Hike up Windtower Mountain

Spray Lakes is one of my favorite areas in Kananaskis, and the view of Spray Lakes from the summit is absolutely breathtaking.

The trailhead is located along the Smith-Dorrien Trail (Spray Lakes Road) – look for a yellow sign on the eastern side of the road, about 1 mile (1.5 km) south of the Driftwood Day Use Area. Follow orange flags up the left side of the creek, where the trail will begin to climb, relatively quickly. This side of the creek is technically on Rimwall Mountain, but don't worry, the trail crosses to Windtower in about 1.8 miles (3 km).

Once you are out of the tree line, you will see the imposing cliff-face of Windtower, and the trail that traverses over to that side. Once you've crossed, the trail becomes fairly faint and requires some route-finding. The problem is that there are multiple cliff bands that need to be maneuvered. Typically, staying high is the best idea, but there is actually a well-defined trail just below the tree line, as well, so head there and look for cairns. Once you are past the cliff bands, it is one long slope up to the top!

From the summit, you get some unique perspectives on well-known mountains. You can see Mount Lougheed to the south, and the Three Sisters to the north, just behind Rimwall – Little Sister is the most prominent.