Mount Cannon, an 8,956-foot peak in Glacier National Park's Lewis Range, was once called Goat Mountain before being renamed for physiologist Dr. Walter Bradford Cannon and his wife Cornelia, who made its first recorded ascent in 1901. Its sedimentary rocks were laid down in ancient shallow seas from the Precambrian through the Jurassic, and the mountain reflects the park's larger geologic history as the Lewis Overthrust uplifted rock about 170 million years ago, thrusting much older Precambrian rock over younger Cretaceous layers. In a subarctic climate, the peak endures long severe winters, short cool to mild summers, and extreme cold that gives it a harsh alpine character.