Pilot Mountain (Alberta)

For other uses, see Pilot Mountain (disambiguation).

Pilot Mountain is a mountain in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located southeast of Redearth Creek and directly west of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Pilot Mountain
Pilot Mountain from Pilot Pond
Highest point
Elevation	2,935 m (9,629 ft)[1][2]
Prominence	302 m (991 ft)[3]
Parent peak	Mount Brett (2984 m)[3]
Listing	Mountains of Alberta
Coordinates	51°11′16″N 115°49′30″W[4]
Geography
Pilot Mountain Location in Alberta
Interactive map of Pilot Mountain
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Protected area	Banff National Park
Parent range	Massive Range
Topo map	NTS 82O4 Banff[4]
Climbing
First ascent	1885 by the GSC[2][3]
Easiest route	Difficult scramble[5]

The mountain was named in 1884 by George M. Dawson, for its location is where the Bow Valley changes direction, thus affording distant views of the mountain all along the valley.

Pilot Mountain can be scrambled on the northwest face by someone with good routefinding skills. Nearby Mount Brett (2,984 m (9,790 ft)) can be ascended from a ridge off the western slopes of Pilot Mountain.^[5]

Geology

Like other mountains in Banff Park, Pilot Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.^[6] Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.^[7]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Pilot Mountain is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.^[8] Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C.

Gallery

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  Pilot Mountain seen from Sulphur Mountain