Fossil Mountain is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

located south of

Skoki Mountain Skoki Mountain is a mountain located in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is situated towards the east of the Skoki Valley, at the head of the Red Deer River, and is part of the Slate Range. At the base of the mountain lies Skoki Lo ...

Banff National Park Banff National Park is Canada's oldest National Parks of Canada, national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. Located in Alberta's Rockies, Alberta's Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary, Banff encompasses of mountainous terrain, wi ...

, Canada. The mountain was named in 1906 by M.P. Bridgland, of the first ascent party, after the numerous

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s that can be found on its slopes. Fossil Mountain is the site of the first known skiing fatality in the

Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies (french: Rocheuses canadiennes) or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part ...

. On April 7, 1933, Raymond Paley died in a slab

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...

when he attempted to ski down the mountain after skiing almost to the top. In February 1988, cousins Dan and Wayne Hugo (29 and 27 respectively) were hiking and skiing on Fossil Mountain when an avalanche, which they may have triggered, occurred. They both died.

Routes

The scrambling route ascends easy scree slopes from Deception Pass. Due to these easy slopes, the mountain is sometimes ascended in winter by skiers.

References

External links

Fossil Mountain Route Beta
- Dow Williams Fossil Mountain seen from Ptarmigan Lake

Two-thousanders of Alberta Mountains of Banff National Park {{AlbertaRockies-geo-stub