Lone Mountain, Waterton Lakes National Park

August 7th, 2015
The Crew: Me, Myself and I


Overview:
Disclaimer:  I was trail running intervals on this hike so times recorded below are not accurate for just hiking (add on a couple hours total)

Ascent:

Parking Lot to T-intersection with lone lake trail = 2 hours
Lone lake trail to base of mountain = 45 minutes
Base of mountain to summit = 45 minutes

Descent:
Summit to lone lake cabin = 40 minutes
Cabin to T-intersection with blakiston creek trail = 40 minutes
Blakiston creek trail back to parking lot = 1 hour and 35 minutes

Skills and Equipment: trail running will save you time on this long approach (but is of course not necessary). There is no exposure, no hands on scrambling, very tame "bushwhacking", so good for beginners. 


General Route:

I followed the route described in Andrew Nugara's book "More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies".
The route begins at the Red Rock parking lot at the end of the redrock parkway. Cross the bridge over red rock canyon and take a left to go along the Blakiston falls tail. Continue on the trail past the falls. The trail travels alongside Blakiston creek, flat or gradual uphill, 10 km and is named after the creek. You do a more noticeable uphill climb for 2 km at the 8km mark to the end of this trail. This trail goes to a T-intersection. At the T take a left to Lone Lake (there is a sign at this intersection). This trail is approximately 4km. You will get to the lone lake parks cabin on you right, keep going to the lake which is also on your right, then look left and you will see the food hanging poles. This is where Nugara describes going up the south side of the mountain. I went up directly from here, veering a little bit right, but only slightly, and mostly to avoid a moose. The trees thin out within 10-15 minutes and you are on solid red rock/shale with scrubby trees dispersed throughout. I stuck to the south east ridge (right), so I could have the most open view possible. Only one cairn along this scramble up, which I made, you will probably miss it and that's ok because its not important. Route finding is not an issue for this climb. There is a cairn built up at the summit and a log book full of mostly parks workers who stay at the cabin. Shout out to Andrew Nugara, cause I found his name in there, and he is the reason I knew how to get up this mountain! Enjoy a unique 360 degree view and descend same way. Follow lone lake trail and blakiston creek trails all the way back to the red rock parking lot.

P.S. There is a not so secret waterfall along the way, Km 7.5 ish on your way in on Blakiston creek trail, or Km 3ish on your way out on that trail. Stop on the way out and dip your weary feet :)