Potts, Mount


 

Trip Details
Mountain Range: 
Rockies
Mountain Subrange: 
Opal Range
Attained Summit?: 
Yes
Trip Date: 
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Summit Elevation (m): 
3,002
Summit Elevation (ft): 
9,850
Elevation Gain (m): 
1310
Round Trip Time: 
7.00
Total Distance (km): 
9.50
Quick 'n Easy Rating: 
Class 4 : you fall, you are almost dead
Difficulty Notes: 

Like getting slowly boiled, Potts starts off easy and ends hard and you're not sure how it happened. The steep, loose gully to the summit ridge is quite dangerous for rockfall and should be respected in this regard. I would not go anywhere near this route with a group of more than 2 experienced scramblers.

GPS Route: 
Download GPX File (right-click, save-as)
Related Content
Guidebook / Reference: 
Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies
Interesting Facts: 

Named for: Potts, Jerry (A scout and interpreter for the North West Mounted Police, Jerry Potts was of great assistance to the Force in 1874 upon their arrival in the Fort Macleod area. The mountain was named during 1974, the centennial year of the NWMP. (from peakfinder.com) 

Photo Album: 
Photo Album (verndewit.com)
Related Trips: 
Denny, Mount
Grizzly Peak
Opal Ridge South
External Trip Reports: 
Kevin Barton
Tags: 
Kananaskis
Grizzly Creek
Solo
Kane Scramble
Opal Range
Map

what3words

Trip Report

After getting a request from Grant Myers to scramble Mount Potts and also after looking at it on our approach to Mount Denny earlier in 2018, it was on my radar for an ascent at some point this year. Kane describes this peak as "much more difficult than Denny" and even suggests combining it with that peak for a long two peak day. Normally I would be very keen on a two peak day, but Mount Denny was perfect for a trip on its own and I loved the approach trail up Grizzly Creek anyway, and didn't mind coming back.

 

!!Attention!! explor8ion.com is being updated and trip reports migrated to a new site while this one is still operational. The new version of this trip report can be found at https://verndewit.com/2018/07/15/potts-mount/ and contains more photos in a modern format. For more information on this move and possible future changes please click here.

 

Comments

Grant (not verified) - Mon, 07/23/2018 - 16:29

Hey there Vern,

Glad you had a clear, blue & uneventful day on Potts! Thx for the nod/credit in your write-up. It looks like we hit the exact same gully. Loved the ridgewalk after the gully.

I did Denny right after Potts and found it to be very draining and MUCH slower, despite it being easier. Your Potts ascent time was very close to mine yet it took me almost 13 hours to combine it with Denny...yikes! (I'm embarrassed!)

Keep posting!

G

Alan Kane (not verified) - Mon, 07/30/2018 - 15:58

Good write-up Vern. I just went back up to the area (not the summit tho!) to investigate and will update my description in future book printings to emphasize the looseness/rockfall hazard and mention those 2 rock bands. I don't recall the gully being that bad when we were there, (2000) but maybe those 2013 rains loosened more stuff. Seems every ascent/descent gully on Rockies peaks is worse since that event, and I've repeated many ascents/descents to confirm that. Or maybe I just don't remember this being so loose---there have been so many loose gullies in my mind...Cheers!

vdewit - Sat, 08/11/2018 - 15:30

No problem Alan - things change a lot over the years I'm sure. What isn't loose in the Rockies right? :)

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