*I hope people use their own wise judgement when hiking always plan ahead and be prepared. One should never go beyond their abilities.*

Over the years I've had a few goals my first was to Summit all the Peaks of Waterton. Here is My Waterton Summit List I completed that goal on September 26, 2016.

My next goal I'm still working on and that is to summit the 6 10,000 foot Summmits of Glacier National Park. I have one left Kintla.

My 2018 Goal that I accomplished was to summit 40 peaks in my 40th year and that I finished on September 26, 2018.

Not sure what will be my next goal, once Glacier's Summits are done?

I commonly use 3 Hashtags on my social media. The first one is #itookthepathlesstraveledby which is to reference this blog. The next two relate to my father and grandfather who were also hikers. #milesformarkellingson is to remember my
Dad, Mark Ellingson and #dustfromthetrailandhowitsettledonme is to remember my Grandfather Earl Ellingson

June 05, 2019

Whistler Mountain Castle Wilderness June 1, 2019

Another year, another father's and son's camp.  Our plan on this day was to hike Southfork Mountain, so we drove to the trailhead and got ready and started, but then we came to the river crossing and noticed we would have to do Plan B instead.  We forgot that spring run off produces larger rivers than usual.  So instead we headed one mountain range east and tackled Whistler Mountain instead.  This year is the earliest year ever for forest fire smoke and today started out quite hazy but eventually it did clear a little.  The sun was very hot today and the hike was pretty straight forward.  Although this was pretty easy, being my first summit this year my body wasn't ready for it.  We made it to the summit according to the map, but then noticed on our way down that the high point north of the summit had a cairn and register.  So not sure which is the true summit.  Anyways we then headed over to the Lookout spot. All that is left of the lookout is the foundation.  Great view down to Beaver Mines and surrounding valley.  I've tried to find more info on the history of the Lookout but couldn't find anything.  Anyways we returned home after a great day.

West Castle River was too deep and fast to cross, hence plan B

The trail head started about 200 meters past this road closure

Beginning of trail

Looking over at Plan A, Southfork Mountain in the middle

First flower of season

More Flowers

Not sure if this blew over there or slide down the mountain but this tree root bottom was kind of cool to see

On top of Whistler Mountain looking to Castle Peak

Summit photo, no cairn, probably covered in snow

The high point of Whistler Mountain was this tree

Heading out, Table top mountain in middle

Goat was just as curious to see us as we were to see it

Cairn on 2nd peak? had a register too, the snowy treed summit on the far right is what the map says is the summit

Looking down on Beaver Mines Lake/Camp Impessa

Whistler Mountain Lookout foundation

If you follow this valley to its end you'll end up at Sage pass and come into Waterton

Track of Hike



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