| Ref: Bob
Spirko's Road not taken |
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Cougar Canyon. |
| Scramble: RT
9.5; 5.0 up. We drove off in the rain. It
was hard to
conceive that just a couple of hours away, a mix of sun and clouds was
in
the forecast. Combined with mild temperatures (high of 12°C),
Canmore seemed well worth checking out. Rain turned to drizzle and past
Castle Junction, we could discern holes in the dark sky. Nearing the
trailhead, it looked promising; we pumped-up the tunes! We left the car
with a swift pace. This long trip would require close to all the
daylight available at this time of the year. It's a shame we couldn't
spend more time looking at the bolted sport climbs in Cougar
Canyon. We
followed the popular trail to the Forks and were pleased to find a
trail along the left fork. We continued without much respite... We
recognized the ascent drainage and after taking a quick break,
we followed
a faint trail climber's left. Soon after, we were
trudging on rubble at treeline. The scenery is amazing. We had no
trouble picking out
the right ascent gully on the upper mountain. Some sections are
painfully loose but eventually we made it to the saddle. The weather
was still nice and as we proceeded to the summit ridge, the sun poked
through the clouds. Indeed, the view is great from this peak. We stayed
at the top for half an hour. On our way down, it started to snow. Lower
down, drizzle didn't dampen our spirits (or clothes)! Back on the
creek bed, the rain cleared. Hiking back, we
got the last sunrays as the sun set behind Lady Mac, awesome. We
arrived at the trailhead with less than 30 minutes of daylight to spare, what a
day! |
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A good trail weaves
along the creek bed. |
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Cougar Peak ahead,
the summit is hidden behind. |
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Nice place for a
meeting around a fire. |
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At the split, we
follow the left fork. |
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The ascent drainage. |
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Further up the
drainage, we veer climber's left. |
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At treeline, still
no snow. |
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Hiking along a wall
of rock. |
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Nearing
the upper ascent gully. |
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This buttress is
distinctive. |
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Looking back. |
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Shifty rubble to the
saddle. |
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Summit ahead, right
on. |
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Along the summit
ridge, the view is stunning. |
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Looking north-west. |
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At the summit cairn. |
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Straight down! |
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Canmore and Cougar
Canyon are visible. |
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The terrain is steep
and slabby near the buttress. |
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Funneling down to
the weakness in the rockband. |
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A fine drizzle
starts to come down. |
| Back
to home page |
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