Akamina Ridge

Elevation: 2575 m
Elevation Gain: 1120 m (cumulative)
Named by George Dawson in 1886, “Akamina” means “benchland” in the Kootenai language. In geology, benchlands are long narrow strips of relatively level ground bound by distinctly steeper slopes above or below. Based on these criteria, round-topped Akamina ridge, with its steep walls is aptly named. Geographically, this long ridge is an important barrier, separating Alberta, British Columbia and Montana.
My Ascents:
May 16 2025, July 21 2012, August 20 2011
Trailhead: Akamina Pass Trailhead
GPS Track: Akamina Ridge (via Forum Lake)

One of the most satisfying aspects of watching my young girls grow up is watching them come into their own and develop their own unique personalities, skills and passions. For instance, my 7-year-old daughter Penny is becoming a grateful, excitable and empathetic young woman with a passion for reading, soccer, and (luckily for me) mountains! 🙏🏔️ When the opportunity arose to spend some one-on-one time with Penny the day after Father’s Day, we were, therefore, both excited to bag a peak together – with just the two of us.

Last year, I had a similar opportunity with Penny’s older sister Mera, and her and I both enjoyed a memorable day on Bertha Peak. This year, Penny had only one request when it came to our Daddy-Daughter peak: that it be bigger than the one I did with her sister! 🤣 Given that Bertha was 19 km return and 1300 vertical meters, I wasn’t sure that Penny (who was still a year younger than Mera had been last year) had the physical stamina to take on a similar (or bigger) peak. Still, what father can say no to his daughter?... 🤷‍♂️

Getting off to a later start than we should have, we set our sights on the high ridge between Forum Lake and Wall Lake near Waterton Lakes National Park. I’d scrambled up this ridge with friends in another (pre-kids) lifetime and remembered it being relatively simple so I figured that Penny could handle it, and that she’d probably enjoy some of the hands-on scrambling that it offered. At the top of the ridge, we’d have the option to continue left to Forum Peak for a shorter out and back day, or right, up and over Akamina Ridge for a much longer loop. Given our relatively late start (10:45 am at the trailhead), I was strongly leaning towards Forum Peak but it’s always nice to have options depending on how things are going. Regardless of which peak we decided to tackle, I was looking forward to doing so one step at a time with just my “Penny Bear”. 🐻

Arriving at the trailhead, we quickly encountered the day’s first major obstacle: getting socks and boots on Penny. 🧦🥾 While Penny is an absolute delight in many regards, she is, for some reason, a handful when it comes to shoes and socks! 🥾🧦 After much effort (and a few tears), I managed to convince her to wear socks, but I couldn’t get her into her boots to save my life. Despite being perfectly comfortable less than a month earlier on Ha Ling Peak, they were (apparently) intolerable now. Anyone with kids knows that you sometimes have to pick your battles, so I took the “W” in the form of Penny wearing socks and I allowed her to wear her favorite running shoes instead of boots. This pleased her very much and allowed us to re-start our Daddy-Daughter day with smiles on our faces instead of tears in both our eyes.

LEFT: A very chatty (but slightly poky) Penny making her way up through the remains of 2017’s Kenow Wildfire on the well-travelled Akamina Pass trail. While the chatty part was adorable, the poky part was less so… From time to time, I gently reminded her that we’d need to keep a modest pace if she wanted to climb something bigger than her older sister had.
RIGHT: After about 45 minutes (evidence that we were not breaking land speed records), Penny proudly reached Akamina Pass (1.7-km from the trailhead). The Pass marked the Provincial Boundary between Alberta and British Columbia, which amazed Penny (“I hiked all the way to BC?”). 😂 More importantly, this was also a good spot for her to collect the debt I already owed her. You see, as I’ve done previously, I decided to grab a bag of small candies for the hike and told Penny that she was entitled to one for every kilometer that she completed. 🍬 Maybe this was why she wanted to climb something bigger than her sister had?... 🤔😂

LEFT: A short distance into BC, we reached the Akamina-Kishenena Provincial Park Ranger Station and took advantage of its beautiful “facilities” 🚽🧻 before continuing on our way.
RIGHT: Beyond the cabin, the hiking trail soon became a little more serious as it gained elevation above the pass. Luckily, Penny was still having fun and the steeper grade did little to dissuade her (from hiking and continuing to chat about animals while she did).

