Exshaw Mountain Hike

Where:

• Exshaw Mountain

 

When:

• May 11, 2024

 

Who:

• Ed, Oak, Rod

 

Trailhead:

• 15 minutes east of Canmore on the 1A highway
• if you’re driving from Calgary, get off the Trans-Canada at the Seebee exit (Highway 1X) and follow it to Highway 1A, turn left at the intersection, and follow Highway 1A for about 7 km
• at the town of Exshaw, turn onto Fortress Mountain Way, and the trailhead is at the end of the road
• you are not supposed to park in this area due to resident concerns, so they ask that you park at The Legion on Highway 1A
• the trail is mostly easy to follow, other than a couple of spots where it helps to have All Trails loaded up

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

• 470 meters
• 4 km to the top of Exshaw Mountain and back
• 2.5 hours total time on the trail
• it’s a steep hike right from the start, so it’s a good cardio burn

 

 

Interesting notes:

• there was nobody else on the trail, which was crazy as it was a beautiful day

• there are great views on the way up across the valley, but the first summit is in the trees unless you go beyond it
• you can continue along the first ridge of Exshaw Mountain and loop down onto a trail along Exshaw Creek
• the trail offers views of Loder Peak/Door Jam, Pigeon Mountain, Rimwall, Windtower, Wind Ridge, Grotto Mountain, Heart Mountain, Mount MacGillvray, Mount Fable, Mount Yamnuska, and Goat Mountain
• Sir Sanford Fleming named Exshaw after his son-in-law, E. William Exshaw (Anglo-Irish descent and sailing Olympic gold medalist at the Paris 1900 Summer Olympics), who, with Fleming, helped establish the Western Canada Cement and Coal Company