Mount Ware

Mount Ware – November 11, 2005

Mountain height:       2,124 m (6,967 ft)
Elevation gain:           approximately 750 m
Ascent time:              4:40
Descent time:            2:30

Biking and hiking with Kevin.

A day of downgrading. Our initial objective was Mount Burns , via a 15 km bike ride along the Sheep Trail and then up the mountain’s southwest slopes. At the parking lot, low clouds and falling snow made the summit an unlikely realization, so we decided to go for Mount Rose . This also involved a lengthy bike approach, especially given that the Gorge Creek Trail (the road, not the hiking trail) was closed due to washouts earlier this year and therefore we had to bike approximately 4 km up that road too. The upside being that we would have the option to bail on Rose and settle for the more modest goal of Mount Ware, should circumstances dictate……they did.

The bike ride up the closed road was easy, if not a little tiring; the 8 km along Gorge Creek Trail (the hiking trail) was hellish (for me anyways – Kevin quite enjoyed it, I think?). The trail was heavily chewed up and frozen in places, required several creek crossings, was constantly going up and down, and we were off our bikes frequently, pushing them up steep hills - a great trail for the avid mountain biker, but not a whiny scrambler like me, who wants their long approach trails wide, smooth, and gently graded!

From the car, it took us 3 hours to get to the point where we could finally see a slither of Mount Rose and that peak was still a significant distance away. Kevin suggested we settle for Mount Ware and, in my present state of fatigue, I was more than happy to comply. Though nothing more than a rocky hill, lucky enough to receive an official title, the ascent was pleasant and surprisingly interesting and by now, the clouds had cleared, revealing the splendid scenery around us. As well, the summit panorama boasted terrific views of Bluerock, Rose, and Threepoint mountains. Shunga-la-she, Junction, and part of the massive Mount Burns were also prominent in the vista.

The descent was fast and easy (although we still had to push the bikes back up those terrible hills!) and the bike ride down Gorge Creek Trail (the road) was super exhilarating.

Although Kevin and I failed to recapture the thrill of last year’s Remembrance Day ascent of Gibraltar Mountain , the day was enjoyable and Mount Ware was a far more worthwhile objective than I was expecting.