LEFT: Penny proudly poses alongside Forum Falls. While I’d explained to her that our hike would take us past Forum Lake on the way up, she was somehow flabbergasted to discover "a waterfall below a river."
RIGHT: Looking north, Forum Falls cascaded noisily down towards Akamina Pass. Across the Pass, Mount Rowe’s gentle (snowshoeable!) south slopes rose up above the remains of the Kenow-charred forest. 🔥

LEFT: After spending nearly 2-hours surrounded by the charred remains of a once-great forest, we found a pocket of still-living woods as we made our way into the cirque that Forum Lake occupies. Above the cirque, one of our potential objectives (Forum Peak) also came into view at this point.
RIGHT: In addition to lush evergreens, 🌲 we also started to run into a significant amount of remnant snow in the cirque! ⛄ Since I’d carried Penny’s boots in my pack, I suggested to her that this might be a good place to put them on. As you can see, she declined and continued up through the summer snow in her runners… 👟🤦‍♂️

2-hours after we’d set out, we reached the glacier lily 🌻 lined shores of colorful Forum Lake at which time, 2 things became apparent: 1) It was lunch time; and 2) I’d regrettably forgotten insect repellent (meaning that it would also be lunch time for the many mosquitoes that call this Lake home)! 🦟 Penny does not typically handle bugs well, so I hoped that a gentle breeze near the lake would keep the worst of the blood-sucking horde at bay. Alas, it didn’t really, but Penny actually handled the swarms with more grace than I’d anticipated! 🙏

Forum Lake fills the panoramic cirque below its namesake Peak (left). To the right, we were also granted our first views of the ridge that we planned to scramble up and over after lunch. Click to see larger.

LEFT: A proud little hiker at Forum Lake. 🥰 Despite temperatures in the high-20s, 🌡️ Penny elected to wear a sweater here in a futile attempt to avoid mosquito bites. 😂
RIGHT: After a brief (bug-expedited) lunch, we followed the buried trail north into the woods just above the lake and west towards our ascent ridge. This area is likely shaded by the Forum Peak for much of the spring and as a result, the remaining snow was surprisingly deep! For her part, Penny was thrilled to be hiking over treetops that were just starting to poke through the snow’s surface.

LEFT: As we neared the ascent ridge, the going began to get steep in earnest. At first this was on a dusty trail that climbed grassy slopes…
RIGHT: … But eventually, the trail disappeared under snow, and we elected to follow a drier but bushier route! It wouldn’t be a Daddy-Daughter day without bushwhacking, right? 😂

Above the last of the snow, we rejoined the trail and followed it more easily as it traversed up towards a low point on the ascent ridge.

At the low point on the ridge, we were granted a view up the scrambly terrain that we hoped would deliver us to the ridgetop above. Here, we met a kind pair of hikers who were turned around by the terrain above. Luckily for us, their decision to abort their ascent provided us with an opportunity to beg for bug spray as they passed us. Happily, they were better equipped than us in this regard and had no problem sharing! 🎉 Once we’d DEET’ed ourselves, we thanked them and continued up. At the first rock band, there was a trail that side-hilled along on grassy terrain to the climber’s left. Since the rock band itself wasn’t especially difficult, we, however, decided to tackle it straight-on. The terrain on the ridge was in the realm of easy-moderate scrambling, but I must admit that it was more challenging than I’d remembered from my last foray up here 14-years earlier! The scrambling also went on for longer than I’d remembered…

LEFT: Penny capably takes on the first scrambling of the day! In general, there were good ledges to follow up the ridge (although a few required a minor boost for those with shorter legs)!
RIGHT: Eventually, I noted that the terrain on the climber’s right was growing more and more exposed, so we detoured slightly to the left and met up with the trail that ascended the steep grass there. This trail was steep enough to be mildly uncomfortable, so we were not disappointed when it eventually brought us right back up to the more scrambly ridge.

