Saddle Mountain (Alberta)

Saddle Mountain is a 2433 m summit in Alberta, Canada.

Description
Saddle Mountain is located in the Bow Valley within Banff National Park, and it is part of the Bow Range of the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise townsite is situated 4 km to the northeast and the Continental Divide is 6 km to the west. The nearest higher neighbor is Fairview Mountain, 1.2 km to the northwest. Precipitation runoff from Saddle Mountain drains into tributaries of the Bow River. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises over 600 meters (1,968 ft) above Paradise Creek in one kilometer (0.6 mile) and nearly 900 meters (2,953 ft) above Bow River in 3 km. The peak is visible from Alberta Highway 1 to the east, and is prominent in the iconic photographs taken from Morant's Curve.

Access
The Paradise Valley Trail leads from Lake Louise to Saddleback Pass, and from the pass an off-trail scramble leads to the top of Saddle Mountain. The summit offers one of the finest views of the area, including the Bow Valley and a close view of the impressive north face of Mount Temple.

History
The mountain's descriptive name was applied in 1894 by Samuel E.S. Allen. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted on April 3, 1952, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.

Geology
Like other mountains in Banff Park, Saddle Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.

Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Saddle Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Winter temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C.