Saddleback Pass

Elevation: 2330 m
Elevation Gain: 600 m
Saddleback is a high alpine pass located between Fairview Mountain and Saddle Mountain in the Lake Louise area. When viewed from the Bow Valley, the Fairview-Saddleback-Saddle group features a characteristic saddle-like shape. Diminutive Saddle Mountain was named by Samuel E. S. Allen and appears on his maps (which were the earliest to chart Lake Louise).
My Ascents:
August 16 2020
Trailhead: Lake Louise Parking Lot
GPS Track: Saddleback Pass

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After an eventful 4-day Lake Louise camping trip filled with tourist traps, waterfalls, multi-generational family hikes and astrophotography, the campground’s 11 am checkout time loomed. As we packed up our trailer and savored the fresh mountain air, we decided that it would be a shame to drive straight back to the city. After all, Lake Louise might be the prettiest place on Earth so why rush home?

With an eye towards hiking, we hooked up our trailer and drove up lakewards (no doubt annoying the smaller cars that got stuck behind us on the steep road)! Rolling into the Lake Louise parking lot at 10:30 am on a Sunday is usually a fool’s errand but we had a secret weapon in our arsenal: our RV! While smaller cars were turned around at the full parking lot’s entrance, Parks staff happily waved us through into the separate RV parking lot (which was still half-empty)!

Having acquired an unlikely parking spot, we set about to discussing potential hikes. After a crowded trip to Lake Agnes the day prior, we decided to explore in the opposite direction with a hike up Saddleback Pass. Since Mera hiked over 20-km during the 2 previous days, we were a little concerned that Saddleback’s 600 vertical meter gain might be a bit much for her; to date, she’d never completed more than 450 vertical meters on her own. Then we remembered that she’s 4-years-old and, as such, has boundless energy. It’s actually funny that we worried about her energy levels given how tired Brianne and I were after 4-days of camping and hiking with our kids!

LEFT: Saddle Pass and Haddo Peak were visible from our camping site all weekend so it only made sense to ascend one of the two (Brianne talked me out of Haddo)!
RIGHT: As we started up towards Saddleback, 2-year-old Penny and her 4-year-old sister Mera made excellent time through the lush forest thanks to their hiking pole “steeds.”

Even though Mera thought this sign said “Restroom”, we were able to follow its clear directions without incident (after a brief, umm, "pit stop").

About 1-km into the hike, we reached a sunny avalanche slope and the kids insisted that they were “hungy.” I’m not sure if this should be counted as their third breakfast or their first lunch?...

Fairview Mountain towered above the avalanche slope/elevenses spot on a blazingly hot morning.

From whence we came: Mount Hector highlights the view beyond the ritzy Chateau Lake Louise.

Two paths diverged in a wood and I took the one less likely to trip my toddler. Despite what the sign says here, the steeper path visible on the right is actually a shortcut up to Saddleback Pass. On the way up, we stuck with the gentler lefthand path but we elected to descend the shortcut because we were HOT and wanted ice cream ASAP on the way down.

As we crossed another of Fairview's avalanche paths, Saddle Mountain came into view while its namesake pass remained out of sight to the right.

Hot and hazy views down the Bow Valley towards Castle Mountain, Mount Cory, Mount Rundle and Pilot Mountain.

After about 3-km, the children were, once again, hungry so we found what little shade we could and stopped to enjoy our second lunch of the day.

LEFT: Provided that we "fuel the machine", Mera's energy levels seem to know no bounds. Onwards and upwards!
RIGHT: As we gained elevation, the view over the Bow Valley steadily improved and the prevailing flora changed from evergreens to bright yellow arnica.

Fairview Mountain loomed large as Brianne and Mera passed through a lovely larch forest near tree line.

As the pass (foreground) came into view, so too did Mount Temple’s massive summit glacier, 4.5-km away and 1.2-km above.

Sheol Mountain and Haddo Peak towered imposingly above alpine meadows as Brianne and Mera took the final few steps towards scenic Saddleback.

A pastoral panorama from Saddleback Pass. Click to see larger.

LEFT: After setting a personal best for unassisted elevation gain, 4-year-old Mera decided that she wasn’t done and elected to climb a tree at the pass for good measure.
RIGHT: Meanwhile, her younger sister opted to spend her time at the pass in a more relaxed fashion!

Fairview Mountain (left) and Saddle Mountain (right) bookend Saddleback Pass and frame the northern panorama towards the Bow Valley. Click to see larger.

A closer look at Fairview Mountain. The peak’s easy scramble route meanders up this rocky slope, beginning at the bottom left and ending up on the righthand skyline ridge. Fairview holds the distinction of being the peak that I’ve summited the most times (12!) and is a highly recommended 400-vertical meter extension to the hike up Saddleback if time and energy levels allow.

Across the Bow Valley, Pipestone Valley peaks (left), the Lake Louise ski resort (center) and a myriad of Skoki summits make for a scenic backdrop.

Pipestone Valley peaks (from left to right): The Three Brothers, Little Cataract and Cataract Peak.

Mount Richardson (left), Pika Peak (center) and Ptarmigan Peak rise up beyond ski run-scarred Whitehorn.

Skoki summits (from left to right): Ptarmigan Peak, Fossil Mountain 💍, Redoubt Mountain and Mount St. Bride.

From the pass, Saddle Mountain is, essentially, a 100-m-tall pile of rubble. Given how well Mera did on the 600 vertical meter hike to Saddleback Pass, we debated extending our day to include the peak but decided not to push our luck given the 30 degree C temperature and our dwindling water supply. Next year…

While Saddleback’s northern panorama is highlighted by more distant Skoki and Pipestone peaks across the Bow Valley, its southern panorama features the in-your-face magnificence of Paradise Valley’s much larger mountains (from left to right: Mount Temple, Sheol Mountain and Haddo Peak). Click to see larger.

The most magnificent of them all (in this neck of the woods anyways): 3,543-m-tall Mount Temple.

LEFT: Mera and her BFFs (Penny and “Pinkalinka”) posing at the pass.
RIGHT: Haddo Peak’s sheer north face broods over the larch-filled pass.

One for the road! Posing for a quick family photo with my girls before starting back down in search of ice cream; IT WAS HOT!

Mera and “Pinkalinka” led the charge in search of ice cream.

Final panoramic views before plunging back into the forest. Normally, we’d dread the viewless hiking section through the woods but, on this day, we were looking forward to their shade!

LEFT: Damage control! Mera did exceptionally well on the way down (until Mom stepped on her foot)!
RIGHT: All patched up and being more careful now!

So much for being careful… As they hiked down, hand-in-hand, these 2 jokers decided that it would be even more fun to run down the final 2-km of the hike, careening off rocks and flying over roots as they went. So much for energy levels being a concern…

LEFT: After a brisk jog down (which was less fun than you’d think while carrying a 35-lb toddler), we reached the glistening glacial lake which beckoned under the blazing afternoon sun.
RIGHT: Mera relieves her little hiking feet (which clocked over 30 unassisted kilometers in a 3-day span 👏!) in Lake Louise’s pristine waters.

My girl and I cool off with a glacial swim!

LEFT: Mera and Penny’s preferred manner of cooling off… 🍦 After 4 hikes in 3 days, they certainly earned it!
RIGHT: Winding down from an exciting weekend in the best way imaginable: pistachio ice cream on the banks of the Bow River.

What an amazing end to an amazing weekend spent with Brianne, Penny and my little mountain-machine-in-training: Mera! That’s my daughter! 🥰