Mount Lineham II

Mount Lineham II

April 7, 2010

Mountain height:                     2728 m
Elevation gain:                        1340 m
Ascent time:                            4:40
Traverse time to GR133390:   2:00
Descent time:                          2:25

Snowshoeing with Mark.

Having seen So Nakagawa’s January, 2010 ascent of Mount Lineham, we set out do the same. Our first trip up Lineham, the tail-end of the Alan Kane’s magnificent Blakiston horseshoe trip, was just that – magnificent! The colours of rock, water, trees, and vegetation you see on trip are indescribable. Naturally the snow cover was going to hide most of that colour. However, we have yet to be disappointed by a Waterton trip in winter or spring and so, great weather forecast in hand, we started up the Rowe Lakes Trail.

The forecast may have been great, but unfortunately the actual weather was not. In fact it just plain sucked! As such, we slowed down our ascent rate, in hopes that our 4 pm theory (the best time of day for weather improvements) would have some chance of coming to fruition. After the relatively easy approach, thanks to So and others who made the trail, we started up the right side of the prominent avalanche slope on Lineham’s south face. The best part of this section of the trip (certainly not the weather) was the glissade potential of the slope. It was the perfect angle for a very long and easy to control glissade. Higher up, the slope did veer off to the right and get steeper, but there was still a huge section that would make for great fun on the way down.

As we approached the summit, there was a little clearing in the weather to the east and Cameron Lake, having been swimming below a dense layer of cloud throughout the ascent, finally made an appearance to the west. I was also surprised to see the summit of Waterton’s tallest peak, Mount Blakiston, emerge from heavy cloud cover to the north. Though the weather never fully cleared, the 4 pm improvements were enough to justify a barrage of photo opportunities and the decision to continue the trip by heading west towards the next highpoint on the horseshoe ridge. Of course this meant we would be denied the fantastic glissade, but there could be other glissade opportunities further west.

The west ridge of Lineham was absolutely wonderful. The powerful Waterton wind had been generous enough to blow some the colourful slopes free of snow and then leave several big cornices on the north side of the ridge. The atmospheric cloud cover to the west was entertaining throughout (though I think we both would have killed for a few moments of clear sky in all directions!)

We visited two highpoints. The first was easily ascended, the second achieved with some trepidation, as the ascent route took us awfully close to the cornice and a fierce drop on the right side. Continuing the trip north towards Mount Hawkins would have been nice. With better weather we might have done so, but things weren’t changing to the west. We bailed at this point, picking a descent line through the trees, instead off down the open slopes below us. An awesome day.

Blustery weather and limited views