Tip Top Mountain

Posted by Derek on Jul 28, 2023

Rank: 21
Height: 2103 feet / 641 m
Lat/Lon: N48 16.405 W86 00.228
Line Parent: Blackspruce Lake Peak
Key Col: N48 17.390 W83 57.048 (1115ft / 340m)
Clean Prominence: 988ft / 301m
Date Summited: July 23, 2023

Description:

Tip Top Mountain is located in Pukaskwa National Park which is on the northeast shore of Lake Superior between Wawa and Marathon Ontario. Its summit is 641 m (2,103 ft) above sea level and 457 m (1,500 ft) above Lake Superior. It lies north of the Swallow River, about 10 km inland from Pukaskwa’s Coastal Trail and Lake Superior. Before 1966, Tip Top Mountain was considered the highest point in Ontario. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ishpatina Ridge (North Peak) – Overland

Posted by Derek on Sep 23, 2019

View to North Ishpatina summit

Rank: 3
Height: 2221 feet / 677 m
GPS recorded height: 2247 feet / 685 m
Lat/Lon: N47 19.977, W80 44.014
Line Parent: Ishpatina Ridge (Tower Summit)
Key Col: N47 19.742 W80 44.593 (1640 ft / 500 m)
Clean Prominence: 581ft / 177m
Date Summited: August 9th, 2019

Overview:

The Ishpatina Ridge traverses several rounded humps and under the Ontario 2100 Footer criteria, 3 of these qualify as being distinct 2100+ foot peaks. The familiar Fire Tower summit of the Ishpatina Ridge is the highest point in Ontario and a popular destination. It is reachable via a trail from Scarecrow Lake.  The North Peak as seen from the Fire Tower summit appears to be just as high, but according to Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources Ontario Base Maps (OBM) series, it is 43 feet lower.  There is no trail to the North Peak of the Ishpatina Ridge and the route from Ishpatina – Tower Peak is hindered by the steep cliffs surrounding the peak.

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Parch Creek Peak East

Posted by Derek on Sep 12, 2017

Parch Creek Peak East as seen from a clearing on route

Parch Creek Peak East as seen from a clearing on route

Rank:11
Height: 2133 feet / 650 meters
GPS recorded height: 2153 feet / 656 meters
Lat/Lon: N47 37.727 W84 23.106
Line Parent: Blackspruce Lake Peak
Key Col: N47 37.329 W84 18.058 (1585 ft / 483 m)
Clean Prominence: 548 ft / 167 m
Date Summited: September 2nd, 2017

Overview:

Parch Creek East Peak is a remote peak in the Algoma Wilderness, located 24 km north-northeast of the Agawa Canyon and 10 km southeast of Millwood, a stop along the Algoma Central Railway. Parch Creek, the closest significant body of water from which the mountain is named, winds it’s way west into the Agawa River at the Algoma Central Railway.

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Little North Lake Peak

Posted by Derek on Feb 24, 2017

Little North Lake Peak as seen from the Border Route Trail, MN (Courtesy of David Battistel)

Little North Lake Peak as seen from the Border Route Trail, MN

Rank: 13
Height: 2126 feet / 648 m
GPS recorded height: 2119 feet / 646 meters
Lat/Lon: N48 08.373 W90 35.184
Line Parent: Prelate Lake Peak
Key Col: N48 11.169 W90 22.162 (1706ft / 520m)
Clean Prominence: 420ft / 128m
Date Summited: July 31, 2016

Overview:

Rising 500 feet above the Gunflint-North Lake chain, Little North Lake Peak lies at the southwestern edge of a range of hills west of Thunder Bay. Situated just 2 km north of the (Minnesota-Ontario) border, the peak can be accessed via a rough trail which traces the route of the defunct Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway.

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Sunbeam South Peak

Posted by Derek on Feb 19, 2017

Sunbeam South Peak ridge

Sunbeam South Peak ridge

Rank:22
Height: 2100 feet / 640 meters
GPS recorded height: 2106 feet / 642 meters
Lat/Lon: N48 10.185 W90 28.848
Line Parent: Little North Lake Peak
Key Col: N48 09.093 W90 32.926 (1739ft / 530m)
Clean Prominence: 361 ft / 110 m
Date Summited: July 30, 2016

Overview:

Sunbeam South Peak is a part of a group of hills located on the northwest shore of Lake Superior, not far from the city of Thunder Bay. It is located 3 km west of Addie Lake and 2 km south of Sunbeam Lake.

