Peak Finder

Mount Frances

  • 2730 m (8,957ft)
  • First Ascent
  • Naming History
52.2914N -116.884W
Located north of McDonald Creek, 3.5 km southwest of Samson Lake; 6.0 km southeast of Mount McDonald; East of Afternoon Peak

Province: Alberta
Park: White Goat
Headwater: Saskatchewan
Ascent Date: 1902
Ascent Party: L.Q. Coleman
Year Named: 1902
Named by: Lucius Q. Coleman
Named for: Coleman, Frances (Frances Coleman's father was Lucius Q. Coleman, brother of Arthur Coleman)

Ella Coleman accompanied her husband Lucius Quincy Coleman and brother in law Arthur Coleman to the Brazeau Lake area in 1902. During the trip Quincy completed a solo first ascent of this mountain which he named in honour of his daughter who was said to have been a cripple. ["Big Hill Country -Cochrane and Area"] In his book, "The Canadian Rockies -Old and New Trails," Arthur Coleman wrote: "My brother climbed without much difficulty the mountain northwest of our camp, determining its height at 9000 feet, and naming it Mount Frances." There is no reference in the book as to who "Frances" was. [See Arthur Coleman biography]