Mount Burgess

Mount Burgess – September 7, 2008

Mountain height:         2570 m
Elevation gain:            1330 m
Ascent time:                3:30
Descent time:              2:15

Solo scramble.

Going to the mountains in favour of watching the first Sunday of the NFL season??? -that’s commitment!

However, if it wasn’t for running into some really cool rocks, this whole trip would have been a total dud. The “Mainly Sunny” forecast for Field, B.C. materialized about 8 hours behind schedule and instead I spent most of the day in whiteout-like conditions. It also snowed for about half the trip.

The aforementioned rocks were near the north summit. They were small, but glacial erosion and weathering had mounded them into unique forms. Since views around me were non-existent, I spent a fair amount of time scouring the slopes for the more interesting rocks.

After waiting at the north summit, in futility, for 30 minutes for the weather to improve, I started towards the true (south) summit. The snow was light at that point, but quickly became heavy, with very little visibility. I decided to retreat and return to the cool rocks. Needles to say, the weather started to clear when I had lost enough elevation on descent, to preclude a return to attempt the summit.

I arrived back at home to the almost comical and depressing news that the Rams had been slaughtered by the Eagles 38-3 – good thing I did go to mountains.