LEFT: Penny maneuvers through a narrow gap between two rocks on the ridge. Dad (aka yours truly) was too wide and had to go around. 😂
RIGHT: After squeezing through the boulders above, we found another tight squeeze to climb through – this time in the moat that formed between a rock band and a persistent snow patch.

LEFT: This “Bear” comes equipped with four-wheel drive!
RIGHT: Penny takes a break on a cozy ledge. As we continued ever upwards, we eventually grew weary 😑 of the sustained, steep terrain. The going was not nearly as easy as I’d remembered, but we took things one step at a time, and always found safe ways up and over obstacles. We could definitely scramble back down everything that we’d climbed up, but we weren’t exactly keen to do so. When I informed Penny that we could descend via the much easier (but much further) slopes on Akamina Ridge’s west end, she indicated that she preferred that option!

LEFT: After an engaging scramble up, the ridge eventually relented near the tree line and we breathed a small sigh of relief as the going returned to the realm of hiking. Now far below, Forum Lake provided clear evidence that the scrambling had, at least, allowed us to gain a lot of elevation (about 400 vertical meters) relatively quickly!
RIGHT: While Forum Lake provided a splash of color below to the east, the views west towards Wall Lake also opened up spectacularly on the ridge! Towering above Wall Lake (and still about 200 meters above us), the summit of Akamina Ridge also came into view. Having decided to take advantage of the easier alternate descent on its west end, this summit was now our objective.

Panoramic views along the length of Akamina Ridge, with its highest point (center right) still looking discouragingly distant. At this point, we’d been hiking for about 4.5-hours and there were still at least 2 false summits between us and Akamina’s highest point. Beyond the ridge, we could also see our (now) intended descent route, through the snowy forest on the right and out the creek-filled valley above (unseen) Wall Lake. At this point, it became apparent that we’d be in for a very, very long day. Ah well, one step at a time… Click to see larger.

Penny pauses for a snack and some hard-earned candy 🍬 Akamina’s broad ridge crest.

The surprisingly flower-filled ridge crest also granted us our first views south into Montana’s Glacier National Park.

LEFT: Having collected her candy, it was time to continue (lest we end up descending in the dark). 🌙⭐ As we neared the last false summit, we enjoyed idyllic hiking in sublime surroundings (which were made all the more enjoyable thanks to Penny’s good spirits and remarkable persistence). ❤️
RIGHT: Wild views south and east from the false summit – over a shapely cornice towards Mount Custer and the lush, American hanging valleys at its base.

Panoramic views of the “more impressive peaks to the south” from the penultimate peak on Akamina. Only one more to go… Click to see larger.

Posing proudly with my Penny Bear (and now-visible Kintla Lake) before taking on the final push to Akamina’s summit.

LEFT and RIGHT: Enjoying a scenic, wildflower-filled stroll to the summit. 🌼🌷🌼

Penny enjoys an easygoing finish to a long (5.5-hour) ascent on a spectacular summer afternoon.

The Girl/Bear of the hour: Penny 🎉 – perched atop Akamina Ridge’s 2575-m-tall summit. Words cannot express how proud my little girl made me on this outing. 🥰 Despite numerous hardships, I didn’t hear her complain a single time (except for not wanting to wear her boots in the parking lot hours earlier)! In fact, her cheerful (and constant) chatter kept me going when the mosquitoes were swarming, the heat was sweltering and the terrain was steepening – thanks for getting me back up Akamina Ridge again Penny! 🙏🙂

Sadly, we didn’t find a summit register atop Akamina Ridge so Penny found a different way to leave her mark, and etched her nickname 🐻 into a flat rock. A similar scene also unfolded up here 13-years earlier when her Mom and I last hiked this way…

The stunning southward panorama that meets those persistent enough to climb all the way to Akamina Ridge’s highest point. While all of the peaks visible here are in the US, the view was fortunately tariff-free from this magnificent Canadian summit. 🍁 Click to see larger.

To the southeast, Mount Merritt (left), Chapman Peak (center) and Porcupine Peak (right) rise up beyond more proximate Mount Custer.

Looking due south towards Boulder Peak and the snow-filled but lush, glacier-carved hanging valleys that adorn its north-facing slopes.

Massive Mount Carter (center left) and Rainbow Peak (center right) tower beyond Boulder Peak’s stunningly snowy summit.

