A totally different perspective

The hike up Fisher Peak is breathtaking on any day, but Jon Pedersen said his moonlit ascent in September was extra special

The sunrise from atop Fisher Peak was awe-inspiring. — Jon Pedersen photo

The Kootenay lifestyle is full of adventure, and perhaps nothing illustrates that better than the stunning photo above. It wasn’t taken by a professional photographer, but by a family guy with a liking for mountain hikes and scenic shots. Jon Pedersen snapped the photo during a mid-September nighttime ascent of Mount Fisher, the highest mountain in the Steeples range of the Rockies near Cranbrook.

“We left Cranbrook at midnight and started climbing about 1 a.m.,” said Pedersen, who scaled the peak with the two friends who form the silhouette in the photograph. “We planned it because it was a full moon and a really clear night. If it would have been cloudy we would have scrapped the idea.”

Although Mount Fisher—or Fisher Peak, as it is also known locally—is over 9,000 feet high, it is accessible to any fit individual with a tolerance for dizzying heights. It is recommended, however, that hikers go with someone experienced who has hiked Fisher before. The base of the mountain is just a short drive from Cranbrook.

In the early hours of that September morning, Pedersen and his friends rested partway up the mountain, then waited at the peak for the 7 a.m. sunrise.

“It came up fairly quick,” said Pedersen. “We don’t see the sun come up like that because it’s always hiding behind the mountains. This was like something you’d see on the prairies. The whole sky turned red and then there was a glimmer of sun. It was amazing.”
Pedersen quickly snapped as many photos as he could in the minutes before the sky was flooded with light, and one of those turned out to be the dazzling image here.

What the hikers hadn’t counted on seeing was the imposing shadow Mount Fisher throws on the floor of the Rocky Mountain Trench far below.

“It looks like a giant pyramid,” said Pedersen. “That was kind of a surprise. We were just watching the sunrise and then noticed the shadow.”

This was Pedersen’s sixth ascent of Fisher and the second time he’s climbed it in the dark. A silent hike under a full moon “really put the mountain in a different perspective,” he said. “You couldn’t see the height, the power, the jagged edges. It was a different experience.”

Like many residents, Pedersen enjoys hiking as a hobby and plans to explore more of the local trails. But Mount Fisher holds a special place in his heart.

“I want to do a lot more hikes,” he said, “but I always keep going back to Fisher.”