"Middle Kootenay Mountain"
November 30, 2008
Mountain height:
2512
m
Elevation gain:
1200
m
Ascent time:
4:45
Descent time:
2:30
Scrambling with Mark.
Last week we came up short of the summit of this
peak after
bailing on an attempt of Rainy Ridge. The part of the ascent we
completed was
incredibly scenic and we desperately wanted another shot at it. During
the
week, I received a pleasant email from James Yearous, one of The
Southern
Scramblers. James and his friend Jeff had ascended this unnamed summit
earlier
this year, appropriately calling it “
The weather forecast was an iffy one and could go
either
way. We chose to take a chance that it would go our way…. it
didn’t. Though
clear skies persisted around the 
Fortunately, we did get a few clear breaks between the second highpoint
and the
false summit, revealing some of the outstanding scenery witnessed a
week
earlier. Patterns of low-lying clouds sweeping over nearby peaks were
very
entertaining.
We were both over-enjoyed to see some clear skies and hoped for more clearing, as we made our way up to the summit. Apparently that was just a pipe-dream. We arrived at the summit to get a quick glimpse of Mount Haig, to the north, and another view to the west that revealed a seemingly higher summit, about 500 m away, before the clouds closed in for good. The traverse over to the other summit required an elevation loss and then regain in deteriorating weather conditions. The second summit was about 20 vertical higher than the first, but given the non-existent views that fact was of little importance. We left very shortly after arriving, to escape the stormy weather. The descent was straightforward, though disorienting at times, due to the whiteout.
The few good views we did get made the trip worthwhile, but we’ll definitely be back to the area when a high-pressure system rolls through.
Typical weather conditions; a far cry from the previous week
Limited views
The same scene from the previous week
A spot of blue sky to the east
When there's nothing else to photograph
Same as above
Another clear patch
The false summit
The view to the northeast
Half clear, half cloudy
Looking back to where we came from
Same as above
Same as above
Almost at the false summit
Scrambling through snow-covered boulders
Mark at the false summit, with Mount Haig behind
Mark starts the traverse to the true summit
At the summit; of course, this photo could have been taken in my backyard, on a foggy day!