Another snowy hanging valley between Mount Peabody (center left) and the Kintla Peak/Kinnerly Peak duo (center right) clearly showed where a glacier had (until recently) been. In the foreground, an impressive outlier of Akamina Ridge rises up with its characteristic red rock. This peak can also apparently be scrambled if one is ambitious and/or foolhardy enough!

Making mountain memories on our special Daddy-Daughter day! 🥰 And better still (for Penny), Akamina Ridge was a higher peak than the one that her older sister and I climbed last year (don’t tell Mera)! 🤫😂 By the time we descended, it would also be a longer day too (for better or worse)…

More green valleys to the south and west, topped by Parke Mountain (left), Long Knife Peak (center left), King Edward Peak (center right), Starvation Peak (right) and Kishinena Ridge (far right).

Patriotic/panoramic views back north into Canada. 🍁 Ironically, the south faces of these mountains were much less snowy than their American counterparts to the south. Click to see larger.

Looking west along the remainder of the ridge (that we’d soon need to hike over and then down in the trees on the far right). Beyond those trees, nearby Bennett Peak could have made for an appealing two’fer if it wasn’t already 4:45 pm! In the distance beyond Bennett, the peaks of the West Castle Wilderness and Flathead Ranges were also visible. At far left, Kenow Mountain may also be visible. This peak was the origin of the Kenow Wildfire which devastated the Akamina-Kishinena and Water Lakes Parks in 2017.

Looking north towards a colorful sea of summits, including (from left to right): Mount Matkin, distant Castle Mountain and Windsor Peak, nearby Mount Festubert, Lone Mountain, Victoria Peak, Avion Ridge, Spionkop Ridge, Loaf Mountain, Lost Mountain (lost in a distant shadow), adjacent Anderson Peak, Mount Hawkins and Mount Blakiston.

A closer look at Mount Blakiston (the highest peak in Water Lakes NP), beyond yellow-topped Mount Lineham and red/forest-topped Mount Rowe. If you squint and look down, you can also see the path we’d be hiking out along about 3.5-hours after this photo was taken…

Admiring the colorful peaks along the fire-scorched Akamina Parkway (where our car was parked), and the more distant prairies visible in the hazy beyond. From left to right: Ruby Ridge, Bellevue Hill, Mount Crandell, Buchanan Peak and Mount Carthew.

Looking east towards Mounts Carthew (red!) and Alderson (yellow). Waterton’s popular Carthew-Alderson trail goes up and over the pass between these peaks on its way from Cameron Lake down to the townsite. Just beyond the cornice in the foreground, you can also see the steep ridge crest that Penny and I ascended (and were choosing to avoid on our way down)!

From whence we came: looking back over the lengthy red rock ridge that we’d already hiked up. In the lefthand middle ground, you can just make out the sparsely forested summit of Forum Peak (our original objective for the day). Beyond Akamina, the highest peak in the area (Montana’s Mount Cleveland) rises dramatically above its nearby counterparts.

Penny enjoys a panoramic view with her supper. 😍🍔 While I’d promised her a treat for dinner in Waterton, it no longer looked like this would be possible given the late hour (5:00 pm) and the distance that still lay between us and the trailhead (11.5 km). Indeed, I was more than a little concerned about our descent given that it had taken us 5.5-hours to hike 9.5 km to the summit (and we still needed to hike farther than that to get back down)! Luckily for me, Penny was incredibly understanding and showed no ill feelings when I warned her that we might not make it down in time for the treat she deserved. In fact, she was perfectly happy to sit atop the summit with her snack (while continuing to chat my ear off). ❤️

Final panoramic views north, east, and south, over British Columbia, into Alberta and down into the surprisingly snowier United States. Click to see larger.

LEFT: Refreshed by her summit stay and supper, Penny got a move on and tackled the rest of the ridge with renewed focus (and chatter 😂).
RIGHT: A scenic outlying peak along the remaining ridge. Given the amount of elevation that we’d already gained, we weren’t keen to hike up and over this peak, so we were relieved to spot a good trail which side-hilled around it to the south (left) in the scree.

