Indefatigable Bench (Wendy Elekes Viewpoint)

Elevation: 1999 m
Elevation Gain: 250 m
Mount Indefatigable sits between the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes, making it a wonderful viewpoint. Like many other peaks in the area, Indefatigable was named for an ill-fated WWI battlecruiser. The HMS Indefatigable was sunk by German forces during the battle of Jutland in 1916. Of the 1015 souls aboard, only 2 survived. In 2005, the official trail on Mount Indefatigable was decommissioned to discourage use. This process involved the removal of memorial benches, including one dedicated to Wendy Elekes at a scenic overlook.
My Ascents:
July 1 2022
Trailhead: Interlakes Parking

There are few things more Canadian 🍁 than glacier-fed lakes and snow-capped peaks so, to celebrate Canada Day 2022, we arranged to spend a weekend camping (and, of course, hiking 🙃) with family friends.

Typically, Kananaskis teems with hiking options but 2022’s cool spring left much of the alpine snowbound well into July. Making matters worse, there were an unusual number of construction-related trail closures this year as well. All of this meant that options for a family hike were much more limited than usual. Seeking scenery and just a wee bit of exertion 😏, we therefore decided to hike up the decommissioned Indefatigable trail to a viewpoint 250 m above the Kananaskis Lakes which, once upon a time, sported a bench (dedicated to one Wendy Elekes).

One need not hike far to find gobsmacking scenery in K-Country 😍… This quintessentially Canadian vista is, essentially, the view from the Interlakes parking lot! 🤯

6-year-old Mera and 4-year-old Penny take advantage of scenic bouldering opportunities along the lakeshore. To reach the old Indefatigable trail, one need only follow the lakeshore north before crossing the dam/drainage. The trick to making it is not getting distracted by the view!

A large sign marks the start of the now decommissioned trail. In 2005, Kananaskis closed the trail and removed its benches etc. (without consultation) to discourage use of the grizzly habitat that it passes through while saving costs on a difficult-to-maintain trail. Ironically, this LARGE sign makes the old trail extremely easy to find (which probably increases use more than having no sign at all). Back when I first scrambled Mount Indefatigable in 2008, it didn’t seem like anyone paid attention to this sign. Casual hikers were deterred and those looking to scramble either of the peak’s summits carried on. Today, the debate over this area seems to have grown more heated with increased usage post-COVID and online virtue-signalling. Obviously, bears would be better off if we stayed out of their territory but that is a slippery slope since every trail and road in the Canadian Rockies encroaches on their space. In the end, the sign asks that hikers “consider not hiking here” and we dutifully fulfilled that requirement before electing to continue in a tight group of 8 people with 1 on-leash dog, making frequent “Yo Bear” calls. Before you visit the area, I’d recommend reading this blog post on the subject, thinking critically and then making your own decision. Regardless, if you go, treat the area with respect.

For a small distance, the decommissioned trail is unmaintained so there were a number of logs to hop (much to the delight of our children).

LEFT: Crossing a small but picturesque mountain stream. I’m betting there was a bridge here pre-2005 but rock hopping worked just fine (even for our littlest hoppers 😉).
RIGHT: Alex helps our group’s littlest hiker, 4-year-old Victoria, up one of the steeper, more scrambly sections. Thanks to nearly two decades without trail maintenance, there are a variety of braided paths lower down but the terrain funneled them all towards the Wendy Elekes viewpoint that we planned to reach anyways.

LEFT: Crux, Penny and an increasingly pregnant Brianne 🤰 stop to enjoy the, already, awesome views (and a breather).
RIGHT: Mera amuses herself with some optional but easy scrambling 🧗‍♀️ right below the Indefatigable (Wendy Elekes) bench.

The steep trail produced some whining from kids (and adults 🙃!) during our hike up but any and all complaints were quickly replaced by smiles at the spectacular viewpoint.

From where Wendy Elekes’ bench once sat, the remarkable panorama stretched from Lower Kananaskis Lake (left) to Upper Kananaskis Lake (right). Click to see larger.

The Opal (left) and Elk (right) ranges make for a fine backdrop over crystalline Lower Kananaskis Lake to the east.

Ample snow remained atop behemoth Mount Rae (the tallest peak visible from Calgary – seen from the other side here).

The spectacular view south over the Kananaskis Lakes towards Elk Pass and beautiful British Columbia.

Happy Canada Day from the Hobbs family! 🍁🥳

The complex rock folding on Mount Fox’s east ridge makes this scramble a daunting proposition.

Mount Foch (center left) and Mount Sarrail (center right) tower above Sarrail Ridge and their own glassy, cerulean reflections.

Hot summer sun-induced avalanches abound on Mount Foch’s still-snowy north face.

Thanks to its triangular apex and glaciated peak, Mount Sarrail was, for my money, the most sightly peak visible from the Indefatigable Bench.

To the southwest of the Upper Lake, Mount Cordonnier (left) and Warrior Mountain (right) highlight the view into the still very snowy (and as a result, closed) backcountry.

A closer look towards a very lively Fossil Falls. Sadly, most of this white is now snow and only pocket glaciers will remain a month from now.

Looking up towards Indefatigable’s slightly lower south summit which is a lovely class 2 scramble.

After a lovely lunch in the Canada Day sun ☀️, we bribed the children with peperoni sticks and got them to (mostly) comply for a double-family-photo. 😀

LEFT: With lunch done, we began our descent deriving all sorts of entertainment from the various techniques employed while dealing with scrambly bits. My favorite thing about this particular photo is the myriad of different facial expressions on display! 😮😟🤨😭😂
RIGHT: Mera demonstrates classic, five-point descent technique. That’s my daughter (destined to rip holes in the seat of all her hiking/scrambling pants)!

After a few scrambly bits and a “daring” ford, the rest of the trail down was easy, peasy, lemon squeezy (save for a log or two that required unnecessarily dramatic leaps).

LEFT: After a quick descent, we decided that we were in no hurry to leave these spectacular surroundings 😍, so we explored the lakeshore a little, discovering some very impressive (but probably, untrustworthy) driftwood shelters!
RIGHT: Having hiked and explored under the hot Canada Day sun, we realized suddenly that we’d worked up a mighty thirst. Fortunately, Lise and Alex had their cooler inside their vehicle at the nearby trailhead (as per campground instructions and best bear safety practices 🐻🙃). What a perfect way to cap a sunny Canada Day 🍁🍺🌞!

LEFT and RIGHT: Crux and the kids, of course, had little interest in the cooler’s contents. Fortunately, they found their own, refreshing way to cool off! Nothin’ like a dip in the lake, eh?! 🍁