Ruby Ridge VIII   



November 13, 2022
 
Mountain height: 2420 m
Elevation gain:    870 m
Round-trip time:  4:50
 
Solo scramble.
 
Like Loaf Mountain, or more specifically, it’s lower outliers (The Muffin and The Croissant), Ruby Ridge has become one of those “go-to” mountains, when looking for something short and also when looking for alternate routes up a familiar objective.

  
 
After a thrilling day with Dave on “The Stirrup” 24 hours earlier, I had no intention of going out. However, Sunday, November 13 dawned clear and windless – staying inside was not an option!
 
As is often the case with unplanned trips I didn’t have an objective in mind heading into Waterton. Eventually, I settled on an experimental route up to the east peak of Ruby Ridge, starting a few kilometres west of the Crandell Lake parking lot. The route worked very well and though I shouldn’t have been pleasantly surprised by several sections of insanely cool rock (Ruby has it in spades!) I did find myself stopping far too often to enjoy it....

  

.....especially for the summit ridge, where traversing below the outrageously brilliant red argiilite rock bands is infintely more scenic than atop the ridge.

The other surprise of the day was to stumble across a fresh set of bear cub tracks in the snow. The mother’s tracks were nowhere to be seen. After a brief summit stay, I decided against going to the true summit and simply followed my tracks down.

Ruby delivers yet another satisfying punch!  
 

At the start. The route I took goes up the right skyline.



Trees and a small moon



Mount Lineham makes its first appearance



Sun hitting the first highpoint of the route



One small rock band to ascend but it turned out to be inconsequential



Mount Crandell is next to show up



...and then Buchanan Northeast



  Still heading right, towards the right skyline



The Sun is just about to emerge from behind Buchanan Northeast



Here comes winter!



View to the west



And here comes the sweet rock of Southern Alberta











Mount Rowe



Forum Peak and Akamina Ridge



Mount Galwey



The Moon is fainter but bigger!



Twisted Dead Tree - good name for a rock band (pun intended!)



Mount Crandell is getting some Sun but Crandell Lake is not



Snow, blue sky, and colourful rock  - simply the best



Even without the colourful rock, a gratifying scene



Nice balancing act



Finally a little Sun on the frozen lake below



Some burgundy coloured rock to whet my appetite















The green-tinged rock is also magnificent to look at



...especially when splashed with yellow lichen



Galwey North, Rogan Peak, and Mount Dungarvan join the view to the northeast



Back to the snow and blue sky



Rowe, Lineham, and the snowy true summit of Ruby Ridge



The next section of the ridge looks mildly interesting from afar



..but is way more than that!



One fantastic scene of rock and snow after another



















Bear paw print



Back to the rock











Looking down the ascent route



Approaching yet another cool section of rock



The very snowy northeast side of the mountain











I've got company. Thankfully the hoofed kind!



At the false summit, with a relatively short hike to the east summit ahead. But what a hike it was!



The red argillite on Ruby is epic!



Staying below the ridge to enjoy the rock



























Last red rock band before the summit



Of course the highest peak in Waterton, Piinaquiium / Ahkoinimahstakoo (Mount Blakiston), is going to dominate the view



The true summit of Ruby farther west



Massive chunk of argillite at the summit



More company at the top



Summit view to the northwest and north



Summit view to the west



Peaks to the west include Mount Rowe, Forum Peak, Akamina Ridge and in Glacier National Park, Rainbow Peak and Mount Kintla and Kinnerly



Cameron Lake and Mount Custer



The three summits of Buchanan Ridge: Northeast, The Middle Child (The Senator), and the true summit



Chief Mountain's (centre) distinctive shape makes it recognizable from great distances



Mount Cleveland's height (tallest mountain in Waterton and GNP) does the same



The true summit of Ruby in front of Mount Lineham



Mount Dungarvan



Galwey and company



Left to right: Newman Senior, Glendowan, and Cloudowan



Heading down



Another watchful pair of eyes



Beautiful animal, but a sad reminder for me of the LA Rams' disappointing 2022 season after winning the Super Bowl in February - onto 2023!



Thankfully it only takes some lichen on argillite to make me forget about the Rams!



Last look at the view to the east



Snow-encased trees and the view to the west



Last view of Crandell



The lower rock band again



Ice in the drainage



Back at the start

The End

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