The official name of the mountain is Mount John Laurie but it has always been referred to as Mt. Yamnuska or "YAM". It is one of the most easily recognizable,and hikable mountains in the Calgary area. It is easily recognizable because it is the first substantial looking mountain on the North side of the Trans-Canada Highway when heading West from Calgary. The most striking feature of the mountain is the triangular sheer cliff on its south side. Also visible from the highway are light colored streaks in the talus slopes below the cliff. The cliff gives the mountain its name, Yamnuska is a native term meaning "Wall of Stone." Yam is popular with rock climbers because its cliff face offers almost every level of difficulty known to the sport.
Yamnuska has many trails, but the easiest way of reaching the top is by taking the trail that leaves the north side of the rock quarry then heads east. It is a gentle climb for the first several hundred metres, then gets steeper with a series of switchbacks which eventually bring you to the top of the eastern flank of the mountain. This part of the ascent is through deciduous forest and is teeming with wildlife. The trail seems to get forever steeper until finally you are at the east side of the cliff. One consolation is that with every step the view gets more spectacular. When you reach the base of the cliff you have three options 1)Return the way you came 2)Follow the trail that leads around the base of the cliff or 3)continue up the backside of the mountain.
At the summit you will be 1798 metres above sea level, and will have climbed 436 metres from the parking area. From the top you can watch vehicles hurtling along the highway at what looks like a snail's pace. Alot of people have a picnic at the top of the mountain. The beauty of hiking the Yam is that it's relatively close to the city, free of snow earlier than other mountains, and not too strenuous a climb for people.
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