The mountains never forget. But I do. Apparently often.

Original Post Date 7/31/2021

I recall Mt Cannon. Easy hike up from the pass, but looks so mean and hard from the LMD side it gives you instant bragging rights to make people think you’re a true peak bagger and a mountain man to be dealt with. That’s why late in the season me and Rex (another LMD employee that summer of 86) went and climbed it after dinner. Got up at Logan Pass around 6pm. I recall seeing the sun set from the summit, and it was kinda a race to get back on-trail before it got too dark (of course no flashlights). Quick and simple. No big deal. Just another tally for the summit list.

Then why did this climb make me so uneasy? Sure, I’m up at the pass nice and early as usual. Sure, I get all kinds of dirty looks from the tourist who see me take a game trail (not so faint now, it has seen a LOT of use) off the Hidden Lake Freeway. I follow this path to a saddle between Cannot and Clements, out of sight and out of mind of the tourist and find a nice peaceful place. Views of the Hidden Lake area are just opening up.

This trip allowed me to really see what a beautiful place the Logan Pass environ is. There is a real combination of incredible stuff that normally you would need to hike many many miles of backcountry to be able to take it. And there, within the space of a few miles, is everything that is quintessential Glacier Place. The flora, fauna, landscapes. And too many people. All of which are hell bound for a quick selfie to show their friends how much better their vacation is and continue the eternal quest to move on to the next (and better) stop.

Then, I see where my little climbers trail ends in a big pile of rock and some pretty nasty cliffs begin. Hmmm….. don’t recall this. Standing pillar rock formations that could fall at any time. Kind of a jumbled maze where death is waiting for you in the middle. It really wasn’t that bad.

Until the final 100 feet to the true summit. There is this almost fortress like square cap which pretty much says “you are not as young as you once were and this is only for the foolhardy therefore the most worthy.” Or something from and Indiana Jones movie, but you get the general drift. Of course this is some kind of really scary (but totally safe for the wise) cliff you can traverse on the back side but still with horrible exposure. But really? Do I want to make the body recovery effort that much harder for my friends and family? Don’t they just want to find me having passed silently while sleeping in a hammock someday, and make the 911 call from inside the house in the air conditioning?

Maybe it’s time to not be so selfish. In the end, still a great little climb. I found some much better gullies and chutes going down that I missed going up, which made the outing more enjoyable. The haze took away from some of the otherwise great colors to be had.

And I think my highlight was finding that rock formation that looked like one of those stone heads on Easter Island, but this one has a parrot on its shoulder. Check it out.

If we got one really really clear day this summer before I leave, this is one spot I would probably go back to. Oh, and there was one younger couple following me on the route. The stopped short in the cliffs, but then I caught them on the way down. Good backstories: they met in medical school and had relocated to MT in the last couple of years to practice and love the lifestyle the 406 can offer. Made a comment it was nice to work on healthy people, who are apparently easier to fix. Makes their job better. Seems I’ve heard that before from another transplant I know in this part of the state.

Enjoy a little video I shot up there: