Unlike summers past, 2009 was not a great year for wildlife sightings. Even Dow, who spends most of his summers in the Canadian Rockies (often solo), said he'd yet to see a bear that season.
Total count for the summer 2009 roadtrip: 3 bears (one in Kananaskis and 2 in Glacier NP), 1 moose and 1 fox. And a bunch of the "normal animals" = elk and mule deer.
Showing posts with label Canadian Rockies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canadian Rockies. Show all posts
Wildlife On the Road
Paget Peak...and then, Tower of Babel
Where: Yoho and Banff National Parks
When: July 2009
Partners: Andy Mac
It was a rainy day in the forecast, so Andy and I got up early to knock out the 3,000 feet of gain to the summit of Paget Peak. Returning in 2:45 as the rain came, we drove over to Banff and sat in the Moraine Lake parking lot to wait for a clearing in the weather. When we got what we were looking for, we dashed off for the scrambling route on Tower of Babel, a 1,500-foot class 2ish ascent to a nice tower overlooking the lake. 1:15 car-to-car - shewww! And we beat the rain!
Mount Edith - South Ridge (II, 5.4)
Where: Canadian Rockies, Alberta
When: July 2009
Partners: Dow Williams
Dow tossed out an idea for the Kain Route (III, 5.7) on Mount Louis and I started to drool. But it was gonna be 6 straight days of mountains for me, and I told him that I didn't know if I was game for a grade III route. How about something shorter, easier? He tossed out the south ridge (II, 5.4) of Mount Edith. The selected alpine guide said it was a 9ish hour car-to-car. Perfect!
Six hours after starting from the car (including an hour spent looking for something I dropped near the summit -- ugh), we returned. I, for one, was stoked that the route was as enjoyable as it was. While a bit funky in a few places, the line was interesting and unusual, particularly a sustained (3-4 pitch), low-angle technical chimney/groove partway up. Funky!
Yukness Mountain in Fabulous Lake O'Hara
Where: Yoho National Park, Canadian Rockies
When: July 2009
Partners: Solo
Scoring a walk-up ticket onto the shuttle bus to Lake O'Hara one morning (see, they set a quota on how many people can visit pristine Lake O'Hara each day, and the reservations are gone months in advance), I was stoked to finally see this most spectacular of spots in the Rockies. It didn't disappoint.
The scramble up Yukness Mountain went quickly. The upper mountain was rugged and interesting, and the views were intense. I just wish I'd had the talent to make my camera capture the scene as it was.
Mount Niblock, Despite the Bad Weather
Where: Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies
When: July 2009
Partners: DB & Andy Mac
Well, the weather in Banff sucked one day but we decided to head up Mount Niblock anyway. Only occasionally did we get views. The ascent (all 4,100 vertical) was largely a slog. The last 100 feet were pleasant. The descent was quick. The pictures make it look better than it was. 'Nuff said.
Fairview Mountain & Saddle Mountain
Where: Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies
When: July 2009
Partners: DB
On our first day in Banff National Park, DB and I headed up Fairview Mountain. We'd heard the views were terrific, and they were! Afterward, we bagged Saddle Mountain, a smaller mountain with excellent views of Mount Temple, a mountain I'd ascended in 2007.
Lac (Lake) Louise
Where: Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies
When: July 2009
On an eventual rest day, DB and I elected to sit at fabulous Lake Louise and people-watch, always an enjoyable way to spend a day. Unfortunately, weather rolled in and we had to shift into the nearby Chateau Lake Louise and suffer through the Harp Angel with her plastic smile.
Mount Lady MacDonald
Where: Canadian Rockies
When: July 2009
Partners: Solo
Heading out solo on day #4 of 6 straight days without a rest, I decided to kick things up a notch and move. Dow'd mentioned that Mount Lady MacDonald, which features 4,300 feet of elevation gain and a class 4 summit knife edge ridge that few people actually cross, was a local classic. I started out running, and returned to the car 3:15 later. An exhilarating effort that felt great.
Ha Ling Peak and Miners Peak
Where: Canadian Rockies
When: July 2009
Partners: DB
We'd meant to hike up popular Ha Ling Peak in 2007 but never got it done. This time, with Dow and Stacy's high recommendation, we made the beautiful hike to the top of this stunning peak. The summit views east were outrageous! Afterward, we bagged nearby Miners Peak as a bonus. Nice!
The Icefields Parkway
Icefields Parkway is the great name for a beautiful highway that runs alongside and through the Canadian Rockies from Banff National Park and on up into Jasper National Park. With stunning views of massive, ice-clad peaks, turquoise-colored lakes and frequent wildlife sightings, it's a highway any outdoor enthusiast and/or nature lover should travel at least once.
I've passed along the Icefields Parkway a few times on my way to and from the mountains. Most enjoyed, perhaps, was my first trip up the Parkway in 2001, stopping near the boundary of Jasper National Park for a little exploratory on the Athabasca Glacier. Great stuff!
A Day Climbing at Grassi Lakes
The day after our successful climb of Mount Athabasca, Bala and I headed over to Grassi Lakes (outside of Canmore, Alberta) to do some sport climbing. Never really a fan of sport climbing, particularly crowded routes jumbled together like you'll find here, I grudgingly did a handful of 5.6 routes with Bala and bailed.
Although the climbing was enjoyable, though crowded, what did make the day truly worth it were the views out over the lake and across Canmore to the mountains east of town. Stellar!
Oh yeah, we visited a small panel of pictographs on the hike back to the car. Nice. Pictographs, rarely seen in my neck of the woods (unlike petroglyphs) is Native American art painted onto the rock, rather than chipped.
Mount Athabasca (11,453 feet)
One fine day in July 2007, Bala and I met near the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, sorted gear, and made plans for the next day's climb of Mount Athabasca. I'd spied Mount Athabasca years earlier on my only other trip to the Canadian Rockies...and it inspired me. I never forgot the look of "that big mountain I have to climb."
Rising early the next morning, Bala and I hiked the trail and gained the toe of the glacier in pretty good time. Donning crampons and roping up, we slogged across the ice toward saddle below the Silverhorn, our intended route.
Eventually approaching the base of the Silverhorn, I led up. Soon gaining drastically steepening, horrible loose conditions, Bala offered to take the lead. I gladly agreed.
As Bala led up, he had considerable trouble climbing through a steep crevasse problem which only led to waist-deep sludging through steep snow. I yelled up to Bala that I didn't have the patience to deal with pitching out what would obviously be very slow climbing terrain. Talking the matter over for a few minutes, we agreed that he would continue solo up the route while I would drop around and go up the North Glacier route solo. We'd meet on the summit and head down together. And that's what we did! 
I found the North Glacier route to be mellow, except for a few spots with loose footing and exposure to gaping crevasses down low. The upper glacier is flattish, moderately crevassed, and requires some care as well.
Eventually, you leave the snow and gain a trail that takes you to the base of the final 20-foot snow slope leading to the knife-edge snow summit. Nice finish!
Mount Temple, My First Canadian Rockies 11,000er
Back in 2001, I made my first trip to the Canadian Rockies. My friends and I spent a few days goofing off around Banff National Park, Canmore and elsewhere, finding time to hike up Johnston Canyon, do the fabulous Plain of Six Glaciers hike and even explore a bit of the Athabasca Glacier up on the Icefields Parkway by Jasper National Park. Also enjoying Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, I never did find the time to hike up the enormous Mount Temple, the 11,000-ft peak towering over Moraine Lake.
In summer of 2007, DB and I returned to the Canadian Rockies to spend a couple weeks climbing around Banff and Jasper National Parks. Our friend Dow Williams, who owned a second home in Canmore, was nice enough to let us stay with him. Dow, a full-time climber, was spending the summer in Canmore and was happy to have us join him for some of it.
With superb weather in the forecast, Dow and Peter Valchev, who was living in Calgary at the time, made plans to climb one of the classic technical routes on Mount Temple. The route, a grade V, was beyond my skill level, particularly because of the fact that they intended to solo most of it...as a dayhike. Instead, I made plans to hike up the standard southeast face route and time the ascent to meet them on the summit as they arrived.
DB and I headed to Moraine Lake after breakfast one morning so that I could begin my hike. DB was still on crutches, nursing a knee injury she'd sustained on a descent of the classic San Gabriel adventure, Eaton Canyon, and would sit this one out and play tourist around the lakes instead.
Bidding DB farewell and starting up the trail, a hundred feet later I came across a sign that said groups of 4 or more were required because of grizzly bear activity in the area. I returned to DB with the news.
Fortunately, a group of four were starting up the trail a few minutes later. I asked to join them. They welcomed me warmly. Eventually leaving the merry group near treeline, I picked up the pace and headed solo up the mountain as it began to steepen significantly. 
As I neared the summit, my cell phone rang. I didn't answer it. Cresting the apex ten seconds later - what do I find? - Dow and Peter on the summit trying to call me!
Taking a few pictures, amazed at our perfect timing, and having a bite to eat, the three of us heading down together, following my ascent route back toward the car. Stopping for a break along a lake at treeline, we embraced the warmth of the day and the stunning alpine views...and then returned to civilization.
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