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Grizzly Peak

  • July 1, 2001
  • Mountain height: 2,500 m (8,200 feet)
  • Elevation gain:    900 m
  • Round-trip time: approx. 8 hours

Scrambling with Mark and Keri.

I had no idea what to expect from this trip and I certainly didn't think that because of it, scrambling would become I weekly ritual for me. Having had an intense fear of heights since childhood, ascending mountains was an unlikely recreational activity for me.

 

We started quite early - a good thing, since our round-trip time was a long 8 hours. The weather was outstanding throughout, as was the scenery around the back of the mountain and up top. The trek around Grizzly peak was quite interesting with varied terrain. Once we got to the back of the mountain we had to go up grassy slopes leading up to the saddle. They were deceivingly steep and we had to stop frequently. From the saddle it was only a short hike to the summit.

 

At the summit, a short traverse across the ridge with drop-offs on both sides had me shaking in my very uncomfortable boots and I had to get Mark to guide me across. Looking back, I can't believe that freaked me out so much, but even now (2 years and more than 100 mountains later), exposed situations are still an issue for me .

 

The views from the top were great and we all felt a sense of accomplishment having made it. On return, we went the wrong way and had to backtrack a bit. We were all totally exhausted at the end and my feet hurt because my hiking boots were not a great fit. I very much enjoyed the day, but at the time I didn't expect to do a great deal more hiking or scrambling - I couldn't have been more wrong!

 

    

A tree; you might notice that throughout this website, I have a fascination with trees!

 

    

    

Around the south side of the mountain; the tall peak in the background is Mount Packenham

 

      
A self-timed picture from the summit, looking north 

  

    
The summit cairn and a beautiful view to the southeast; from l-r: Mounts Packenham, Hood, Brock, and Blane

 

Grizzly Peak II

  • April 13, 2004
  • Mountain height: 2,500 m (8,200 feet)
  • Elevation gain:    900 m + approx. 300 m up Mount Evan-Thomas (200 m short of the summit)
  • Ascent time:       1:45 + 1:10 detour up and down Mount Evan-Thomas
  • Descent time:     1:20                               

Solo scramble.

 

A very nostalgic and interesting day. After driving up and down Highway 40, unable to decide what objective to try, I thought that a return to the scramble that started it all might be a nice idea. Almost 3 years ago, Mark, Keri, and I spent about 8 hours getting up and down this mountain, and I swore that is was would be first and last scramble ever.... apparently I lied!

 

The ascent was significantly faster than our first attempt, although the steep, grassy slope to the col was still long and exhausting. Seeing "the Tree" (a very interesting, dead tree that I photographed 3 years ago) was sort of comforting and so I took another picture of it. Unfortunately, the surrounding slopes were not the beautiful green of the July, 2001 trip, but they were clear of snow and easy to ascend. They were also home to at least 50 bighorn sheep, for whom I spent much of the trip detouring around.

 

Although the summit view was, of course, exactly the same as in 2001, the experience was completely different. I was able to identify a large number of mountains in the panorama and quite a few peaks which I (we) had ascended in that time - Gap Mountain, King Creek Ridge, Indefatigable, Lawson, Mount Kidd (south peak), Opal Ridge (north and south), and The Wedge. A view often seems to have a far greater impact on you when you know exactly what you are looking at.

 

Returning to the saddle between Grizzly Peak and Mount Evan-Thomas, I decided to head up the much taller mountain to the east for a better view. I was quite sure that the summit was unattainable as a scramble, however, with an elevation 600 m greater than that of Grizzly Peak, I was bound to get a better view. There was considerable foreshortening in the view to the first summit and it took me 45 minutes of easy, but tiring hiking to get there. At the first summit, the ridge narrowed and became far more exposed. There was a significant build-up of snow on the north side of the ridge, making travel a little precarious. I tried a couple of routes, but backed down when it became too risky. Nevertheless, the views of the upper slopes of the mountain were beautiful and I am very curious to know whether there is a feasible climbing route to the summit. I'd definitely like to return with the proper equipment and give it a go.

 

The descent of both mountains was very easy, although I did a little astray when deviating from the proper route in order to avoid a group of about 20 bighorn sheep. The only downside of the trip was an inordinate amount of ticks on the slopes. At the summit of Grizzly Peak, I found about 5 of the little buggers on me (1 of them right on my stomach), and the same was true when I completed the trip. Except for the ticks, a wonderfully satisfying day out. 
 
    
"The Tree", as seen from a different angle as the picture above
 
 
    
On the south slopes of the mountain, looking up at the cliff bands of the summit block
 
 
    
Mount Evan-Thomas, as seen from the summit of Grizzly Peak; the route I took went up the rubble slopes at the left and ended just beyond the first highpoint, where the terrain levels off
 
 
    
The summit of Mount Evan-Thomas; the ridge narrowed here and I only progressed about 20 metres beyond this point
 
 
    
A closer view of the summit block
 
 
    
A wintery view to the southwest, towards the Kananaskis Lakes; the highest mountain, in the center, is 3449 m Mount Joffre  
 
 
    
A view to the south; King Creek Ridge is in the foreground, at the right; Mount Wintour, the pointed peak left of King Creek Ridge; Gap Mountain can just be seen as the darker mountain left of Wintour; and Elpoca Mountain is at the far left
 
 
    
Mount Packenham    

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