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April 27, 2024 In Outdoor Edventures

Loder Peak/Door Jamb hike

Where:

  • Loder Peak/Door Jamb

 

When:

  • April 27, 2024

 

Who:

  • Ed, Craig, Rod, Dave

 

Trailhead:

  • 15 minutes east of Canmore on the 1A highway
  • 1 km east of Exshaw across from the Graymont Plant (north side of the road)
  • 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 5.5 km
  • if you’re coming from Canmore, get on Highway 1A, pass through Exshaw for 1 km, and the parking lot is on the left
  • this is the Jura Creek hike parking lot
  • start on the main trail behind the washrooms and turn right along the dirt road until you get to a ridge on the left hand side where the ascent starts

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

  • 650 meters to Door Jamb and 750 meters to Loder Peak
  • 5 km to Door Jamb and 6 km to Loder Peak (return)
  • 3.5 hours total time on the trail to Door Jamb and back
  • we had some fresh snow partway up the ascent that may for some tricky footing and challenging route finding
  • it’s a steep hike right from the start, so it’s a good cardio burn
  • the trail consistently branches off into various paths, but they are pretty easy to find, although it’s generally best to keep veering to the left, especially below the ridge approaching Door Jamb, which we failed to do on this day

 

 

Interesting notes:

  • the first peak is called Door Jamb, and then it’s a short ascent to Loder Peak
  • this is our fourth time doing this trail and we are yet to get beyond Door Jam due to weather conditions
  • you can continue along the ridge beyond Loder Peak up Goat Mountain and across to Mount Yamnuska, which would be a long day
  • you can return the same way you came up or descent from Loder Peak down to Jura Creek and turn left to exit the valley
  • the trail offers views of Exshaw Mountain/Ridge, Pigeon Mountain, Rimwall, Windtower, Wind Ridge, Three Sisters, Grotto Mountain, Heart Mountain, Mount MacGillvray, Mount Fable, Mount Yamnuska, and Goat Mountain
  • the naming of Loder Peak has quite a history:

Edwin Loder worked in the British merchant marine prior to coming to Canada where he worked as a woodcutter for the CPR. In 1888 he went to work for McCanleish where he learned the lime (cement) business. About 15 months after he was hired Loder reported to the RCMP that McCanleish had gone to Calgary on a business trip but had not returned. It is not known what became of McCanleish, but he was never seen again.

Edwin Loder maintained his interest in the lime plant and, after obtaining squatters rights and financial support from England, was able to make the limestone plant operational again. Other members of the Loder family settled in the area as well. The operation continued as Loder Lime Company until it was sold in 1952.

 

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