BOU AVENUE
Window Mountain
After doing a short parade with my band in Hillcrest, Alberta on the morning of 25 June 2005, I drove up Allison Creek Road to bag Window Mountain.  With all the recent rains in southern Alberta, Allison Creek Road was in surprisingly good shape.  However, the logging access road (2.5 kilometres south of Window Mountain Lake turn-off as described by Alan Kane) left a lot to be desired, and I wondered at times if the punishment on my car was worth the 15 minutes or so of extra walking that I saved by driving up this road.  I parked my car at the first branch in the logging road where a small creek convinced me to continue on foot.  I had no problems getting up to the basin between Window Mountain and Mount Ward, but I missed the gully below the famed window and ended up taking a more direct line to the summit.  On descent, I made a brief stop to inspect the window before dropping down the aforementioned gully.  I was back at my car after a round-trip time of less than 3 hours, but I didn't breathe easier until I got my car safely back on Allison Creek Road.
No bushwhacking today! The easiest access to Window Mountain is via the scree slope at right.
Give your car a break and walk or bike in from Allison Creek Road! This is the view of the access route to Window Mountain.  The blue dots show where Sonny drove his car and parked (P) while the red dots show where he hiked.
There were actually two people at the summit of Mount Ward when this picture was taken (almost impossible to see here). This is Mount Ward as seen from the upper slopes of Window Mountain.
Scrambling up the direct line to the summit is actually very enjoyable. Sonny scrambles up the last few metres to the summit.
This is my last peak from the Crowsnest Pass section of Alan Kane's scramble guide (new edition). Sonny stands on the 2576-metre summit of Window Mountain.
Seven Sisters looks a lot like Dolomite Peak. Seven Sisters and Crowsnest Mountain capture the most attention to the east.
I can see why Kane doesn't recommend this route. From Window Mountain's summit, this is the connecting ridge to Allison Peak (far left).
The summit ridge is harder than Kane's "easy" rating would suggest. Descending the summit ridge, Sonny walks above Window Mountain's window (not visible here).
Notice how my trekking pole seems to be slipping from my pack. I actually lost it somewhere here. Here is the celebrated window.
Now all we need are the empty beer cans! Here are a couple of good reasons to steer clear of this area during hunting season.