Saddle Mountain (Alberta)

Saddle Mountain is a 2,433-metre (7,982 ft) summit in Alberta, Canada.

Saddle Mountain
East aspect
Highest point
Elevation	2,433 m (7,982 ft)[1][2]
Prominence	107 m (351 ft)[3]
Parent peak	Fairview Mountain (2,744 m)
Isolation	0.74 km (0.46 mi)[3]
Listing	Mountains of Alberta
Coordinates	51°23′35″N 116°12′31″W[4]
Geography
Saddle Mountain Location in Alberta Show map of Alberta Saddle Mountain Saddle Mountain (Canada) Show map of Canada
Interactive map of Saddle Mountain
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Protected area	Banff National Park
Parent range	Bow Range Canadian Rockies
Topo map	NTS 82N8 Lake Louise[4]
Geology
Rock age	Cambrian
Rock type	Gog quartzite[1]
Climbing
Easiest route	Trail + scrambling[5]

Description

Saddle Mountain is located in the Bow Valley within Banff National Park, and it is part of the Bow Range of the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise townsite is situated 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the northeast and the Continental Divide is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the west. The nearest higher neighbor is Fairview Mountain, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) to the northwest.^[3] Precipitation runoff from Saddle Mountain drains into tributaries of the Bow River. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises over 600 meters (1,968 ft) above Paradise Creek in one kilometer (0.6 mile) and nearly 900 meters (2,953 ft) above Bow River in 3 km (1.9 mi). The peak is visible from Alberta Highway 1 to the east,^[2] and is prominent in the iconic photographs taken from Morant's Curve.

Access

The Paradise Valley Trail leads from Lake Louise to Saddleback Pass, and from the pass an off-trail scramble leads to the top of Saddle Mountain. The summit offers one of the finest views of the area,^[6] including the Bow Valley and a close view of the impressive north face of Mount Temple.

History

The mountain's descriptive name was applied in 1894 by Samuel E.S. Allen.^[2][7] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted on April 3, 1952, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.^[4]

Geology

Like other mountains in Banff Park, Saddle Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.^[8] Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.^[9]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Saddle Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.^[10] Winter temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C.

Gallery

• 
  Saddle Mountain seen from the southeast side of Fairview Mountain.
  Saddleback Pass in lower right.
• 
  Mt. Temple (left), Saddle Mountain (centre), Fairview Mountain (right).
• 
  Saddle Mountain (centre) seen from Morant's Curve
• 
  Mount Temple from the summit of Saddle Mountain
• 
  Winter scene from Morant's Curve.
  Saddle Mountain left of center.
• 
  Saddle Mountain (upper left) from Morant's Curve
• 
  Mount Temple from Saddle Mountain
• 
  Haddo (left), Saddle Mountain (centre), Fairview Mountain (right), from Morant's Curve

See also

• Geography of Alberta
• Mountains portal