Mount Wilcox Route Map (see link in desciption - or click here - for interactive version).

We left the campground at 6:00am...you could already feel that it was gonna be a hot one!

More sunrise views open up as we gain elevation up a steep trail that begins on the far east end of the campground (starts up from one of the walk-in campsites along the creek).

The moon sits high above the lit up Mount Athabasca! Boundary Peak lies below, just to the left.

Glowing horizon! Our trail led us to a viewpoint on the edge of the upper valley (note the red, Parks Canada chair far-right) from where we turned left on the well defined trail leading to Wilcox Pass!

Nigel Peak is quite the mountain!

Mount Wilcox soon comes into view!

Beautiful reflection of Mount Wilcox (already baking in the sun!) in a small pond along the way! Still quite a bit of snow up there...Hope it doesn't pose too much of a problem!!

Oh shoot! We were already sweating buckets WITHOUT the sun beating down on us!

Beyond Wilcox Pass, we continued following the trail up to the left...After some time however, it became clear that the trail was just leading to a viewpoint, taking us farther away from Mount Wilcox itself. We left the trail near a rock shelter, and angled across the marshy meadows, towards the scree slopes leading up to the Wilcox's south ridge.

Starting up the scree slopes leading up to the ridge. This section was pretty slow going. The sun was beating down on the scree slope, and the heat radiated all around! With the temperature already reaching 30 degrees, the heat was really taking its toll on us!

Crossing one of the multiple snow patches! We were slightly worried about all the lingering snow, but we were largely able to avoid it when we needed to.

On the ridge!

Incredible view of Snow Dome and Mount Kitchener!

There are some fun sections of hands-on scrambling to be found along the ridge! Note the interesting rock formations above.

Quite the drop, off Wilcox's west face! Scrambling along the edge of the ridge was quite enjoyable, and there was even a bit of a breeze to help cool us down. Even if it was just slightly...

Unreal view back down the ridge!

My dad continues up the ridge. We stuck to the crest when we could, and detoured to climber's right when necessary.

Traversing across an interesting, downsloping section of the ridge! Luckily the rock was pretty grippy, because the drops on both sides are significant! Photo credit: Dad

Nearing the summit (it's just beyond the highpoint ahead!).

Scrambling up the final stretch to the summit! Photo credit: Dad

My dad follows, dwarfed by big views!! Mount Bryce rises up beyond Athabasca Glacier in the distance!

Summit selfie! Couldn't find a summit register up here surprisingly.

Nigel Peak steals the show on this side of the highway! We were hoping to climb that tomorrow, but it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer for the snow to melt on the steep traverse below the summit cliffs. There's still quite a bit of it!

Cirrus Mountain and Mount Coleman (center-left), are visible on the distant, hazy horizon, down the highway!

Mounts Athabasca and Andromeda rise center, with Hilda Peak, Boundary Peak and Mount Saskatchewan (distant) to the left! Mount Bryce rises in the distance (right), beyond the highly visited Athabasca Glacier!

Snow Dome and Mount Kitchener, with the little moon fading away! We heard (and saw) a few avalanches dropping off those sheer faces! Also, how thick do you think the layer of ice above the cliffs is?!

North Twin (third highest peak in Canadian Rockies - 3730m) and Twins Tower rise center, between Kitchener and Stutfield!

Mount Alberta is barely distinguishable from Mount Cromwell (center-left), just barely peeking out behind. Mount Woolley and Diadem Peak stand out to the right, with a glacier flowing down from the col between them!

Woah! I've never seen that angle of Sunwapta Peak (center-left) before! Unlike the highway view, this angle really gives justice to its significant height (3315m)! Tangle Ridge stretches out below (left).

Interesting "layered" valley below!

Me on the summit of Mount Wilcox, with Nigel Peak dominating the backdrop! My face is sooo white from sunscreen! lol! Got burnt to the point of blisters and pus on snowy Grotto Mountain in May...Let's just say that's not something I ever want to go through again!! Photo credit: Dad

My dad with some breathtaking views!!

I think it was over 30 degrees Celsius up here, but with our early start, there was still so much time left in the day! We decided to brave the heat, and continued to explore past the summit, down the ridge, to the north. Photo credit: Dad

We came across a solid amount of hands-on scrambling as we followed the ridge down...

...not to mention the exposure! My dad finishes off the narrow crux of our extension!

We eventually came to a significant dip in the ridge, before another highpoint.

The other side of the dip didn't look the most scramble-able, but we decided to descend anyways, and check it out. Photo credit: Dad

My dad starts up on the other side of the dip!...We would try the ledge with a couple mossy patches just above him, but would ultimately decide we'd reached the end of the road for the day, and head back.

Looking back to where we had descended, from a little ways down the narrow ledge. It was just slightly further along the ledge that we decided to call it a day.

My dad starts back up the previously shown slopes, on our return to the summit of Wilcox.

Me, tackling the exposed crux, on return! Photo credit: Dad

My dad presses himself against the rock, as he traverses a narrow exposed ledge!

Never a shortage of interesting terrain along the ridge!

Just a beautiful view of Nigel Peak, back on the summit of Mount Wilcox :)

Starting along the ridge, down from the summit.

Following the ridge down.

Looking back, as I navigate my way along one of the narrower sections of the ridge crest! Photo credit: Dad

Mountain meadow :)! We followed the ridge all the way to its conclusion on descent (rather than retracing our ascent route down the scree slopes to skier's left). This added some distance, but also some variety to our trip! We followed the pretty, alpine meadows down (along the edge of the valley), before joining up with the Wilcox Pass Trail once more.

Wait a second...This wasn't here this morning! A bit of a "river" crossing, before we melted away (just like the snow!), on the final trek back to our campsite! Lots of melt happening in these boiling temps!!