Mount Helen and Flinsch Peak Glacier National Park September 25, 2019

Today was one last trip to the mountains before a significant snowfall forecast for this weekend.  We headed down to Two Medicine in Glacier National Park.  Our primary objective was to bag Mount Helen, but once we had done Helen we decided since Flinsch was right there...why not.  The approach up to Dawson pass was a long grunt of 10.5 km but we got up in good time.  The wind was of course blowing pretty strong but we got some relief from time to time behind rocks.  The views from each summit were amazing.  As I was coming up Helen, I thought that this was going to be a pretty uneventful summit view, but wow was it impressive.  Maybe it was the dusting of snow on Rockwell or the beautiful Upper Two Medicine lake below, but it was a great view to behold.  Flinsch was the same, we got a great view North and East towards Rising Wolf.  Great fall hike and ended up with almost 30 km for the day.

Beautiful fall colors in front of Pumpelly Pillar

More fall colors

Heading up Helen's summit ridge looking down on Two Medicine Lake and "no name" lake

Slog up Helen, not the most spectacular approach

The view on Helen was spectacular

Another view on Helen

Heading up Flinsch

The top of Flinsch was a nice scramble

Looking down towards Two Medicine Lake

Looking down as we come up Flinsch at Dawson Pass on the right and if you follow that ridge up...there is Helen

Looking East towards Rising Wolf

Looking north towards the Cut Bank area

Getting a glimpse of Mt. Stimson in the middle

Heading down the views were amazing

Another view of Dawson Pass on descent, notice Mt. St. Nicholas on the right of center (triangle shaped peak)

Track of Hike

Summit Video on Helen

Photo Sphere on Helen

Summit Video on Flinsch

Photo Sphere on Flinsch

Ski Retrieval Attempt #3 September 18, 2019 Waterton Lakes National Park

So since the Cameron Lake road is going to close soon to even bikes I figured I'd try one more time to find the ski, the last time the brush was too thick to see anything and I hoped that with the cooler weather the brush would have began to loose its foliage.  Well it was much better but I still couldn't find anything.  I think I know the general area where it is, but the alder bushes are so thick in that area I think it will be impossible to find it.  We'll see what the fall brings, if there is not much snow and they reopen the road again maybe I'll try again.

Lots of rubble on the road on the way up

Calm windless day at Cameron, it was however raining (it has rained on all three attempts up here)

It's somewhere in the middle of all that bush

Beautiful reflection of Mt. Custer

On the way up

That is about the spot where the ski fell off and slid down the mountain

This is some of the bush it is probably caught up in

More of the bush it is probably caught up in

Till next time Cameron Lake

Track of Hike

Photo sphere looking down on lake

Video looking at the bush

Southfork Mountain September 2, 2019 Castle Wildland

Today was another great day in the mountains.  We had tried this one in early spring but got turned back because the river crossing in the stream was way too high.  It was only about 2 feet deep this time.  This would be a pretty area to camp in and I think this is one area I'll have to come and camp at some day.  The ridge walk over to Barnaby Ridge would also be a good day as well but we didn't have time today.  The larches in this area are pretty good as well.  I think I'll return to this part of the world again.

River crossing

Great trail up to the Lakes

First of three lakes

2nd and 3rd lakes behind us as we scramble up to the summit ridge

Little patch of snow still visible on the way up

Tough to tell but those are are boys on that little rock pile in the middle

Great Larches on the way up

Looking down on the middle lake

Can see more of the third lake from this angle

Sink hole on the ridge walk

Great valley view looking west toward Castle Peak on right

Castle Mountain ski resort

Beaver Mines Lake in the middle

Rest on the unnamed high point of ridge walk

Can almost see all three lakes here

Track of Hike

Summit Video

Summit Photo Sphere

Mount Haig August 28, 2019 Castle Wildland Alberta

Today was a father and son outing, our usual wednesday group had all gone separate ways, so today I figured we'd do some more of the Castle area.  It was a good day, beautiful and clear.  Driving up I could see the horizon of mountains so clean and crisp, it has been great this year because there has been no forest fires...yet! So we started at the Huckleberry chair lift and worked our way all the way up.  Once we summited we noticed how small of a section the huckleberry run is.  We had a great clear vista on top.  We thought about bagging Gravenstafel Ridge on the way down but we decided we'll save that for another day.

Top of Huckleberry Chair

Cool burned tree on the way up

The ridge left of the shaded area is where we went up

First view of Haig Lake, a friends son died this spring skiing here

View of the ridge we went up, the rock was very crumbly and not very stable, but we made it up

We had a few tricky sections on the way up

Through the hard part

Final push to the summit ridge

The summit ridge

Carter on the summit looking west into B.C.

Looking back from the summit towards Castle Peak

East face of Haig on the way down

Haig mountain and lake

Big Larch tree on the way down

A bunch of trees had this moss on them, now sure why

2 months ago this bear grass would have been amazing

Back on the ski slopes

Photo Sphere on Summit

Summit Video