The Passionate Hiker: September 2019

TOP TEN (4)

More than three decades ago, between 1983 and 1987 the Passionate Hiker was busy setting the foundations for his career, and his family, in Alberta, but it didn't stop him from going on a number of exciting adventures in the Canadian Rockies.

Here is the fourth of his selected "Top Ten" trips during that time frame. The narrative comes from his diaries, written at the time. Several of the photos come from the original negatives and have never been printed before. It was a spectacular day for taking pictures. This is a two-part story.

Aug. 5 recce route on the right, and Aug. 11 ascent route on the left

PART ONE:

SUN. 5^TH AUGUST 1984:

PICKLEJAR RECCE

Background to this Story:

Mist Mountain (10,297 ft.) is not in the Kananaskis Country hiking guide – for good reason. So the weekend before our planned ascent of the mountain, I climbed an adjacent hill to try and figure out the best route for our climb. From my viewpoint, I had a clear view of the south face of the mountain, and could see a possible way to reach the summit via the west ridge. I was now ready for my first attempt at hiking above ten thousand feet.

View of Mist Mtn. summit from "recce" peak

My Diary:

The assault on a 10,000 ft. peak requires good advance planning and this was the reason for my trip. Next week we planned to climb Mist Mountain and the maps and guides show no route up the steep mountain. However, we believed that an ascent was possible so I chose a nearby hill situated to the south from which I could get a good view of the approaches.

Driving down the Kananaskis Valley on a cloudless morning, I noticed that the slopes of Mount Allan ski resort have just started to be hacked out of the densely forested lower slopes. It’s a shame. A posh wooden sign points out the golf course, and down at Fortress Junction a gas station and store have sprung up; well-concealed, but still a sign of increasing use of the Park. New winter gates and sign have been installed at the Provincial Park turnoff.

Picklejar Creek is quite a way down the southern slopes of the Highwood Pass and leads eastwards to the Highwood Range. The trail starts from the far end of a new picnic area and climbs through the trees, gaining height above the bubbling creek. An attractive trail, but looking like it has not been well used recently, climbs up into the valley. A mountain wall cuts off the head of the valley but I turn up onto the open hillside.

This little side valley leads up onto a col between two grassy hills. Switchback up onto the western hillside which leads to an attractive N-S ridge. From here, I have grand views all round, particularly northwards to the gaunt, rocky lines of Mist Mountain. Study the ridges and valley leading up to the summit and the “rotten rocky” eastern cliffs. Take some photos for studying at leisure.

In the meantime the weather has taken a sudden change. Clear blue skies have given way to thunderclouds and I whizz down the hillside on to the well-made pathway leading down in zig zags to the Mist Creek valley. By the time I reach the road the rain is falling lightly and thunder rolling overhead. As I get into the car the rain really gets going!

A successful recce has revealed a possible route up Mist Mountain and in only six days’ time we’ll find out if our dream of breaking the 10,000 ft. barrier will come true.

STATISTICS:

Summit Elev. = 7,820 ft.

Height Gain = 2,060 ft.

Hike Distance = 9.5 km

Time on Trail = 3 hrs. 25 mins.

Daunting view of Mist Mtn. from Picklejar Rec. Area

Potential route from left to right, along high ridge to summit

Close-up of western ridge - we ended up dropping down
off the ridge into the internal valley, then up to the summit

PART TWO:

SAT. 11^TH AUGUST 1984:

MIST MOUNTAIN - 10,297 FT.

Background to this Story:

Mist Mountain rises high above the Highwood Valley in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary. It is clearly visible from the city as part of the jagged Rocky Mountain skyline. I had been on a “recce” hike the previous weekend and today was joined by my two “core team” hiking colleagues, John M and Roger H. Our planned assault via the west ridge of the mountain proved impossible. Halfway along the ridge the going became far too dangerous. So we dropped down into the central valley. In the process John slipped, but was unharmed. He wisely chose to stay there as Roger and I climbed the crazily steep valley to the summit far above. Our descent was much easier. We had succeeded in hiking above ten thousand feet for the first time in my hiking career.

My first ten-thousand-footer

My Diary:

Our traditional 5 a.m. meeting at the Paskapoo junction – off to the north an occasional flash of lightning brightens the early morning sky.

Already the Mount Allan ski runs extend further up the mountain as clearing operations continue.

Today is sunny as we drive over the Highwood Pass to start our hike, by a creek that runs down from the valley between Mt. Lipsett and Mist Mountain.

A forestry road, overgrown, leads up the forested hillside. A uniformly steep grade brings us out of the trees onto grassy slopes.

The unremitting slope soon gains us 1,500 ft. to a rocky outcrop which we tackle head-on. Here I leave my walking stick in favour of two hands to grip the rock. Very flaky stuff. A short scramble and we’re up on the first ridge, and on the 8,000 ft. level.

Scramble along this narrow rocky ridge, steep drop both sides to the second ridge. Now all rock and scree – no sign of nature. This second ridge runs all the way eventually to the summit, curving round and climbing steeply. The ridge narrows to a knife-edge. Weird strata, vertical slabs, overhanging rocks, until we cannot make it further despite several attempts and no little courage.

We are forced, at about 9,000 ft., to drop extremely steeply down into the ‘internal’ mountain valley. John slips down a snow slope but is ok. [Nevertheless, he sensibly decides to stop there as Roger and I continue the summit attempt.]

This valley is just a mass of broken rock. The next pitch is up the steep face of the mountain, keeping to the smooth, exposed rock, as the loose stuff is like walking on ball bearings and great effort for no reward. This leads to a spectacular ridge which has an eastern edge which is sliced off vertically and the cliffs fall unrestricted for over 3,000 ft.

Up here at around 10,000 ft. one feels a little more short of breath and a bit light-headed: “Oh look, a 3,000 ft. drop. Must have a look over the edge. Whoops – almost knocked over by that gust of wind!”

The final assault climbs steeply to the last – and summit – ridge, fairly narrow and like a pile of broken slates – leading to a fine summit with cairn and not much room to sit! Surprised to pass a couple of guys up there – didn’t expect to see anyone as it’s not on any tourist route or in any guide book. Naturally from 10,297 ft. the views are spectacular! The rock lines are all thrown upwards to jagged summits, turned 90° by the forces of nature.

A panorama of peaks stretching out forever. Lots of glaciers, snow. Mist Mountain has a gigantic eastern cliff. It’s well over a vertical kilometre to the valley below. Our first 10,000-footer and well above any recommended hikes in the Canadian Rockies guidebooks.

Glissade down the steep scree slopes. Great fun – sensation of bringing half the mountainside down with us! Pick up John, who is fine, and trudge down the rocky valley, stopping for a splash in a tumbling stream coming from a snow-patch above. Enjoy a melon.

Over a grassy col which leads down into a little green paradise. Keep a look out for bears. Lots of colourful wild-flowers. Finally come out onto the overgrown forestry track which leads us back to the car where we congratulate each other on an extremely challenging day.

STATISTICS:

Summit Elev. = 10,297 ft.

Height Gain = 4,170 ft.

Hike Distance = 10 km

Time on Trail = not recorded (full-day trip)

On the lower slopes

Views east up Mist Creek to the Front Ranges

Perfect day for a strenuous hike

Resting on the western ridge

A tricky walk along the ridge

More steep climbing

First views of the ridge leading up to the summit

Becoming a perilous route....

....this western ridge soon becomes impossible

Views north down to the Highwood Summit

Here we decided to drop steeply down into the internal valley

Climbing the steep valley sides to the summit

Summit ridge with spectacular east side cut off

Looking south and west towards the Great Divide

Finally the summit ahead

The dramatic eastern cliffs, visible from Calgary

Summit (10, 297 ft.)

Still some energy left for our descent

Views west into the heart of the Canadian Rockies,
and the glaciers along the Continental Divide

North to the Highwood Pass and Storm Mountain

Any journey north to Storm Mountain was well beyond our technical ability.
Over eons, the rock strata has been turned through 90 degrees

Looking back down to our access valley - we took the fast way down

TOP TEN (3)

Here is the third of his selected "Top Ten" trips during that time frame. The narrative comes from his diaries, written at the time. Several of the photos come from the original negatives and have never been printed before. He is also grateful to his long-time hiking colleague John M for many photos used in this blog. Thanks once again, John.

