Good day! I am planning a backcountry trip for later on in the summer and am currently looking at Stenton Lake as my objective / basecamp for a couple of nights. We will be hiking in via Cougar Creek & over the Carrot / Cougar Col (potentially hiking out via South Ghost River and Exshaw Pass / Creek). There are some peaks in the area (mostly unnamed / unofficial) that we will be scrambling, but other than the sparse info / pictures found online and some info in Gillean Daffern's KCTG (volume 3), I was wondering if anyone has ever spent any time in that area and if they have any pics they are willing to share.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

my extent of knowledge does not beyond what's in Daffern books, but you might want to PM woodenshoes (if he doesn't see this thread). He's quite familiar with Stenton.

Stenton Peak and Carrot Peak are the two main peaks in that area - that I know of (and are moderate scrambles).

For sure PhilR. Here are the peaks in the area I was looking at:

Stenton Peak - moderate scramble (Rockies Central Guidebook & Bivouac website TR).
Carrot Peak - moderate scramble (Rockies Central Guidebook).
GR 210/755 - not much info, but in the Rockies Central Guidebook.
Saddle Peak - moderate scramble (Rockies Central Guidebook & Bivouac website TR).

Also may scramble up Mount Charles Stewart (true summit) on the way in / out; time dependent.

Summer can't come soon enough...

interesting; I was looking at true CS as day trip from Canmore

as far as Cougar canyon goes, last yr I made it near the point where you'd branch left for Cougar/Carrot col. (I was going for "Cougar Peak" on the other side). About 2 hrs. Canyon travel is actually the most tedious around Canadian Forks; 10-15 mins after it opens up nicely and footing becomes much better.

Interesting. I'm planning this summer to backpack via Cougar Creek, camp in the nice meadows NE of Charles Stewart South Summit, do Stenton Peak and the true Summit of CS. Wanted to do it last year but weather on weekends was too horrible for multi-day trips.

Last May, I attempted Mt. Townsend via Exshaw Pass in a very long day but was stopped 20-30m from the summit by sheer cliffbands covered with snow and ice. Really nice area. Want to come back and explore it more towards South Ghost Peak and Saddle Peak, despite the long and tedious approach via Exshaw Creek (14km one way).

ClubTread is now pretty much dead so I rarely check it. Perhaps once a month. Good I noticed this question.

But if you checked more often and kept contributing, maybe it wouldn't be "pretty much dead". Your reports were among the best at a time

I was also thinking of doing a backcountry trip including Exshaw Pass, Townsend from the east and South Ghost Peak last summer, but because of the same reason you mentioned (garbage weather) it didn't happen. Stenton Lake and surrounding peaks climbed up the list instead for this summer.

Do you have pics of the cliffband that halted your progress up Townsend?

Thank you Zeljko. I really hate the new layout. Very user unfriendly. I heard other people complaining about it as well.
It's hard to motivate myself posting TRs here while there is facebook, which is very simple and easy to use.

I posted a picture before on panoramio:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/129671591

Can't do it here since I don't know how to upload pictures. Damned new layout.

You are welcome. In my opinion "Very user unfriendly" is just an excuse used by many old time posters that contributed classic content over the years. Besides new management is now listening, changing things and bringing many things we had before back

Easiest thing in the world is to turn your back on something that is not to your liking. I don't mean to pick on anyone, but I challenge you personally to come back and help the community you helped build in the first place.

But this is hijacking the thread. Better to talk about Stenton Lake. woodenshoes is skiing Tonquin right now but I hope he will provide lots of info when he's back; between other things boating over Minnewanka as alternate approach.

Thanks Engor. Much appreciated! Once those cliff-bands dry off, that looks worth a visit.

It is dead simple and much more intuitive than in old CT. Took less than 10 seconds, including taking a snapshot from your linked panoramio

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