Cloudy Ridge III




    

    

    

The start of Lost Horse Creek is nothing to write home about (photo by Dave)



But that quickly changes (photo by Dave)



No shortage of red argillite in Lost Horse



Fun bit of scrambling (photo by Dave)



Dave descends the step



The lack of Sunlight in the canyon is bit of a bummer, but at least Mount Blakiston is getting some Sun-love



Hiking above the canyon for efficiency (photo by Dave)



A sticky geranium (I only know this because it's on Dave's page, otherwise I would just have called it a pretty purple flower!) (photo by Dave)



Onto the south ridge of Dundy (photo by Dave)



  The objective appears (photo by Dave)



Pleasant travel up easy slopes (for now!) (photo by Dave)



The east end of Mount Blakiston



Grassy slopes give way to rocky ones (photo by Dave)



Good look at the route ahead. Mount Dungarvan at the right (photo by Dave).



Fun little step (photo by Dave)



The ridge ahead



Dave scrambles up a rock-step



Dave's view of me (photo by Dave)



My view of Dave



That doesn't look like a scramble! (photo by Dave)



Great black and white by Dave, as we circumvent that rock band



Back on the ridge for a little while but it won't last (photo by Dave)



Looking for a way up (photo by Dave)



Dave finds one



Dave near a small cave-like feature



Then he scrambles up this chute



Approaching the crux



Mount Blakiston is featured throughout



Dave checks out a potential route up the steep limestone band



In the end we picked this one (photo by Dave)



Dave is all smiles, as the most challenging terrain is behind us



Much easier beyond the crux



Cool rock window



Cool dude atop the cool rock window



Amazing we made it this far without a yellow lichen shot! (photo by Dave)



I won't be denied the same



Dundy dead ahead, Cloudy and Junior to the left, and Dungarvan to the right (photo by Dave)



Similar view, but with Cloudowan at the left - another super entertaining ascent



Dundy and Dungarvan again. Apparently I really loved the views in that general direction!



Closer looks at the Cloudies



Anderson Peak is also prominent once the upper ridge is gained



Dave leads the way to the summit of Dundy



I follow (photo by Dave)



Dave must have taken a 20-minute nap to let me catch-up! (photo by Dave)



That didn't last long - he's ahead again



Dave at the summit



Dungarvan can be ascended from multiple directions (photo by Dave)



Rogan Peak  - likewise, from multiple directions (photo by Dave)



Galwey North and Mount Galwey (photo by Dave)



All of the above (photo by Dave)



View over to Cloudy Ridge and Cloudy Junior (photo by Dave)



Cloudy Junior - several memorable ascents of that one (photo by Dave)



Mountains in Glacier National Park



Mount Cleveland dominates the background, Mount Crandell the foreground



Closer look at Anderson Peak - still one of my favourite scrambles ever (photo by Dave)



Blakiston again - another awesome Waterton scramble (photo by Dave)



Dungarvan's stegosaurus-like summit block (photo by Dave)



Departing for Cloudy Ridge (photo by Dave)



The valley between Dungarvan and Cloudy Ridge - very difficult to access (if not impossible due to private property)



Dave, some wild flowers, and the Cloudies behind



It's going to be a colourful traverse to Cloudy Ridge (photo by Dave)



Dave carefully downclimbs a step



I do the same, but am distracted by the cool rock (photo by Dave)



This rock band was circumvented on the left side



A little stretch of easy hiking (photo by Dave)



Anderson and wildflowers



At a highpoint, looking at the next section (photo by Dave)



Small rock window on Cloudy Junior (photo by Dave)



This section is more involved - some of the ridge is easily traversed, while others sections are best circumvented (photo by Dave)



Circumventing this section would have been easy, but Dave is always up for some hands-on scrambling



Another highpoint is reached



Dave's view of me and the ridge (photo by Dave)



Going around this section of ridge (photo by Dave)



Yellow lichen on red argillite demands clear skies - I must go back!!




We picked the right side of the ridge to get by this huge outcrop of red argillite



Same as above



Ditto



Ouch!



Past the argillite and onto the igneous section



More scrambling



There is a little exposure going around to the back side of the summit block



Dave is already at the second summit of the day. There's me (photo by Dave).



The southwest ridge of Cloudy Jr.



Same as above, plus Dungarvan



Now Dungarvan, Dundy, and some the traverse from Dundy to Cloudy



A mountain goat in a scary place - because that's what they do!



Summit view to the north includes, Yarrow, Roche, and many more. I'm at the right, still trying to catch up with Dave! (photo by Dave)



Mount Glendowan in the background and Cloudowan in the foreground (photo by Dave)



Loaf Mountain (photo by Dave)



Long Knife Peak (photo by Dave)



A most intriguing entry in the summit register. Less than a month earlier, Ryan and Geoff completed a route that has likely never been done and will never be repeated. They ascended Cloudy Junior from the Yarrow Creek side, traversed to Cloudy Ridge, called for a taxi from the summit, descended to Red Rock Canyon, and then took the taxi back to the Yarrow Creek side - epic and ballsy - hats off to you both! (photo by Dave)



Closer look at Roche and Yarrow (photo by Dave)



I've finally caught up to Dave



Happy because he's well rested, waiting for me!



Dave takes in the view to the north



Time to leave



Back over that exposed part (photo by Dave)



The descent involves returning to the first highpoint, south of the summit, and then turning right, onto the south ridge of Cloudy



Part way to the highpoint (photo by Dave)



Same as above (photo by Dave)



The south ridge of Cloudy at the left



Descending the south ridge (photo by Dave)



What's Dave doing?



...photographing these silky phacelia (photo by Dave)



The south ridge is an easy affair, but with great views



One of very few sections of scrambling



Other than that it's easy hiking through interesting terrain



Same as above



The east side of the ridge is very impressive



There's Dundy (photo by Dave)



As stated, impressive! (photo by Dave)



Anderson and a very distinctive splotch of red argillite I would to get a closer look at someday (photo by Dave)



The grade of the ridge eases considerably for a stretch (photo by Dave)



Then steepens again (photo by Dave)



To the west sits the ascent ridge for Cloudowan



Another steep slope leads to Red Rock Canyon (photo by Dave)



The start of the magical journey down Red Rock Canyon. No further captions needed (photo by Dave).



Except this one. Dave cooling off in the creek.







Photo by Dave



Photo by Dave







Photo by Dave


    
Photos by Dave



Photo by Dave







Photo by Dave


    
Right photo by Dave







    
Photos by Dave















Photo by Dave















The bridge across Red Rock Canyon signifies the endpoint of the trip (photo by Dave)



The end of 9 hours of total awesomeness!! (photo by Dave)

The End

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