Bourgeau, Mount

Dist: 22.8km   Elev: 1455m   Summit: 9616'   Time: 9h   Difficulty: 4/5

Gavin wanted to do a "solid" hike, so I chose Mount Bourgeau for its reputation of demanding elevation gain and rewarding views. His little brother and friend came along as well, and it was nice to have a group of guys to share the experience with. This was a long day, and the climb to the summit was a bit of a grunt. No scrambling required, but the last final push to the summit was primarily on steep scree and loose rock.  Also, our views from Harvey Pass and the Bourgeau summit were unfortunately reduced by smoke from local wildfires. Regardless, we had a great day and I'll definitely be back to share this awesome hike with others.

Trail Description:
     Park in the Bourgeau parking lot on the west side of Trans-Canada Hwy 1, about 10km west of Banff town. Once through the wildlife gate, the trail begins with approximately 1.5 hours of gently-ascending (and somewhat viewless) forest, after which views of Mt Bourgeau and surrounding cliffs begin to appear in all directions.  The trail eventually crosses Wolverine Creek and takes a short and somewhat steep climb before leveling out at the scenic meadows right to Bourgeau Lake. The lake is beautiful, and was a great place to stop for lunch and a rest. Turning back here would have made for an enjoyable day.
   Still high on energy and enthusiasm, we headed for Harvey Pass on the same trail that took us to the lake. This segment required a slightly more challenging climb on a somewhat rocky trail, but motivation was topped up throughout by views of the valley and Bourgeau Lake below.  The trail soon leveled off and only gently climbed for the rest of the way to the pass while meandering around three small yet picturesque mountain lakes. Harvey Pass is said to offer spectacular views of Sunshine Village, Mt. Assinboine, and endless grassy meadows, but all we saw was a wall of thick white smoke.
     With Bourgeau summit being "only" another 1.8km and 440 vertical meters from the pass, all four of us decided to press on. This final rocky segment was only slightly more challenging than the climb from Bourgeau lake, and the trail was obvious the entire way up. Even with the thick smoke behind us, the summit views were incredible and offered an impressive view of nearby peaks, valleys, and Banff town below.

The forested trail opens after an hour or so. Mt Bourgeau summit above.

Nice wildflowers along the way

Crossing Wolverine Creek

Meadows leading to Bourgeau Lake. Mount Bourgeau (left/centre) and Mount Brett (right)

Fearless wildlife

Bourgeau Lake is a beautiful backdrop for lunch

The ridge to Bourgeau summit towers above Bourgeau Lake

Interesting snow bridge

More spacious than expected 

Gavin checks out the first tarn

Great views on the way to Harvey Pass, the saddle to the far right

Push to the summit begins

Bourgeau Lake below

Nearly there

Summit cairn. Banff town below.

Very smoky to the SW, near Sunshine Village

Summit weather station. The smoke really moved in fast.

Descending from summit.

Smoky Harvey Pass

Marmot

Sunset over Bourgeau Lake. A long and memorable day :)