Mount Miles III
August 11, 2012
Mountain height: 2470 m
Elevation gain: appoximately 1600 m
Ascent time: approximately 6
hours
Descent time: approximately 4 hours
Scrambling with Nicole and Tannis.
Exactly one year to the day that I placed the summit register on Mount Miles,
I returned to visit the summit again. Sadly, the namesake of the
mountain, Miles Krowicki passed away in late November of 2011 and so
this
repeat ascent was solely to honour my dear friend of over 30 years.
Joining me were another dear friend, Nicole Lisafeld, and a blast from
the past,
Tannis Graham, a friend who went to high school with both Miles and me.
Hats
off to both ladies for accompanying me on this long and sometimes
arduous trip that is
far from a pushover and not for the inexperienced.
We didn’t have bikes with us and so we hiked up to Middle Kootenay Pass
and then started the usually depressing 300 vertical metres descent down the
other side. However, this day was filled with lively conversation, in fond
memory of our friend, taking away every ounce of sting from the elevation loss.
Leaving the trail, we then bushwhacked a short distance to the ascent
drainage, where I was pleasantly surprised to see a similar snow cave to the
one encountered a year earlier. This cave was considerably smaller, requiring
almost no travel under sections of fully bridged snow. The best part of the
ascent followed – a spectacular water-worn drainage of awesome rock that
provides an equally awesome scrambling experience. I hoped Nicole and Tannis
would like the drainage – they loved it!
Unfortunately, that awesome drainage all too quickly gives way to an
infinitely longer section of tedious grassy slopes and then a grueling, steep
slog up treadmill scree to the summit (there was little lively conversation for
this part of the trip!).
(Eventually) we arrived at the summit, by then, all in great spirits.
Checking the register, indicated that one had visited the summit since my
last visit a year earlier (at least no one had signed the register) and so I
gave the 2nd and 3rd recorded ascents of Mount Miles to
Nicole and Tannis – they didn’t care in the least, and were just happy to be
there to share in the tribute.
Our summit stay was as fantastic – meaningful and even surreal in many ways. In
addition to a tremendous variety of goodies and treats, Tannis had also brought
a recording of Talking Dog performing
an instrumental Miles had written called Skylab – obviously based on the first
space station placed into orbit around the Earth by the U.S. in 1973. We
listened to the song and shared a few stories about Miles – I have had the
privilege of knowing a few great human beings in my life and Miles sits humbly
at the top of that list – a man who brought all those around him together, who
connected and inspired others, a man with a pure, intrinsic love and passion
for music and one who adored his family – a role model in every sense of the term.
With a long descent ahead, we regrettably left the summit. Thankfully, getting
down Mount Miles is a straightforward affair, the scree offering decent surfing
and the water-worn gully pleasant scrambling. Even the elevation gain to get
back to Middle Kootenay Pass seemed easy, as we now had the exciting ascent and
summit stay to re-live. We arrived back at the car tired but exhilarated and humbled.
My sincerest thanks to Nicole and Tannis for accompanying me on this personal
and important return to Mount Miles. A tremendous day out in honour of a tremendous
man.
Tannis and Nicole at Middle Kootenay Pass
Looking up the slopes of Middle Kootenay Mountain - still to this day one of my favourite winter ascents
Descending the other side of the Pass. Miles and Krowicki are dead ahead, but not before a 300 m elevation loss.
Looking up Mount Miles
The short stint of bushwhacking
The snow cave that isn't really a snow cave
The only section where the bridge was intact
Nicole emerges from the "cave"....
...and into the water-worn gully
Super FUN scrambling!
And super sweet rock!
End of the awesome gully. Booo!
The scree slog that follows
Tannis on the summit ridge. Krowicki Peak behind.
Nicole leads the way to the summit
Victory!
Nicole finds the summit register
And signs it
Me and Tannis at the summit of Miles
Admiring the views
Rainy Ridge (left) and Three Lakes Ridge
An interesting rock
Descending grass/scree terrain before reaching the water-worn-gully
Flower
The excellent view of Rainy's west ridge helps alleviate the tedium of re-ascending the trail to the Pass
Three Lakes Ridge again
Tannis, back at the Pass
Miles on Mount Kent
The End