November 25, 2023
Mountain height: 2426 m
Elevation gain:
900 m
Ascent time: 3:55
Descent time: 1:55
Solo snowshoe, with a little mountaineering.
Completing this trip
in winter-like conditions doesn’t make a whole lotta’ sense – snow will cover most
of the colourful rock and also negate the fun scrambling element of the route. However,
that has never stopped me before so why should it now?! I had done a winter reconnaissance
snowshoe trip of the route in April of 2022 and found the trip to be very
enjoyable, even without the aforementioned perks. 
Hopefully, a late November ascent would grant me the best of both worlds – colourful rock AND snow! I also picked
this trip because of the nasty wind inundating the area, hoping that I would be sheltered
from it for much of the day.
Usually by late
November, we all would expect to be in full-on winter conditions. However, an unusually
warm and dry 11th month ensured that would not be the case for me on
this day. A recent snowfall had left a few centimetres of unconsolidated snow on
the approach trail, but there was ground below, with no layering of the snow – good
news for avalanche conditions, bad news for the environment in general.
Someone had
already hiked the trail earlier in the day and I was happy to step in his/her
footprints. 
That changed upon starting up the drainage. The snow
was much deeper here and of course no one had broken trail up this somewhat
obscure route. I tried to go up without snowshoes, but that was short-lived.
With snowshoes, I more or less cruised up the drainage (as much as “cruising” with
snowshoes is possible!). Most of the colourful boulders were completely covered
in snow, but there was enough on display for a few good photo ops.
Steeper terrain
higher up slowed my progress considerably but in general, ascending the route
with snowshoes was straightforward. Again, I was thankful for the innocuous
snow conditions. 
Doing this route with potential avalanche hazard would be dicey!
The
seriousness
of the route did increase upon reaching the summit ridge. I traded the
snowshoes for crampons and an ice axe here and was very happy to have
the added security. As well as experiencing the awesome summit view, it
was also good to be
reunited with “Jarome” the summit cairn – a terrific name coined by Dave
McMurray, in honour of one of the greatest Calgary Flames ever and a wonderful role
model, Mr. Jarome Iginla (“Iggy”, as in igneous!). Surprisingly the wind was non-existent at the top.
A quick visit to
the stunning igneous band of rock is pretty much mandatory at this point and so
off I went. From the band taking a direct descent down to the drainage seemed
like a good idea and it was, the snow providing a nice cushion for the scree
underneath. The hike out was likewise easy, under the setting Sun.
A wonderfully
scenic and very varied day on a peak that is likely to see me many more times.
The southwest side of Ruby Ridge looking less steep than it really is
The east outlier of Mount Rowe. I have been there once and will probably return someday - could be a good winter objective from the southwest side (not seen here).
The classic view of Mount Lineham on approach
The start of the drainage - didn't need snowshoes here, but they were on my feet about 5 minutes later
Some of the rock visible in the drainage
Another, but it's a small fraction of the amazing rock that lies beneath the snow
The most vibrant chunk of red rock of the day
The now familiar view of the middle and upper parts of the route
The very distinctive outlier on the southeast side of Blakiston that commands much photo attention
Same as above
Igneous Peak (small bump just right of centre) doesn't look like much from this vantage point
But the sweet rockbands on the left side of the drainage look fantastic!
Missing the scrambling, but loving the views
Looking back down the ascent route
The fixation with the Blakiston outlier will be constant
Tiny frozen waterfall
The cold of winter doesn't agree with me, as it did once upon a time, but the snowy scenery of winter always will
Ruby Ridge
The upper section of the route is steeper than it looks
...but littered with great rock scenery
The lower section of the outlier looks daunting, but there are several routes up it
The colourful rock of the summit ridge
Mount Chapman dominates the view to the southwest, but Mount Carthew, Carthew Minor, and Carthew Minor-Minor are also visible
Summit of Igneous at the right
Approaching the ridge, the outlier gets very daunting!
On the ridge. Ruby Lake below, in the shade.
Pano from the ridge, with Igneous Peak in the centre
View of the outlier
Close-up
The east shoulder of Blakiston
Where I decided that crampons and an ice axe would be a good idea
A few sections of the ridge must be circumvented on the right side. If
you try the left, you will get to experience the thrill of
weightlessness (before you die)
Surprisingly, this rock band would turn out to be my favourite of the
day, surpassing the red argillite bands and the igneous band!
Perhaps because the colourful rock was backdropped by the deepest blue skies of the day
The band and the Blakiston outlier
The band and Igneous
Definitely my favourite scene of the trip
Still a little ways to go to the top
Looking back yet again
Forward again
The near vertical sections of the ridge
Weightlessness on the left side; remain living on the right
Closing in on the summit
Looking back to the ascent slopes
Fooled for a fourth time - I thought this was a rock window, but its a gap. Same thing happened on the first three ascents!
At the summit and reunited with Jarome, at the left. Thanks to Dave for building Jarome!
The Blakiston outlier looks fierce from this angle
View to the fantastic east peak of Ruby Ridge and the west side route up Mount Crandell
Descending to the igneous band
Rogan, Galwey North, and Mount Galwey beyond the rock
The sweet igneous band
The ridge continues down to the Igneous/Ruby col and then up to Ruby,
but the route is not a pushover - an elevation loss or difficult
downclimb are required
The rock above the igneous band is also incredible to look at
Both bands
Close-up of the solid magma
Not so close
Leaving
The igneous band from the descent route
Buchanan Ridge and Mount Carthew
Bit of ice
The outlier is still getting lots of love
Down to easier terrain. Had to put the snowshoes back on here.
Parting look at the route
Buchanan, The Middle Child getting its last rays of Sun
The End
LOG