As I scouted the route around the remaining outlier, I noticed a quartet of boulders that did not appear to be as red as the rest of the rocks on the ridge. Using my camera to zoom in, I was elated to discover that these “boulders” were in fact MOUNTAIN GOATS! In the Canadian Rockies, these animals are reclusive and encounters with them are relatively rare. Given that we’d need to hike along the ridge just above them, Penny and I were therefore very excited, and hoped that they were in no hurry to leave their ridge-side perch!

Fast-forward a few minutes, and we were soon side-hilling along flower-filled scree slopes, avoiding unnecessary elevation gain atop the ridge! In general, the bypass trail was excellent, however, about 1% of it was thin on dry, slippery dirt. I held Penny’s hand here 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 as we passed single file to keep her from making an unplanned entry into the United States. 😬

After rounding the outlier, Penny and I hurriedly hiked back to the ridge crest. While we knew that this vantage would provide stunning views down our long descent valley towards Wall Lake, what we really hoped to see were the four GOATS that we’d spotted half an hour earlier. Happily, as we peered over the crest, we saw four wild white forms huddled amongst Akamina’s abundant wildflowers!

Often, as GOATS are approached, they quickly scatter and escape to absurd terrain (where no people or predators would dare follow). This group, however, seemed quite intent to see what “those two-legged things on the ridge” were. They probably weren’t expecting to see a 7-year-old hiker this far from the trailhead at 5:30 pm (or at any other time for that matter)! 🤣

By far the most majestic of God’s creatures: Oreamnos americanus – the MOUNTAIN GOAT. 🐐

LEFT: After sharing a few moments with these majestic mountain masters, they eventually did what MOUNTAIN GOATS usually do, and plotted their carefree escape away from us.
RIGHT: With the GOATS on the move, we decided to do likewise (since we probably had further to hike before sundown than they did). 🙃 As we left, I turned around for one parting photo of the four of them below Akamina Ridge’s already distant-looking summit.

On the road again (and still admiring views that were equal parts panoramic and colorful) from the ridge’s western terminus. Click to see larger.

At the west end of the ridge, a trail took form by a couple of cairns and rounded a bend north and then west, back into the forest and then back down towards Wall Lake.

LEFT: At first this trail was easy to follow and our descent proceeded quickly under Akamina Ridge’s watchful eye.
RIGHT: Eventually, however, the trail became choked with remnant snow, making for a slower, more slippery descent. Fortunately, these slopes were nowhere near as steep as those we’d ascended on the eastern end of the ridge and the snow proved to be more of an annoyance than an impediment. In equally annoying news, the bug repellent that we’d acquired earlier had now worn off, and we were soon swarmed by mosquitoes. 🦟😔 For her part, Penny convinced herself that if she proceeded first along the trail, she would stir them all up so that they could bite me. Based on the number of bites she suffered, I’m not sure that this strategy worked but it at least kept her motivated and moving! 😂

After a tedious descent through the mosquito-filled forest, we reached more open terrain in the valley, still high above Wall Lake, but now well below Akamina Ridge. This valley would be a magical place to visit when you’re not exhausted (but each of the three times that I’ve hiked through it, I was). 🥱 Still, even in our tired states, it was hard not to admire the steep, lush waterfall-filled walls that now towered above us. Walls that we had proudly stood atop only an hour or two earlier. Click to see larger.

Although the trail down to Wall Lake was in generally excellent condition, snow and fire-felled trees required occasional by-passes. Once again, it wouldn’t be a Daddy-Daughter day without some bushwhacking, right? 😂

After a hike down the valley that felt every bit as long as it was (3.5 km), we were relieved to finally be back to Wall Lake. While the lake was scenic, we couldn’t afford to spend much time here as we still needed to hike another 5.5-km to get back to the trailhead, and sunset was now less than 2-hours away! 😬 Click to see larger.

