
Photo: Looking southeast to Cirrus Mountain
Cirrus Mountain
- 3270 m (10,729ft)
- First Ascent
- Naming History
Located in the North Saskatchewan River Valley southwest of Cataract Creek
Province: Alberta
Park: White Goat/Banff
Headwater: Saskatchewan
Major Valley: Saskatchewan
Visible from Highway: 93N
Ascent Party: C.B. Sissons, H.J. Sissons
Named for: Cirrus clouds form at high altitudes.
The Icefield Parkway is so close to this high mountain that the summit cannot be seen as one travels along its base. However the steep cliffs of the "Weeping Wall" may be seen with numerous slender waterfalls spilling down the cliffs. This is a favourite spot for ice climbers during the winter months when spectacular pillars and curtains of ice form. The top of the big hill to the south of Sunwapta Pass provides a good view of the upper portions of Cirrus Mountain. The single peak at the northern end of the mountain is higher than the double peak at the southern end. The mountain wraps around the Huntington Glacier that lies to the southeast of the highest peak. There are subsidiary peaks to the south and to the east-northeast. An attractive glacier flows from a cirque on the northwest side of the mountain as well. In 1928 Morrison Bridgland suggested the name Mount Huntington for this peak but it was not adopted. It is not known who Huntington was.