Castle Mountain (9,075 ft.): one of the iconic sights of Banff National Park.
Summit is the second bump from the left. Eisenhower Tower on right.
(photo from internet)

SAT. 21^st JULY 1984:

CLIMBING INTO WINTER

Background to this Story:

I don’t recall what caused us to pick this challenging route, which went well beyond the limits of the official “Canadian Rockies Trail Guide” (quoted in my account below), but we were clearly looking for an energetic adventure – and we had just that. We found winter in the middle of July up on the top of Castle Mountain, one of the most recognizable peaks in Banff National Park.

Route map to the summit of Castle Mountain

(and an inadvertent side-trip on the way back!)

My Diary:

Last Wednesday it reached 32°C. But never underestimate the power of the Rockies to develop their own weather.

A blinding flash of lightning in the jet black sky to the west as the usual team meets at Paskapoo [Canada Olympic Park on the western edge of Calgary] at 5.10 a.m. (sharp). Yet more flashes then we hit the thunderstorm and wonder if, in fact, a nice gentle fishing expedition in the foothills might not be a better idea.

Notice major roadworks on the Trans-Canada Highway around Banff; by Vermilion Lakes they have blasted whole areas of hillside away. I wonder what happened to those bighorn sheep that used to graze happily just above the road?

At precisely 6.45 a.m. we arrive at the Forest Ranger Station below Castle Mountain, the object of today’s hike. Our team is John M, Roger H, Gord B, Tim G, and myself.

A long gradual haul up through the forested lower slopes. This is an excellent trail, ascending over 2,000 ft. before giving much of a view.

“At the 5.3 kilometre mark the trail narrows to single file width” [according to the trail guide] and we swing into the valley at the back of the mountain. Above us on the left is the spectacular tower of Eisenhower Peak rising 2,000 feet almost vertically in great ledges, towers and ramparts, the mist swirling all around.

Tower Lake sits below the cliffs. A steep climb up the forested headwall brings us to Rockbound Lake, totally surrounded by cliffs. “The lake… lies in the centre of a great syncline, or downfold in the strata, which runs..to ..Jasper Park, some 260 kilometres to the northwest”.

Skirting the lake, we climb up to the cliffs and force a way through the cliff-band onto the steep slopes above, to find ourselves in a stark and primitive world.

Here we are in a wide barren snow-covered valley – the syncline – surrounded by cliffs. Cross the valley and head up the opposite slopes – which form the back of Castle Mountain as seen from the Trans-Canada Highway. Very slippery snow-covered rock surface and mist around us.

Finally hit the top of the cliffs. During this time the snow has started to fall, more in the form of hail. Follow the ridge, vertical cliffs falling away into the mist – exceedingly dangerous. The clouds suddenly clear to show a superb sweep of mountain abruptly cut off to fall over 4,000 ft. to the valley below. Stagger through deep drifts up to a rocky bastion which we force our way through to reach the summit cairn.

This wild scene suddenly disappears and we are alarmed to hear the roar of thunder in the clouds above us – like being at the top of the Eiffel Tower standing in for the lightning conductor!

Scurry back down into the syncline. The hollow containing Rockbound Lake is like a witches’ cauldron of steaming mist. Summer flowers bravely growing despite the new snow cover. Here our route-finding goes completely awry. In the mist we climb instead of fall, and end up way above where we should have been.

Luckily, just as we are wondering what to do, the mist clears and reveals our error. We stand on a high cliff directly above Rockbound Lake, which is a marvellous turquoise colour. Fish are jumping, and it is a superb scene. Try and throw stones into the lake from six or seven hundred feet above!

Down the green slopes back into summer, for what seems many thousands of vertical feet and long miles, but finally arrive back at our car.

A large steak at Melissa’s in Banff rounds off a day of supreme effort and unseasonal weather!

STATISTICS:

Summit Elev. = 9,000 ft. (approx.)

Height Gain = 4,250 ft.

Hike Distance = 19 km

Time on Trail = 11 hrs.