The Croissant VIII
(and a little beyond)


 
March 19, 2022
 
Mountain height: 2307 m      
Elevation gain:    approximately 500 m
Round-trip time:  7:10
 
Solo scramble.
 
The weather for the weekend looked uncertain at best. And when that’s the case, front range is usually the way to go. This is especially true for the Southern Alberta Rockies, and even more specifically, the East Castle outliers: Yarrow Ridge, The Eaglet, The Raptor, The Muffin, The Croissant, Woody (and the other Drywood outliers), Cinch Hill, Bridle Peak, and of course the multiple outliers of Prairie Bluff. Each of these little summits offer amazing scenery, generally easy ascent routes, terrific summit views, and seemingly infinite opportunities to explore. And perhaps The Muffin and The Croissant represent the epitome of these characteristics. Each time I feel I have thoroughly explored all routes up these outliers something new pops up.
 
Such was very much the case for the day’s adventure. The plan was to hike the gas road until a promising route revealed itself. That didn’t take long. About a kilometre past the “normal” route, I spotted a small but very colourful rock band, high on the slopes above the road. Unseen from the road, however, was an extensive section of equally colourful and super interesting rock below that rock band. As such, I ended up taking an abnormally circuitous route to get to the upper rock – not because the terrain was difficult to ascend, but because it demanded exploration.
 
Above the stunning rock bands familiar terrain awaited. The route soon joined up with another one of the “normal” routes up and the summit of The Croissant was reached with ease.
 
Given that the great weather was still holding, I couldn’t resist a quick run up the first section of Bakery Peak (the first prominent summit on the east end of Loaf Mountain). The ascent remains one of my favourite scrambles in the Southern Rockies, although I had no intention of trying to make the summit on this mid-March day.
 
Passing the almost vertical east face of the first highpoint was a little nostalgic, recalling a spell-binding traverse under the amazing rock, with Dave in 2021. From the highpoint, I did continue up the ridge for a couple of the steep steps but backed down when the ridge became too snowy.


 
For descent, I decided to see if I could follow the highpoint down its other side. The attempt didn’t last long. There were drop-offs all over the place that I couldn’t downclimb. Still, as expected the rock scenery was terrific and lower down, I was able to traverse around to the side of the rock band that Dave and I had descended. A very easy ramble back down to the road followed and then an even easier hike back to the start.
 
An excellent day of exploration on what continues to be the “gem of the outliers” in the East Castle.    


At the start of a gas road that I know oh so well!



The first drainage that provides access to two drainages between The Muffin and The Croissant



Close-up of the colourful rock that lured me



Part of the fantastic Spread Eagle to Spionkop traverse



Easy terrain to start the ascent



Approaching the first of a zillion colourful rock features!



#1



#2



Still part of #2



Same as above



Moving on







Unfortunately, this trip didn't have many super cool ice features, like The Croissant VI. This was all I saw.







#3



Time for crampons and an ice axe. The snow was rock-hard and the grade steeper than it looks.



I stopped counting at this point!



A better indication of the steepness of the slopes















Finally traversing towards the rock band that lured me in the first place



Zoomed in photo of the colorful band



Still lots of exploring before I reach it



Traversed way over to the east side first







Around the corner, The Muffin is visible

There was a route straight up from here but it would bypass the rock band I came to see



Heading back to the left



Finally getting close



There is it and disappoint, it did not!



Ouch!











Snowy slopes above the rock band lead to the south ridge of The Croissant



Three of my (tasty) favourites in the Rockies: Bakery Peak, The Croissant, and The Muffin



Bakery Peak - a wonderful scramble via its east ridge



Bakery and Spionkop



The Croissant is teeming with red argillite - definitely a motivating factor for my 8th visit







Have to get at least one close-up of the magnificent rock







Lots of tracks in the snow - none of them human



Possibly the tracks of these individuals who stared at me intently throughout the ascent of the ridge



Approaching the summit. I was hoping for some cool cornice scenery here but a very warm mid to late February took its toll on the snow. 



Bakery is beckoning, but is usually too snowy at this time of the year



The only cornice is right near the summit



Summit view. Drywood Mountain at the right.



Drywood and it's outlier, Woody, at the right



Like The Croissant, Woody has innumerable ascent routes to its summit



Snowy Bakery



The west summit of Drywood



Heading up the first section of Bakery



There was some interesting wind sculpted snow along the way















Approximately where Dave and I detoured left to check out this awesome rock face



The infamous "A" at the lower right



Passing the vertical face



Nearing the top of the first highpoint



Continuing past the highpoint



Windsor Mountain and Castle Peak



End of the line for the day



Descending the other side of the highpoint



No shortage of colourful, lichen-covered rock on this route either



Nice to see the rock face from the other side



Typical terrain on descent



Onto easier terrain and some nice snow to descend



Looking back at the first highpoint



Looking back at much of the descent and Bakery



Another pleasant snow slope



Back at the gas road



Passing the first drainage



The frozen waterfall in the drainage. Yes, people do climb it.



Back at the trailhead, with the predicted clouds finally starting to roll in

The End

LOG