Cascade Mountain is a striking peak that you can see from Banff Avenue. Likely that’s one of the many reasons it draws a diverse crowd of runners and hikers from the very fit to the woefully unfit.
The mountain wasn’t really on my radar but a few inspiring photos on Strava pushed it to the top of my list.
Stoney Nakoda called it Minihapa – “‘mountain where the water falls.” Scottish-New Zealand geologist James Hector translated it to Cascade Mountain in 1958. Now enough with the history, let’s talk about my summit.
Cascade Mountain (21 kilometres/1,600 metres gain)
Before I do any big solo hikes, I conduct extensive online sleuthing. Given that Cascade Mountain is one of the major peaks in Banff area, there is a wealth of information available. Parks Canada provides a dedicated section for scramblers on its site offering detailed route information for three prominent peaks – Cascade, Rundle and Temple.
While Cascade is considered an easy scramble, I still found the safety tips, gear lists and emergency information to be very reassuring. The language used was a little intimidating, leading me to briefly reconsider my decision for a solo adventure. MK, who had done it before, assured me that I would be fine, and I trust her judgement.
The route
I parked at the Mount Norquay ski and picked up the trail just past the ski lift. From there I would see the sign for Cascade Amphitheatre, which I would follow for roughly 6 kilometres. The first 3 kilometres were either flat or downhill so I ran down with ease. Then there was an awful lot of mindless climbing around switch backs through the trees. The sky looked like it was going to open up at any minute so I was happy that I put on my rain jacket at the last minute (even though there was no rain in the forecast).
I passed a group of women on the trail, but otherwise,I didn’t see anyone in the trees. I was more than happy to catch a few of the mountains when I finally reached the treeline and catch my first views of the amphitheatre.
Onward to the boulder field. This was one of the most well-marked and straightforward boulder fields I’ve ever navigated. Orange paint on rocks helped guide the way, though it didn’t stop everyone from choosing their own route to the ridge. I came across three people who were slightly off route, but fortunately, everything worked out and I ended up with a new friend for the summit.
Reaching the ridge, with its fantastic views, gave me new life. From here the hiking was straightforward along a clear trail. Some sections were narrow but nothing dangerous. The wind had picked up so I was relieved to find a pair of gloves in my hydration pack.
To stay warm, we had to keep moving, so I took quick photos whenever I could. The skies were blue but the wind made it impossible to stand still for long.
By the time I passed the false summit and faced the final steep section to the summit, I started to see people coming down. Many warned us about the steep, challenging section ahead to the summit. They were not joking. It was ridiculously steep and the gale force winds made it even more difficult to climb.
My face was frozen and I was beginning to lose feeling in my fingers. Still I kept climbing. There was no way I was turning around.
I have never been relieved to reach a summit. That wind had a bite. It felt like -20 up there, with a stick frozen in ice and frost between rocks. I didn’t stay long because it was too cold to linger.
I ran down through the switchbacks after ensuring my friend made it safely down. I lost her in the trees so I am sad I won’t be able to share photos with her. Despite the freezing temperatures, I had a great day on Cascade. I was a little worried about the elevation but I surprised myself.
I guess our legs do remember our fitness.