CASTLE MOUNTAIN PROVIDES A LANDMARK FOR TRAVELLERS
AND A CHALLENGE FOR CLIMBERS
BY JACKIE GOLD
FOR THE BANFF CRAG & CANYON
Many of the mountain peaks that stretch high above the Bow
Valley and along the Rocky Mountains were given their names
for unique individuals and fearless mountaineers that scaled
their rocky slopes. Some individuals never got to see the mountains
that were named in their honour, as a mountaineer would occasionally
name a range or peak after a long lost friend, or a military
commander they once had the privilege of working with.
A few mountains stood out however as unique, calling to mind
an image to the viewer's eye with such force that it would
be almost inconceivable to name them after anything else.
Castle Mountain, located in the Bow River valley west of Silverton
Creek and opposite Vermilion Pass in Banff National Park
is just such a mountain.
James Hector, a geologist, naturalist, and doctor who accompanied
the Palliser Expedition, was 19 km away from what would
become known as Castle junction when he decided to name
this peak Castle Mountain. In his notes he wrote that, "Seeming
to stand out in the centre of the valley is a very remarkable
mountain ... which looks exactly like a giant castle!”
Castle Mountain is considered by many to be one of the most
imposing peaks in the Bow Valley. With its castellated
southwest face this mountain is a key feature of the landscape
for a great part of the drive from Banff to Lake Louise, seemingly
dominating the view. It's reddish colour combination,
as much as its shape, also serves to make it a favourite view
for many who pass it by. The part of the mountain that provides
the most vivid impression of a castle is the two levels of
steep cliffs.
During the construction of the CPR Sir Sandford Fleming travelled
up the valley, and concurred with Hector's assessment of the
mountain's name, writing in his notes that, "Westward
we see Castle Mountain to our right. The resemblance
to Cyclopean masonry has doubtless suggested the name, for
it is marked by huge masses of castellated-looking work, with
turreted flanks.”
For rock climbers the mountain provided a challenge as
the rock was often loose in areas and gave way easily under
pressure.
Arthur Coleman, a geology professor at the University of Toronto,
said in 1884 that climbing Castle Mountain was, “quite
risky work, since the projecting knobs of rock were often loose,
and gave way under the hand for foot. Above the edge
of the cliff, however, going was easy, so that the highest
part of Castle (nine thousand feet) was not hard to reach,
and the wonderful view of the valley of Bow River, four thousand
feet below, was quite worth seeing. The tower standing
in front of the Castle to the southeast look as unscalable
as it was reported to be.”
Caste Mountain is not just memorable for its unique shape,
however, as it was also the site of an internment camp built
during the First World War. After entering into the war
Canada had more than 88,000 immigrants residing in its boundaries
that hailed from countries that were on the opposing side of
the war.
These immigrants were required to register as enemy aliens,
and risked being thrown into internment camps set up across
the country if they were found to be without work, identity
papers, or failed to report to law enforcement agencies with
regularity. Castle Mountain was the site of one such
camp, and life there was described as harsh and grim. The
camp closed in 1917 and was quickly dismantled.
Though the mountain utilized the name Castle Mountain for
almost a hundred years, having been named in 1858, it was decided
by Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1946 to rename the mountain
Mount Eisenhower in honour of American General Dwight D. Eisenhower,
the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during
the final year of World War II. He went on to become the 34th
president of the United States.
The decision to rename the mountain was made the day before
the president was scheduled to pay a visit to Ottawa, and though
he was respected in his own right, the arbitrary decision the
prime minister had made infuriated the Alberta government.
Thirty-three years later in 1979 with Alberta born Prime Minister
Joe Clark at the helm of the country, the mountain went back
to its original name.
Sources: www.ghosttowns.com, www.peakfinder.com, www.ourroots.com
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