Breaking my word for the second time of the day: in addition to promising Penny a treat in Waterton, I’d also promised her that we could go for a swim in Forum Lake or Wall Lake on our way down. 🏊‍♀️ It had been a hot day, 🥵 and she’d been looking forward to a polar plunge in the late afternoon sun. Sadly, by the time that we reached Wall Lake, it was far too late (7:45 pm), and the lake had been completely overtaken by Akamina Ridge’s long shadow as the sun slowly set to the west. While there would be no swim, she seemed content to take a break in this serene cirque (especially because that break involved consuming another handful of hard-earned candy). 🍬😂

After another short rest at Wall Lake, we resumed our descent. Beyond the lake, the trail turned sharply to the north and its quality also improved significantly, allowing us to make better time (thank God). Looking back through the burn, we paused briefly to admire the late evening views of the big mountain we’d climbed - just the two of us. ❤️

LEFT: 9 hours in (and still at least 4-km from the car), and this little girl is still smiling! 🤯
RIGHT: Penny crosses Akamina Creek, watching as the sun prepares to dip below the western horizon. 🌄

One of the mildly annoying things about our choice to traverse Akamina Ridge and to descend via Wall Lake was that we had to hike back uphill to Akamina Pass on the penultimate leg of our Daddy-Daughter adventure. Fortunately, Penny didn’t see to notice as she continued to chatter happily. 💬 I knew by now that she must have been exhausted, so I spent a lot of the final 5-km holding her hand in case she stumbled. In the end, she didn’t but it was nice to hold her hand anyways. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑❤️

At least, it was nice until I heard an unnervingly deep and loud growling sound from the woods near the Pass. I didn’t know what kind of animal was making the noise, but it was definitely not far away and it didn’t sound herbivorous. 😬 This prompted me to make even more “Yo Bear” etc. calls than I had been already. Disconcertingly, many of my calls were answered with a low, rumbling “Growl.” For her part, Penny continued to chat away obliviously until the 6th or 7th growl. Still holding my hand, I felt her suddenly squeeze. ❗ “Daddy, what was that, and why are you yelling ‘Yo Bear’ so much?” she asked nervously. I explained to her that I didn’t know what it was, but that it could be a bear, so we needed to keep making noise and to keep moving. While no one wants to run into a bear at dusk after a long day out, the mystery noise elicited a pretty solid jolt of adrenaline, ⚡ which (at least) definitely helped us to redouble our pace!

Eventually, we noticed that the growls were now coming from behind us and growing more distant, and we began to feel a bit better about our situation. It wasn’t until we reached the trailhead that we finally breathed a full sigh of relief, however! As we crossed the Akamina Parkway, Penny stopped to pose triumphantly (but was too tired to truly pull it off). 😂 Somehow, some way, however, she was still happy! 🤯❤️

With feet aching, we were both excited to kick off our hiking boots and sit down. Oh wait, that’s right. Penny refused to wear hiking boots on this 21-km-long, 1120-vertical-meter, 10.5-hour-long epic. 😝🤦‍♂️ What a turkey (but what an amazing little turkey)! 🦃🙃

LEFT: As we drove back down the Akamina Parkway, Penny (somehow) continued to maintain consciousness and continued to chat my ear off. 🗣️ I’d figured that she might pass out the second her butt hit the car seat, but it was a good thing that she didn’t because Waterton Lakes National Park had one last treat in store for our Daddy-Daughter day: a beautiful bear sighting 🐻 (from the safety of our car)! 🙌 Excited, Penny screamed: “Daddy – a baby bear, a baby bear, a baby bear!” Convinced that she was deliriously tired, I explained that the bear in front of us was clearly not a baby and that’s when she pointed out the tree beside us…
RIGHT: A baby bear (spotted by Penny). ❤️ While this baby bear was higher up than I’d been expecting, it wasn’t half as high as my little Penny Bear had been today. 😉 As we left the bears, the goats and the peaks behind us, we started our long drive home together - just the two of us. By the time that we arrived (1:00 am! 🥱), Penny was fast asleep and I was eager to be likewise. Sneaking into the guest bedroom (so as not to wake the rest of the family), our Daddy-Daughter day concluded, curled up in bed together, dreaming about our next mountaintop adventure. 🥰🏔️

EPILOGUE: I may not be punctual, but I keep my word! Five days after she climbed Akamina Ridge, Penny finally got her just desserts: an over-the-top Beavertail back home in Calgary! 😋

Thanks for scrambling with me Penny! Who knew that "Bears" were such good climbers?! 🐻