June 2nd 2024. Invermere, British Columbia.
Round Trip: 4 Hours, Elevation Gain: 930m.
Mostly Hiking; Easy Scramble
First peak of the 2024 season, which was off to a late start with a lingering spring snow pack. Bri and I teamed up with Scotty and our pal Kels for this outing, opting to head south past Invermere in hopes of scrambling the nearby Chisel Peak and Mt Aeneas. Mount Tegart, a smaller objective accessed along the same Madias FSR was our back up plan in case the first choices were too snowy… which they were that day. We followed instructions for this peak out of Mclellan & Strauss’ (2022) Hikes Around the Columbia Valley which has been a great resource for a number of outings in the general area. Worth noting that there are two different heights listed in the same book… 2381m and 2393m. Take your pick, online I’ve encountered both.
The peak itself is a short and steep effort with little difficulty other than the relentless grade – you gain all 930m in under 3.5km. The drive in to the trailhead felt more adventurous. Madias FSR is very rough, deteriorating in places, and quite narrow. High clearance, 4×4, and confident backcountry driving skills are essential for accessing this area.
For how rough the access road was, the trail itself was comparatively easy, well-defined and essentially just a steep hike. Being the first outing of the hiking season however, the gradient kicked our butts early on resulting in a prolonged snack break half-way up. It was here we met a couple from Calgary that needed some bandages, one of them a bit bloodied from breaking-in new hiking shoes. After hanging out with them for a little bit, we pushed onwards and upwards occasionally stopping for the odd photos. Short and scenic is a good descriptor for this adventure. Eventually the slope tops out at a broad but short ridge walk towards the summit, with the summit block offering a few brief hands-on easy scrambling moves. Upon returning to the 4runner, the nice folks from earlier left Scotty a beer and replacement bandage.
Steep Sheep 