Mount Howard – November 4, 2006        

Mountain height:    2777 m
Elevation gain:       approx. 1200 m   
Ascent time:          5:05
Descent time:        3:45

Scrambling with Mark.

With a nasty looking satellite photo, contradicting the somewhat optimistic forecast for the day, we chose to pick an objective in the Front Ranges – a strategy that has paid off in the past, especially at this time of the year, when picking objectives is a major challenge in itself.

Kevin had put Mount Howard out as a suggestion. Unfortunately, we couldn’t coordinate our schedules and so Mark and I set off to Elbow valley to try Howard on Saturday, with Kevin and Raff making an attempt on Sunday. The intended route involved hiking along Nihahi Creek and then up the south ridge of Mount Howard. The exceedingly long and less than thrilling approach, however, prompted us to seek a shorter route. That appeared to be the north ridge, via Canyon Creek – shorter approach, longer ridgewalk. 

It took us 1 hour, 20 minutes to hike approximately 5 km west along Canyon Creek, before we reached the start of the ridge. The sky was pleasantly clear where we were, but we could see nothing but dark clouds further west. As expected, the ridgewalk was long. Fortunately, it was also incredibly scenic - the new snow and clear skies adding immensely to the views.

The ridge twisted and turned and involved several elevation losses and regains. Though side-sloping would have shortened our ascent time and minimized the elevation gain, we chose to visit every highpoint along the way, to best enjoy the views. Unfortunately, the clouds did eventually start to move in and higher on the ridge we were hit by intensely strong winds. We slowed down the ascent at this point, hoping for clearer skies later in the day. The west remained cloudy, but we did get some sunny breaks at the summit, and a chance to enjoy a terrific summit view.  

After a brief sojourn down the south ridge, looking for potential extensions of the trip, we decided against it, due to the reduced hours of daylight, and returned to the summit. We did take a variation on descent by traversing the connecting ridge between Howard and Compression Ridge and then descending a ridge between the two mountains. Not a terribly challenging route up Mount Howard, but well worthwhile for the scenery, views, and terrific ridgewalk.   

Mount Howard (centre) and its north ridge, as seen from Mount Bryant

Hiking along Canyon Creek

Mark passes the impressive cliffs of Bryant's southeast face

One of numerous unnamed peaks west of Howard

Approaching the start of the north ridge

Slogging up snow slopes

Beautiful snow scenery

The wind picks up

Mark comes up the ridge, with Bryant to the left

Mount Bryant

Part of Compression Ridge to the east

Mark checks out Compression Ridge

The entire north ridge, with the summit at the left

Heading up to the next highpoint

More blustery weather

...followed by calm weather (but only for a few seconds!)

Looking to the summit, a long way off

Interesting wind-blown snow

More ridge

A small rock outcrop on the ridge

More ridge

Heading down to the col of the second last highpoint; summit in the centre

The summit (left) and the last highpoint (right)

At the last highpoint, with the summit ahead

Mark, with the last highpoint behind

The final few metres to the summit; Romulus at the far right

At the summit, with Fullerton, Glasgow, Remus, and Romulus behind

Mark at the summit, with the view to the north behind

Mark starts down the south ridge; the long ridge of Nihahi in the background

Me, coming down the ridge

More of the south ridge

Mark sits near the edge of the precipitous east face of Howard

Me, doing the same

Mark returns to the summit

A last look at the view to the south

Mark looks back at Howard from the ridge that connects Howard to Compression Ridge

 The full moon and wispy clouds from Canyon Creek, late in the day

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