Ruby Ridge III

Ruby Ridge III

July 13, 2010

Mountain height:                     2420 m
Total elevation gain:                1020 m
Ascent time to true summit:    1:40
Traverse time to east summit: 1:05
Descent time:                         1:15

Solo scramble.

If I’m not careful Ruby Ridge may become my Mount Baldy of Waterton! The three summits of Baldy have seen me 13 times. Fortunately, the lack of interesting routes up Ruby Ridge will probably ensure it doesn’t see me as often, but never say ”never”!

On my two previous ascents I had only reached the true summit and had forgone a traverse to the slightly lower, but interesting looking east summit. That would be the objective for the day. Like the Matahpi ascent, 24 hours earlier, the west wind was going to be absolutely ferocious once I gained some elevation and therefore I opted to go for the true summit first. After the short approach I took the first obvious opening up the south side of the mountain towards the summit – the most direct route. Had I been thinking, I would have continued on the trail around to the west side of the peak. The wind then would have practically pushed me up the entire mountain.

Nevertheless, the south face route was straightforward and I managed to complete the 870 metres of elevation gain in one hour, forty minutes (some of it wind-assisted). Luckily, there was an area of shelter on the northeast side of the summit, as the wind was so strong I was finding it hard to stand.

The traverse to the east summit was terrific. It involved down-climbing or circumventing short, but beautiful bands of red argillite. Thankfully, this section was shielded from the wind. Another wind-assisted, easy plod to the east summit followed, where the wind returned in full force. Again, I was scrambling to find an area to take reprieve from its fury.

The primary goal for descent was to get out of the wind as soon as possible. I therefore bombed down the argillite slopes, heading south. Good decision – within minutes I was out of the wind and the red scenery was great. Lower down there was a short stint of heavy bushwhacking, but the wonders of GPS led me back to the trail only 100 m from the parking lot.

Probably not the last time I’ll visit the pleasant summits of Ruby Ridge.