Mt. Bourgeau Scramble

Lat/Lon: 51.13°N, 115.77°W
Mt. Bourgeau is part of the Massive Range (very appropriate for this mountain) located in
the Bow River Valley of Banff National Park. Banff National Park is one of four
connecting national parks in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Bourgeau was named
after a botanist who was on an expedition of the area in 1860 in which he amassed a
collection of 819 species of flowers and plants. Mt. Bourgeau was first ascended by
McArthur and Wilson in 1890.

Mt. Bourgeau definitely serves as one of the easier referenced landmarks in the heart of
the Canadian Rockies. It is a truncated mass of horizontal strata of significant shape
and stands tall and unmistakable just west of the town of Banff. Its broad summit and
massive cliffs catch and hold a tremendous amount of snow late into the season. The
only published route I know of is the easy but long (4900’) dog leg scramble from the
west. Although this route is not published in our local ski tour guide, it appears fitting for
a winter ascent on backcountry skis. You pass three distinct mountain tarns along the
way which make Bourgeau quite a scenic scramble and common objective. Of the many
peaks I have climbed in the Canadian Rockies, Bourgeau gives up the best view of the
esteemed Mt. Assiniboine.

The only published route I am aware of is the scramble up the southwest slopes. I
would be tempted to ski this route, and have skied to the lake previously, but have no
knowledge of anyone skiing to the summit.

Getting There
The Trans-Canada Highway dissects Banff National Park east to west as you come in
from Calgary. Continue past the Banff and Sunshine Ski Resort exits. Trans-Canada is a
four lane interstate type of highway, but it will let you turn left across traffic into several
different trailheads. The first one you come to at 2.9 km beyond the Sunshine Ski exit is
the Bourgeau Lake Trailhead.

Red Tape
You will be required to purchase a national park pass as you enter the park. This pass is
good for all four national parks. If you plan many visits to Canadian National Parks within
one year, you should purchase an annual pass. There are no permit requirements to
climb in Banff National Park, but all camping is regulated. There is also a backcountry
permit required if you plan on spending a night in the backcountry versus the town
campsites. This can be obtained via the parks website which is included in the camping
section below. Park headquarters are located in Banff and you will drive through the
manned kiosks as you enter the park.

This is active grizzly country, therefore, you should always have bear spray on your
person. We just had a grizzly fatality in Canmore, June, 2005 as well as a recent
mountain lion attack.

When To Climb
As with most scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, the driest time is from June through
September. I climbed Bourgeau in June and conditions were stellar. There are no
published backcountry ski routes on the mountain, however, I have skied to the lake in
early spring. The avalanche activity at the lake was quite extreme, but can be viewed from
a safe distance.

Camping
There are no campsites on Bourgeau Lake Trail. The closest camping is back in the
town of Banff. You can go on line at Banff National Park to pick a camp site and obtain
your camping permit. You will also be required to obtain your backcountry permit which
is separate, but can be obtained simultaneously if you plan on camping at a backcountry
site.

Mountain Conditions
Banff National Park’s website has weather, wildlife reports, trail closures, etc. Outside of
the parks web site, Canadian Avalanche Association is also useful, particularly for winter
travel.

Route
This is a 4900’+/- ascent day. The approach to Bourgeau is a long, but easy one. The
Lake Bourgeau trail is 7.4 km. Don't rest at the lake, instead proceed on to the tarns
above it another 2 km and take in the better views (one of these small lakes was still
frozen in June). This is one of the best views of Mt Assiniboine, hands down.

Once you take a large U turn at the tarns and gain the summit approach, Assiniboine is
in clear view the whole way. I am sure a much shorter route could be negotiated from the
Sunshine ski resort, but there is no official trail on the south side and travel in this sector
has been prohibited in the past.

I did 2600' from the lake to the summit in 1 hour and 15 minutes. The ground is relatively
free of scree and gently sloped. This is a busy mountain. I passed 5 climbers (each one
from a different country) to be the first to the summit this day. It might be a good idea to
set up a soda stand. The better mountain views outside of Assiniboine were Pilot and
Ball. On return, I ran into a Hoary Marmot, which is a common sighting in the Canadian
Rockies, even though they hibernate for most of the year. What was rare, was a pair of
Pine Grosbeaks (overgrown red colored finch) at 6000'.

Essential Gear
Not much, just good hiking boots, poles, attitude and camera to take your best shots of
Assiniboine.

Trip Report
My wife road her horse up this trail to Bourgeau Lake. They grazed, read and napped
while awaiting my return from the summit. This is a good one for a family summer
adventure, due to the different stages you can set up base if you will. It is still a 5000’
ascent, so not everyone would be up for the full route. Cheers!