Elevation: 8200 ft / 2500m
Degree of Difficulty:
Moderate/Difficult
Time to Complete Round Trip:7 hours
Information:
Squaw's Tit (henceforth referred to as Squaw) is the not-too-wisely named peak between Harvey Heights and Canmore on the North side of the TransCanada. This mountain is not very easy, and entails tromping through a thick, moss-carpeted forest.
Where to Park:
Park between Harvey Heights and Canmore on the road that runs parallel to the TransCanada highway. If you park closer to Harvey Heights you can access a wide rocky drainage gully that will take you directly to the Southwest face of Squaw. I just parked somewhere in the middle and headed into the woods like a true greenhorn.
The Route (see photo below):
There was plenty of bushwhacking for me and though I crossed a few good paths, I decided to keep heading northward. The idea in attempting this peak is to ascend the southwest shoulder of Squaw (the left side of the mountain as seen from the highway).
Make your way up and eventually you'll top up to get a view of the rest of the rocky and somewhat exposed journey. The left side drops off to oblivion, and the right side soon too becomes dangerous. Just stay in the middle.
There are a few locations on the route that are treacherous, but take it cautiously and you'll be fine.
Once you are standing below and in front of the final scary looking tower (the "nipple"), you must weave your way to the left and behind to find an appropriate groove to the top (don't just go straight up!).
Once you are at the top, sign the register, look for my name and the little joke I wrote. The first one to tell me (via email) what my joke is, will get a prize.
Thank you for visiting the summit of Squaw and keeping it clean.
