well trampled (lots of bike treds) trail, leading from Jewell Pass up to Yates Mountain!
Progress was speeded up significantly as we made quick work of this hard-packed trail!
Upon reaching the col between Yates Mountain and the ridge running to the northwest, we headed up the scree/slab slopes towards Yates (beyond the treed hump to the left).
Looking down to the ridge which sports the much more popular Barrier Lake ascent route.
The trail soon re-enters the trees, and easily leads to the summit, even if there are a couple of false-hope summits (bumps) along the way...More noticeable when you had told your dad that you'd make the summit by 1:00pm, and it's 12:55pm, so you race off so you're not wrong! LOL
In case anyone was wondering, I made it to the summit at exactly 1:00pm (...that was too close!)! I told you we'd make it dad!...Dad?...There he is! He reached the summit just a few minutes later...but one of us made it for 1:00, so I still wasn't wrong ;)!
Summit selfie!
A train stretches out across the prairies!...Wow that's pretty long! No wonder you gotta wait so long for them to cross the road!
Mount Kidd towers into the clouds between Mary Barclay's Mountain (left) and Mount Lorette (right)!
The Wedge's unique form rises beyond Wasootch Peak (center), with Kananaskis Peak to the left!
Moose Mountain, surrounded by multiple named "hills", rises beyond a sliver of Barrier Lake.
Ship's Prow Mountain, Mount Lawrence Grassi, and Ha Ling Peak rise center, with Goatview Peak visible over the far-left ridge, and Sundance Peak in the distance, between Ha Ling and EEOR.
The Three Sisters (Faith - the most prominent and snow covered, Hope, and Charity) rise distant center!
Skogan Peak (the highest in its respective chain of peaks) rises to the right, over Twin Towers and the connecting ridge down to Grant MacEwan Peak (center) and Heart Mountain (far-right). Mount McGillvray's summit is the pointy tip of the ridge behind Grant MacEwan.
Lougheed 1 (the most difficult, but not highest of Lougheed's 3 summits) meets the clouds in the distance!
The iconic steep south face of Mount Yamnuska, with Orient Point slightly visible beyond, and Association Peak with Association Hill below, to the right.
Doorjamb Mountain, Loder Peak, and Goat Mountain make up the long ridge in the foreground in ascending order, with Little Mythic, Mythic Tower, Epic Tower, and finally Mount Townsend compiling the snowy ridge in the background!
Anklebiter Ridge blends in to Gap Peak's lower slopes, with shapely Mount Fable rising a ridgewalk away to the left (that traverse is very very high on my list for this summer!)
Looking down to the ridge we followed to get here, with Engagement Mountain being the highpoint on the far end...Hey look! The train's arrived in the mountains! (hint: look on the left)
Looking towards Canmore, with me on the summit of Yates Mountain! Photo credit: Dad
My dad with beautiful Mount Fable!
Comprehensive view from the outside (of the Rockies), looking in!
Mount McDougall, Old Baldy Peak, Kananaskis Peak, and Wasootch Peak line up from left to right!
Mount Baldy rises to the left, with Midnight Peak beyond (center).
Looking back to the Barrier Lake Fire Lookout, which sits on Yates Mountain's summit.
Last look at the wide expanse of super exciting flat ground before starting down!
That's new! I've never stood on a mountain and seen it's shadow stretch out below! Pretty neat eh!?
Hiking back down to the col...I'm super confused with the naming around here, so I decided we'd make a quick trip up to the highpoint of the ridge to the south just for good measure! Photo credit: Dad
Starting up along the ridge.
Some clearings along the way proved to be much more scenic than the densely treed summit.
"Summit?" selfie on the highpoint of the ridge! I've heard some people refer to this ridge as McConnell Ridge, but I really have no clue ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mount Baldy rises above Barrier Lake, through the view-blocking trees!
Since the summit was completely treed, I descended the slopes to the west until I reached a bit of a clearing...Definitely not worth the extra trip if you're only doing it for the views!
It was cool to look back at the fire lookout atop Yates though!
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Heading back down the ridge...Much better views here :)
This lookout, over a steep cliff face on the ridge's east side, was the highlight of this short extension!
Last look at frozen Barrier Lake, snaking its way down Highway 40 towards Kananaskis, before we retrace our steps and bag Engagement Mountain on return!
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