April 12, 2025
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
I’ve been up Canoe Peak a few times now, and this marks my third successful summit of this rugged beauty. Every time I go, I’m reminded that it’s probably more grueling than I remembered. Yet somehow, I forget all the bushwhacking, steep gullies, and exposed slopes. There’s just something magical about the view that keeps me coming back.
In my opinion, there’s a sweet spot on the calendar that makes this trip viable. Too early in the winter, and avalanche conditions can make a summit attempt impossible. Too late in the summer, and the thick bush in the avalanche basin can stall your progress. For me, the sweet spot is mid-spring—right after the cornice hazards have passed. You want snow on the steep ramp and in the gully leading from the Canoe–Mackenzie saddle to the Canoe shoulder. Ideally, there’s still enough snow in the avalanche basin to trap all the devil’s club, false azalea, rose, and alder.
We probably hit it at the best possible time this year. While we did have to wrestle through more bush than I’d hoped for, we saw plenty of evidence that the cornices had dropped recently—likely within the past week.
The low freezing level worked in our favor. We were able to use crampons early in the morning to gain the saddle, and although the gully to the shoulder was barely passable, we managed. The snow had rotted out in the middle, so it took some careful crampon work on exposed rock to get us up and over the midsection. Once we crossed the ridge to the north side for the final summit approach, we found soft snow that allowed for easy step-kicking and solid ice axe plunges. The 35–40 degree slope to the summit felt surprisingly easy in these conditions.
The biggest surprise of the day came on the summit. About three meters from the top, I looked back and thought I was seeing double—it looked like we’d picked up extra hikers! But no, I wasn’t losing my mind. A second party had taken advantage of our steps and caught up to us at the summit. To my knowledge, this is the first time two separate groups have met on the top of Canoe Peak.
The summit was still snow-capped, making it even narrower than usual. We tagged the top one at a time, then descended back to the lower ridge for lunch and a well-earned rest. From there, we soaked in the spectacular views and celebrated our success.
For me, the worst part of the day was the return through the avalanche bowl. The rock-hard snow from the morning had turned to slush, and every third step I plunged one—or both—legs deep: mid-calf, knee, and more than a few times, up to my groin. While the descent was technically faster, that one section felt more grueling than the entire 1,400 meters of elevation gain. Certainly, I had bigger step-ups to get out the potholes that we needed on the ascent to the summit.
photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/JESDJWHLvoyaqsKW6