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Head Lake Peak West

Posted by Derek on Jan 31, 2017

Head Lake Peak West

Head Lake Peak West

Rank: 11
Height: 2133 feet / 650 m
GPS recorded height: 2152 feet / 656 meters
Lat/Lon: N48 17.893 W90 09.680
Line Parent: Head Lake Peak East
Key Col: N48 17.420 W90 08.780 (1870ft / 570m)
Clean Prominence: 263ft / 80m
Date Summited: July 29, 2016

Overview:

Head Lake Peak West is the westernmost peak in the Head Lake Peak grouping; 3 peaks 65 km West of Thunder Bay. The Peak is located due north of the lake from which it is named: Head Lake, 3.0 km due west of it’s higher neighbour Head Lake East Peak and 5.1 km west-southwest from Tower Mountain, which is the highest mountain in the area.

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Head Lake Peak South

Posted by Derek on Jan 8, 2017

Head Lake South Peak

Head Lake South Peak

Height: 2133 feet / 650 meters
GPS recorded height: 2165 feet / 660 meters
Lat/Lon: N48 17.572 W90 08.167
Line Parent: Head Lake East Peak
Key Col: N48 17.659 W90 07.802 (1969ft / 600m)
Clean Prominence: 164 ft / 50 m
Date Summited: July 28, 2016

Overview:

The Head Lake Peaks are a group of peaks situated north of Head Lake in the hills 65 km West of Thunder Bay. Head Lake South Peak shares a ridge with it’s higher neighbour Head Lake East Peak. There are no trails to it, however an overgrown trail passes within 1 km of the summit. There are only limited views at the summit.

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Tower Mountain – Revisited

Posted by Derek on Jan 8, 2017

Tower Mt as seen from the road to Head Lake Peak East

Tower Mt as seen from the road to Head Lake Peak East

Rank: 2
Height: 2228 feet / 679 m
GPS recorded height: 2260 feet / 689 m
Lat/Lon: N48 18.448 W90 05.674
Line Parent: Ishpatina Ridge (Tower Summit)
Key Col: N49 35.298 W85 41.667 (997ft / 299m)
Clean Prominence: 1247ft / 380m
Date Summited: July 28, 2016

Overview:

Tower Mountain is the second highest peak in Ontario. The peak is part of the range of hills on the northwest shore of Lake Superior, 45 kilometers west from Thunder Bay.

The name “Tower Mountain” is relatively new. For many years this summit was just known as a unnamed spot elevation in the “Thunder Bay Hills”. But the recent Ontario Base Map (1:20,000) published by the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) clearly labels the summit with its name and elevation. Ironically, the MNR seems to have forgotten that a tower was ever constructed here.

The peak is a flat-topped ridge, with steep slopes and cliffs surrounding the central plateau. The summit is a very broad flat area with lots of clearings and debris from an old tower. You can see the tower footings, the wreckage of the wooden observation box, old cables, and electrical junk lying around. There are no views at the summit, but if you make your way west for 150 meters you will come to the top of the cliffs where you’ll be able to get a nice vista of the surrounding area.

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Carson Creek Peak – Revisited

Posted by Derek on Dec 13, 2016

Aldina fire tower atop Carson Creek Peak from the Boreal Road

Aldina fire tower atop Carson Creek Peak from the Boreal Road

Rank: 4
Height: 2198 feet / 670 m
GPS recorded height: 2264 feet / 690 m
Lat/Lon: N48 21.283 W90 00.793
Line Parent: Tower Mountain
Key Col: N48 20.675 W90 01.146 (1969ft / 600m)
Clean Prominence: 229ft / 70m
Date Summited: July 27, 2016

Overview:

Carson Creek Peak is the fourth highest summit in Ontario. The peak is the second highest point along a ridge which runs northeast from Tower Mt. The Aldina fire tower still stands at the summit. Carson Creek Peak is the highest offroad accessed peak in Ontario.

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Grey Owl Peak

Posted by Derek on Dec 12, 2014

Grey Owl Peak

Grey Owl Peak

Rank: 23
Height: 2100+ feet / 640+ m
GPS recorded height: 2102 feet / 641 meters
Lat/Lon: N47 15.011 W84 13.651
Line Parent: Alvin Lake Peak
Key Col: N47 15.028 W84 14.486 (1411ft / 430m)
Clean Prominence: 460 ft / 140 m
Date Summited: August 15, 2014

Overview:

Grey Owl peak, named after nearby Grey Owl Lake (2 km west) is a remote Algoma Peak which affords outstanding views of the area. From the summit, many of the high Algoma hills are visible, including Alvin Lake Peak, Ogidaki Mt., Griffin Lake Peak and Batchawana Mt. Even though the Peak is less than a 1 km bushwhack from a road*, due to the distance from from a major road (55.8 km away from Hwy 17), it is a difficult mountain to access. As the Ontario Basic Mapping (OBM) series maps show a 640 meter contour at the summit, this peak meets the Ontario 2100 footer list criteria.

* Mile 38 Road becomes a 2-track road north of the Batchawana River

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