Scrambles & Rambles

Linda’s Scrambles & Rambles

Mt. Blakiston ~ Sept 25, 2005

WATERTON, ALBERTA

Summit: 2,946m (9,665’) Elevation gain for Blakiston: 1385 m Total trip distance (w/ Mt. Hawkins) : 20 km Total time: 11:57

Quick rambles:

· Blakiston is the highest peak in Waterton Park.

· Combined with Hawkins, and possibly Lineham, this can be a full day of ridge walking.

· And not just a simple ridgewalk, some scrambling is encountered halfway between the first two peaks.

Plans and reality

Saturday. My goal was to join a WebBoard group scramble of three peaks - Alderson, Buchanan, and Carthew. Here was an opportunity for a multiple peak day, amazing Waterton scenery, and some awesome company to share the long day of suffering with. Of scramblers I’ve met before were Vern Dewit, Sonny Bou, Frank Nelson, and, in a surprise appearance, Bob Parr. I would also meet for the first time James Yearous, Kelly Smith, and also in a surprise appearance, Eric Magno, all of whom are fairly new to the WebBoard group.

After arriving at midnight on Friday, exhausted from the long drive, I spent a sleepless frozen night in the town campsite. I realized as the scramble hour approached, I was not conscious enough to make breakfast, let alone bag even one peak. I met the other eager participants early in the parking lot to say things like ’hi’ and ’sorry’, and determined I would rest, saving my energy and knees for a possible two peak day on Sunday. I missed their company the entire day, and wondered frequently about their progress. I certainly was happy when I finally saw a tired Sonny wandering towards my car near supper time!

It was late and dark when Kelly and James returned to camp, and began recuperating from their exciting day. We sat around chatting and enjoying the still and starry night. At one point we even had a pleasant surprise visit from Andrew, Mark, and Kerri, who had just completed the Akamina Ridge circuit.

Ok...Sunday. The winds were roaring outside my tent. Roaring. Sonny would later describe them as more closely resembling the sound of an overhead jet. The famous Waterton winds had returned. I had missed that rare windless window of opportunity on Saturday. I awaited the rising of my scrambling partners to hear of their state, physical and mental.

Sonny, though tired and not feeling well, decided he was up for a big day on Blakiston and the Hawkins Horseshoe. Our other potential partner, James, had to return home early and declined to join us. After stopping for a questionable breakfast in town, we were eager to get on the trail.

The good kind of suffering - Part I

It’s amazing how it can be so cold at the trailhead, and so warm half a kilometer up the trail. It was still windy, but at least it was sunny! We trudged along Lineham Falls trail; I was deathly slow as usual, but it was becoming clear how bad Sonny really felt - I found myself leading. When we reached the ascent gully for Blakiston, Sonny pointed out the ‘yellow rock’ that marked the couloir route to the summit. I squinted and shifted my sunglasses off and on - I could not see the yellow at all. Perhaps he was really ill...

Slogging up the climber’s right side of the gully, we stopped frequently to conserve our energy in hopes of the long haul ahead. During one of our breaks, we noticed a scrambler catching up to us. As he neared, we realized he was not one of our WebBoard campmates. We briefly conversed with him; Trevor was from Lethbridge and spent quite a bit of time in Waterton and Glacier. We continued to rest, and he then moved easily and quickly up the gully and out of sight.

Miracle Foods. After groveling up another stretch of the 1400m of elevation gain, Sonny pulled out his sandwich. This was no ordinary sandwich, though upon glancing over at it in hunger, I thought it was just that. Within a few minutes of the consumption of this mysterious food, Sonny left me in the dust. I mean I just could not keep up. No gummi worm in the world could fuel that kind of speed.

The end of the gully leads you to beautiful towers which guard the summit ridge. These towers are in fact, florescent yellow with lichens. Just like Sonny said. To add spectacle to spectacular, below the yellow rock is a wide band of red argillite. And to the left of the yellow rock was the aforementioned couloir.

Scrambling in the towers was fun indeed, but all too short. Of course, after a lengthy ascent already, it was nice to be finally getting close to the objective. Stopping just before the ridge top for a snack and out of reach of the full brunt of the wind, we spied Trevor making a hasty retreat to our location. He had tried continue down the ridge but had been turned back by bitter winds and cold. That didn’t sound promising, and I felt a little discouraged upon hearing it. We rose up and began the final push.

Emerging onto the ridge top, we were immediately taken aback by a fiercely cold and uncooperative gale. Staggering with haste to the cairn, the summiting procedures commenced without hesitation. To my surprise, Sonny did not write a limerick in the register due to the extreme nature of the freezing cold (though other quick and accurate words were written ;-) ). I was already chilled when Sonny turned to me and asked me what I wanted to do. I heard myself saying “turn back, too cold”, my speech slurred by frozen lips, and I felt somewhat shocked. Sonny seemed to be agreeing. We hastily descended to just below the summit ridge line and back into some solar warmth.

Want to know what happened next?

The trail to Lineham Falls is pleasant and scenic. It’s a great day despite the strong Waterton winds.

I never get tired of the amazing colours in SW Alberta! It still holds surprises as well. Here’s a red creek with green moss - I want one of these in my backyard.

Sonny looks up the long gully that we must ascend. The summit lies above the rocky turrets just to the left of its uppermost reaches. The ‘yellow rock’ Sonny called it. I could not see the yellow for some reason.

Left: This first part of the gully is a slog. Thankfully I had Sonny’s company for this trip!

Above: A most unique rock I discovered while slogging. It looked almost manmade in some ways. It would not be the only odd rock I would see this trip...

Left: As we approach the middle section of the mountain, the chance to scramble presents itself I the form of rock bands and the blocky sections of gully.

Above: Sonny ascends towards an ice covered wall.

Below left: Climbing the last stretch before venturing onto the summit ridge, and into the full force of the wind.

Below right: Sonny tags the highest summit in Waterton Park. I like the way his trekking pole leash looks like a flag. One more peak to go….

Left and Right: The many scrambly sides of Sonny. The gully on the right was a blast, I thought.

As we get closer to the ridge, it becomes obvious just how yellow the rock is up here.

I love it when the sky looks like this!!!

Left: The ‘yellow rock’. Yep, that’s yellow alright. Throw in a little red rock below it for kicks...

Right: The couloir to the left of the yellow rock.

Sonny looks really happy for a guy who’s not feeling well.