From Transcanada highway 1 just before the Lake Louise turnoff

Closer view Mt Niblock the higher, Mt St Piran the lower

Photo from in front of the Lake Louise Hotel - take the Lake Agnes Tea Hut trail that goes up through the trees

Looking down the lake from in front of the Lake Louise Hotel

From higher up on the Little Beehive section of trail

Photo of the Big Beehive

Observing the trail signs, take the trail towards the Little Beehive

Left hand turn off the Little Beehive trail to the open ascent slopes of Mt St Piran - somebody has scratched out the directions for St Piran

Approaching the large switchback ascent slope

Remember to be careful for avalanche on this slope if you are ascending in the off season - would be better to ascend on the far right in the krummholz bushes going straight up if the switchbacks give you concern of avalanche

Yours truly with Fairview, Temple, Haddo and Aberdeen above me

Steep section to the right of summit rocks

Winds are picking up with lots of spindrift and diminishing views :(

Last stretch to summit

It was -5c in the parking lot and -15c with lots of wind and spindrift on the summit. Down jackets are nice!

Changed behind the wind break but didn't stay long as wind was whirling from every direction

Mt Niblock looms in the fog

Starting the descent, we'll have our snacks and coffee down at the Lake Agnes Tea Hut

Looking down at Lake Louise on descent

Switchbacks had the most snow of course

Adeem working his way down to better weather

Lake Louise Ski Hill to the north

Trying to smile with a chilly face :)

Finally the Tea Hut and calmer weather

Our friends join us for snacks!

Who put that zorro mask on that bird, evolution?  :) don't think so!

Some new pictures from our August 6, 2012 trip

Emily Bryan and Benson

Summer view of the large open switch backing slope

Hiking the switch backs

Benson, Bryan and Emily higher up the switch backs

Unusual clouds over the Bath glacier to the NW

Mt Temple, Haddo Peak and Aberdeen from the summit of Piran

Mt Whyte and Mt Niblock from the summit of Piran

I'm not really a hot weather hiker but suffered my way up

Benson, Bryan and Emily on the summit of Piran with The Mitre to the right of Emily

A view of the switch backs

Waterfall just below the Lake Agnes Tea Hut

Scramble: Class 1 – Steep Hiking

Altitude: 2,649m (8,691 ft)

Elevation Gain: 900m (2,952 ft)

Ascent Time: 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 Hours

Best Season to Scramble: June to September, can be scrambled in the shoulder season but be very careful in assessing avalanche conditions on the ascent slope, our trip was Oct 26, 2011, used microspikes the whole way for traction, Lake Agnes trail quite icy

This scramble is similar to Mt. Fairview but slightly lower, for the effort the views are outstanding on a blue sky day. There is a good trail 99 percent of the way with large switchbacks on the ascent slope, then you pick your way to the top through some rocky terrain.

Head west out of Calgary on the TransCanada highway # 1 to the Lake Louise town-site 187km (116.9 miles). If your base is Banff head west on the TransCanada for 56km (35.0 miles) to the Lake Louise town-site. There is only one exit so keep your eye out for it. Go straight through the town-site and up the hill to the Lake Louise hotel parking lot (around 4-km more). Park in the lower or upper parking lot. Washrooms are in the parking lot.

Head over to the promenade in front of the Lake Louise Hotel. From there keep going as if to go counter clockwise around the lake. There is a small sign for the Lake Agnes Tea Hut, take this trail. Don’t take the lower trail that says Plain of the Six Glaciers. That trail continues counterclockwise alongside the lake to the back of the lake. Once on the Lake Agnes trail follow it past Mirror Lake (take right side of Mirror Lake) till you come to a junction for Lake Agnes and the Little Beehive approx 3.4km to this point. Head right on the Little Beehive trail and in maybe 10-15 minutes or so the sign for Mt St Piran is on your left (although someone has scratched out the lettering for Piran – see pic). Follow this trail to the open ascent slope and start the many long switchbacks up to near the top. Then there is a short bit of easy scrambling near the top.