Elaphus Peak

Banff, AB, Canada
24 July 2021
Solo

Long-distance hike to a gentle grassy ridge deep in Banff National Park

There are two main ways to get to Elaphus Peak, a fairly small and remote mountain of forested slopes and grassy ridge tops. The first is to follow the Cascade Fire Road north, turn west just after the Stoney Creek Warden Cabin, and then approach the peak via its north slopes and the northwest ridge as Phil Richards and Vern Dewit/Wietse Bylsma have done in separate spring and winter ascents, respectively. The second – my route today – is via the trail to Elk Summit (Elk Pass), a broad saddle near Elk Lake between the Vermilion Range and the Cascade Mountain massif. Neither route seems well-frequented and I’ve never actually run into another person on any of the trails here (except the initial trail up Cascade Mountain, of course). Solitude guaranteed!

After doing the approach on Elk Summit Trail and scrambling up and down Elk Peak, I felt I had enough time left to give Elaphus Peak a shot as well. The trail that descends north from Elk Pass is still in great shape and I made quick progress. At about 3.2 km from the pass, I left the trail and headed straight up the forest on the right to gain the start of Elaphus Peak’s south ridge. I had braced myself for some dense bush and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t bad at all (but I guess we all have different ideas of what “bad bushwhacking” means, so take this with a grain of salt!).

The trees thinned out more and more as I gained elevation on the south ridge, until I finally had some views which were unfortunately obscured by the distant haze of forest fires that had sprung up somewhere in the park. The south ridge is a straightforward hike all the way to the summit, crowned by a small cairn and… yes, a pink register courtesy of Ephraim :).

Compared to the majestic views and fun scrambling on craggy rocks I enjoyed earlier today on Elk Peak, the easy plod up this gentle ridge was quite a contrast. Elaphus is also more than 500 m lower in elevation than Elk Peak. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the feeling of remoteness and being surrounded by beautiful wide open meadows in the middle of nowhere. Glancing down the east side you can just about spot the Stoney Creek Warden Cabin on the other side of the Cascade River.

After a short break I returned the same way down the south ridge and to the trail in the valley, where I then had to trudge back up to Elk Pass where I had stashed my overnight gear. Despite being equipped to spend the night I decided to hike out the remaining 15 km to the car in the evening, which in hindsight wasn’t the best idea as I didn’t get back until 11 pm. I think the more trips I do the more I’m starting to slow down and realize that spending more time to do less is a better way for me to fully soak up and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me. This trip was a good reminder!

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