Peak Finder

Photo: Looking northwest to Stuart Knob from the Trans-Canada Highway (cliffs of Eisenhower Peak at left)

Stuart Knob

  • 2850 m (9,350ft)
51.3325N -115.960W
Located in the Johnston Creek Valley, 3.5 km northwest of Rockbound Lake;

Province: Alberta
Park: Banff
Headwater: Bow
Visible from Highway: 1

Although not nearly as attractive as Castle Mountain (or as attractively named), this feature that stands at the head of the valley to the northeast of Castle Mountain is almost one hundred metres higher in elevation. It was named in honour of Dr. Charles D. Walcott's son Stuart who assisted his father with his paleontology and travelled widely in the Canadian Rockies. Helena Ridge, to the east was named to honour Stuart's mother, Helena Walcott. Following his years in the Rockies, Stuart Walcott became a wartime fighter pilot and it is said that he, "typified the face of American aviation in France in 1917." When the Americans entered the First World War, Walcott considered joining the Ambulance Service in France upon his graduation from Princeton University in 1917, but joined the Lafayette Escadrille instead and was soon flying Nieuports and SPAD's in combat in France. Walcott was killed on December 12, 1917, when he was attacked and forced down by four Albatrosses. Note that there is a Mount Stuart in the Kootenay River Valley.

Photo: Stuart Knob (courtesy Bennett Wong)

Looking northwest to Stuart Knob from Helena Ridge (courtesy Bennett Wong)

Looking northwest to Castle Mountain (left) and Stuart Knob from the Trans-Canada Highway