12/08/2024 - Smutwood Peak

 Smutwood Peak

50° 48' N, 115° 24' W

Quite possibly the craziest hike of the summer for Sam and I. After completing the fairly lengthy drive to the trailhead, we started our walk around 8:00am. The only other car when we got to the trailhead was a grey Toyota with a Yeti SB 160 loose in the back - kind of weird to just leave it there. The approach to Smutwood peak begins with around 4km of flat low level walking through lush forrest. Even so, the views are incredible and there is lots to keep your eyes busy. Around 2km into the hike there is a pretty incredible falls that we stopped at for some water and a slight breather. One of the reasons this hike is spectacular is due to the fact that during the approach and even on the ascent you are exposed to some of the most spectacular peaks in this region of the Rockies.  On the right side of the approach, The Fist and Mount Smuts can be seen, menacingly looking down at you. Straight ahead Mount Birdwood is visible, a constant reminder that there is a hierarchy of dominance in this region. 

Mount Birdwood in the Background with two tarns in the foreground

After the falls, the trail is still relatively flat minus one section of trail that takes you through and area that has recently been burned. The final portion of the flat section is a beautiful meadow filled with purple wildflowers. We could actually hear the low hum of all of the bees doing their work on the flowers - a pretty surreal experience. 

Sam making his way through the meadow

After the meadow is when the real fun of this hike starts. We took a quick break on a giant boulder to scarf down some food and get some hydration before the elevation starts, and thats when we heard it. the distinct chopping of air cut through the mountain's serenity. It was pretty clear what it was. The Kananaskis Rescue helicopter could be seen tearing its way up the valley on its way to the col between Mount Birdwood and Mount Smuts. 

The Kananaskis rescue helicopter at the col, bottom faces of Mount Smuts in the Background

Sam paused at out lunch spot, Face of Mount Birdwood in the background

The helicopter kept dropping rescuers off at certain locations and then flying to somewhere else and dropping separate rescuers off. Sam and I were originally concerned, but we then started to share our ideas and came to the conclusion that the team must be doing rescue drills. If there was a rescue happening they wouldn't have stayed for as long as they did; it would be a quick extraction and then they'd be gone. With our nerves more at ease we continued our hike and our attempt at a summit push. After some more steep slopes, we decided to cut our push right before the summit. The last part of the trail is a class 3 scramble and neither Sam nor I were feeling it. We went a little bit off trail onto a high point with an incredible view and took the stove out to cook some lunch. The helicopter was still doing flybys and continued to circle and cycle rescuers between different locations. After our hunger was gone and we were hydrated we decided to begin our journey back to the car. We passed a couple people before getting back to the col, and some general wondering about the helicopter was shared between us. We shared our thoughts that it was probably a drill and there wasn't much to be worried about. On our way back to the col we went down to the lakes to refill our bottles with some fresh glacier water. After we were back on the trail we passed the final group we would for the day, and they broke the news to us. They informed us that there was a missing hiker who went to hike Mount Smuts the day before and never returned. We were in shock. As Sam and I returned to the car it's safe to say that that was pretty much what filled our conversation for the rest of the way. It almost felt eerie after we found out there was a hiker missing. 

Once I was back at home I looked up what had happened right away with my dad. Turns out the gentleman that went missing was his coworker. Zachary Coates was 25 years old and moved to Alberta from Newfoundland to work as an engineer for Cenovus Energy. He went out on August 11th with plans to summit Mount Smuts alone. After not returning the night before, authorities were alerted and his body was recovered on the slopes of Smuts the following day (the day we were there). This accident left a pretty big impact on me and my mindset towards hiking. It takes one thing to go wrong to end up in a similar situation, so why risk it? My dad and I continued to talk about the accident for around a month, reminding ourselves of the precautions that need to be taken. I think after what happened I almost have a voice in the back of my head always telling me to respect the mountains - they'll always win. A somber end to a good day is how I would describe our Smutwood Peak attempt, and a reminder to never take life for granted.

Rest in Peace Zach 

(July 13th, 1999 - August 11th, 2024)