I set off with a group to tackle the true summit of Ship’s Prow Mountain. The snow melt seems to be about three weeks behind a typical Alberta summer, leaving mountains that are usually snow-free still covered in snow, which limited our options for a snow-free summit.
The loosely made plan was to traverse The Orphan over to Middle Sister so we met at Stewart Canyon in Canmore to leave vehicles for the point-to-point. Even before we left the meeting area we we already considering other options. And by the time we reached the parking spot off Spray Lakes Road, it was decided we would summit Ship’s Prow Mountain.
I had reached the hiker’s summit last year with Kate and Conway. I was excited to make it to the true summit, if conditions were good.
We started up the road before climbing up through the forest. Although faint in some places, the trail was straightforward, essentially a steep ascent. This was a fast group, and I struggled to keep up but was happy to push myself on the climbs. When you hike alone often enough, you develop a steady, come-what-may pace.
Out of the forest, we were happy to feel the breeze. I usually don’t sweat as much but my hair and neck were dripping with sweat. Surprisingly, it wasn’t windy, and the day remained relatively wind-free.
We climbed up to the summit ridge over some slightly rocky terrain. We could see the large cairn that marked the hiker’s summit. From the ridge, it was a short walk over to the false summit. While there was some snow in spots, we easily avoided the white stuff.
A few minutes at the false summit for snacks and views, we decided to traverse over to the true summit. We could see it was straight up the gully and around a cliff band and chimney. With huge cornices on one side of the ridge, we were extra cautious not to get too close.
The snow was melting, which made the rocks slippery so it was cautious steps for us all. We met a trio of scramblers who had come over from another peak. They told us we would be fine heading up to the summit without helmets. One guy warned us of the slippery spot along the cliffs. It was early in the day so we were good to go.
We moved slowly, and surely before snagging the summit. Surprisingly it was not too windy. We chatted for a few minutes before heading down. You could see Mount Lawrence Grassi from the summit. We descended down a large gully/rubble field. Progress was painfully slow, as the rocky terrain required cautious and deliberate movements to avoid dislodging larger boulders. By the end of the descent, I had acquired a whole new collection of scrapes and bruises
We came out on the road where we started. Fun loop, fun adventure.