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Rockies :: Canmore and Bow Valley :: Peechee Shoulder

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Mount Peechee from Carrot Meadows showing "Peechee Shoulder" ascent ridge;  Main summit upper left

May 5, 2021

Mount Peechee, together with Mt. Inglismaldie and Mt. Girouard provides scenic backdrop of Aylmer Lookout / Minnewanka Lakeshore trail.  White later two have well-documented scramble route, there is little info about Mt. Peechee.   Only online info I found is at this local Canmore site; sunny south facing ridge rising west from Carrot Creek drainage provides reasonable way up.  It does not connect all the way to the main summit, but views of Bow Valley are fantastic. With added remote/exploration feel it is great early or late season scramble.  Trip is not for beginners, as there is fair amount of non-trivial route finding, coupled with Carrot Creek ford and final exposed rock scramble.   Carrot Creek crossing is unavoidable so trip is not feasible during spring runoffs. With time (or energy!) constraints, it is well worth exploring at least the lower ridge for pleasant few hrs stroll in Fairholme area.

Parking is at north side of Trans-Canada, ~2km past BNP East gate.  Unsigned road leads to parking area and fence;  this was Carrot Creek trailhead for crossover to South Ghost Pass / Lake Minnewanka, but trip became very difficult and largely abandoned after spring 2013 spring runoffs.  Initial walk across open meadows following old wagon trail could be cycled, but park sign by the gate at time of this writing (spring 2021) disallows that.  Close the gate behind you, and walk for ~30min with great views around.  Ascent ridge is to the left - see 3rd photo in gallery.  Wagon trail eventually fades and transfers into single track descending towards Carrot creek. There is some deadfall here as trail is not maintained.  Carrot creek is reached in ~3km from parking;  note spot where trail emerges from the forest, to be able to pick it up on return.  Small cairn was here on my trip;  if you make use of GPS track, it is waypoint "1-Carrot Creek".  From here trip is entirely off-trail.

Hop over the creek and ascend lower ridge, then look for suitable spot to transfer to Main ridge on right side.  Resist urge to go too early as there is much deadfall in intervening valley lower down, but do not go too high as there are some cliffs peeling off & you might have to backtrack.  Waypoints "2-Lower Ridge" and "3-Main Ridge"  on GPS track are good choice.  Reaching Main ridge turn left and go up;  despite lack of trail going is fairly straightforward and, except for one short stretch, not too steep.  View back to Princess Margaret and Charles Stewart are fantastic, as well as aerial panorama of long Carrot Creek canyon leading to South Ghost Pass.  After about an hour of steady climb reach treeline and start of rock scramble.  Buttress directly above is "Peechee Shoulder";  going further is entirely optional as views won't get much better.  Going is initially easy but it gets progressively more difficult and reaches stiff 3rd/4th class higher up. Beyond is strictly technical territory and I could not find any info if someone actually climbed Mt. Peechee this way.

Return the same way. On descent you must cross back to lower ridge; resist urge to trash down to Carrot Creek via Main ridge or intervening valley. 

Gallery