“August Peak”
(“Wilcox Lake Peak”)
August 4,
2019
Mountain
height: 2995 m
Elevation
gain: 1325 m
Ascent
time: 4:45
Descent
time: 3:20
Solo scramble.
Adventurous Calvin Damen brought this peak to
my attention back in 2011. He named it “August Peak” because he
made his ascent on August 1 of that year. I forgot about the trip until a relatively
recent ascent by Matthew Clay, who named it “Wilcox Lake Peak”, popped up online.
Needless to say, it was wonderful to be back in
the Columbia Icefields area. After reaching the now well-signed Wilcox Pass, I
continued north for about 1 km and then turned northeast towards Wilcox Lake,
pretty much following Matt’s route. As expected, views towards Mount Athabasca
were excellent and only got better throughout the day.
Negotiating the undulating terrain to Wilcox
Lake was quite enjoyable; the lake itself was stunning! As such, I circled the
west and south sides of the lake and then started up the steep ruble slopes to
the ridge. Unfortunately, in my zeal to reach the summit of the outlier to the
southeast of Wilcox, I opted to go straight up, instead of taking the more
circuitous, but less steep route recommended by Matt. This slope was very
foreshortened, much steeper than it appeared from below and consisted entirely
of unstable rubble. Thankfully the ever-improving view provided plenty of
motivation to just “suck it up” and keep going. Nigel Peak was especially
awesome!
Some
downs and ups followed, but the true
summit was still only a straightforward steep hike/easy scramble away.
An
outstanding summit view conspired to keep me there for almost an hour,
attempting to identify as many peaks as possible. Although the summits
of many
of the Columbia Icefield’s 11,000 ers were clearly visible, nearby
Nigel Peak refused
to give up supremacy as the most aesthetically beautiful form in visual
range. As well, all the unnamed peaks to the northeast, east, and
southeast were simply captivating.
For descent, once back at the col between the
summit and the outlier, I took a more direct route down to Wilcox Lake – one
that turned out to be equally foreshortened, steep, and tedious as the ascent
route I took. Visiting the lake again was not necessary on descent, however,
it’s a beautiful lake and well worth a good go-around. The lake did not
disappoint at all – definitely one of the highlights of the day.
Parks Canada has now formalized a trail to a
viewpoint on Wilcox Ridge (the south ridge of Wilcox Peak for scramblers) and
so upon reaching Wilcox Pass I did take a quick side-trip to check it out. Well
done Parks Canada! The viewpoint is stunning, providing one of the best views
of Mount Athabasca you can ask for.
A totally awesome day out. Cheers to Calvin
Damen and Matt Clay for their pioneering work on this one.
Hiking the supremely scenic Wilcox Pass Trail. Snowdome and Kitchener dominate the view.
Mount Athabasca is the show-stopper, though
New signs at Wilcox Pass and Wilcox Peak at the left
The view of Athabasca demands you walk backwards frequently!
Colourful, mossy stream
Same as above with you know who. Andromeda, to the right of Athabasca, is pretty cool too.
Leaving the informal trail and heading east towards the objective
There it is. August Peak at the right.
Mounts Woolley and Diadem make an assertive appearance
Approaching Wilcox Lake, with Nigel Peak above it
Great reflections in the lake, but the Sun was in an unfavourable position
Much better from the southwest side of the lake
The summit of August Peak is at the left. The route I took went straight up to the peak above the lake.
Some interesting rock near the lake
And some interesting mossy patches on the way up
Views of the lake improve as elevation is gained
So do views of Nigel Peak
No flowery adjectives needed to describe any views of the Columbia Icefield and its mountains
Another section of very interesting rock
An unnamed lake below an unnamed outlier of Nigel Peak
On the ridge and looking to the summit of August at the left
The unnamed mountains to the east were as enjoyable to see as all the glaciated 11,000ers to the west
The north glacier on Nigel Peak
Couldn't get enough of this view to the northeast
Likewise for the view to the southeast
From the outlier south of the true summit, the route to the top is obvious and easy
But the views demand frequent stops
Love the remaining snow near the ridge
And the view to the northeast continues to impress
At the col between the outlier and the summit
North Twin and Twins Tower
Nigel Peak takes on a most aesthetic look from this vantage point
Final ridge to the summit
Here are the summit views (lots of Nigel!)
Even on descent, Nigel gets tons of attention
Almost back to the lake and another surprising section of mossy ground
Loved this interesting area near the lake outlet as much as the sweet summit views
Especially with Nigel in the background
Wilcox Lake is a more than worthwhile destination in itself. The trip is featured in Tony Daffern's Popular Day Hikes.
Couldn't resist a parting, reflection shot of Nigel
This one was hard to resist also
Hiking the new Wilcox Ridge Trail
It's a popular place for a very good reason
Heading back and still awed by the views
No mortal can resist Athabasca!
The End