DOGS ON PEAKS

Tower SW Ridge (1,000 m elev. gain)

View back down to Rummel Lake from a high point on The Tower SW ridge in mid-August.

(Kona’s “grandad” was last here Oct 8, 1988 looking for a scramble route to The Tower summit, but encountered a 10 m overhang that required a 600m+ elevation loss / regain, so obviously not the recommended route unless equipped for a short rappel. Was no previous register, so left a new register container with an airline bottle of Kaluha for the next visitor. Before month’s end Rick Collier called to say thanks!)

Smoky view to west of Mt. Shark and Spray Lakes Reservoir.

Summit of The Tower deceptively just an easy scramble away, except for a hidden 10 m overhang.

Mt. Smuts and The Fist across the valley. Tent Ridge high point at right.

Butterfly on Moss Campion.

Fireweed alongside the descent scree slope, Commonwealth Ridge, Commonwealth Peak, Pig’s Tail and Mt. Birdwood behind.

Lots of pollinators out today.

Roseroot (maybe) on scree slopes.

Silky Scorpionweed on scree slopes.

Silky Scorpionweed (purple), Umbrella Plant / Wild Buckwheat (white / pink), and Alpine Forget-Me-Not (blue) on scree slopes.

Some type of Saxifrage (Spotted maybe) on scree slopes.

Common Stonecrop on scree slopes.

Mountain Meadow Cinquefoil (maybe) on scree slopes.

Alpine Forget-Me-Not and Long-stalked Starwort on scree slopes.

Long-stalked Starwort (maybe) on scree slopes

Fringed Grass of Parnassus on trail to Rummel Lake.

Pearly Everlasting on trail to Rummel Lake.

Common Yarrow on trail to Rummel Lake.

Nodding Campion / Apetalous Catchfly in seed on scree slopes.

Woolly Fleabane (maybe) on scree slopes.

Three Lakes Valley (600 m elev. gain)

View across the valley at Mt. Sir Douglas, Robertson and others from Three Lakes Valley between Gusty Peak and Mt. Galatea in early August.

Still some snow at 2,450 m elevation.

Western Roseroot / Ledge Stonecrop along the trail.

White Thistle / Hooker’s Thistle above lower lake.

Wild Strawberry along the trail.

Gunnery Mtn. (600 m elev. gain)

Kona on Gunnery Mountain in early August. Raspberry Ridge, our previous hike, at left skyline.

A nice cool 10.5C with windchill at 9:15am.

Foraging bear, seemingly oblivious to its audience.

View down the ridge.

Raspberry Ridge (645 m elev. gain)

Raspberry Ridge Fire Lookout August 1st, 9:45 am, early start to avoid the hottest part of a hot day.

View to NE, the Calgary skyline is apparently visible from here on a clear day.

Mount Head and Holy Cross Mountain to the north.

Fording River Pass to the NW with Baril Peak and Mount Bolton at right.

White Camas / Mountain Death Camas on ridge.

Rough-leaved Alumroot on ridge.

White / Richardson’s Geranium in a boggy area along the trail.

False Dandelion along the trail.

Brown-eyed Susan / Wild Gaillardia along the trail.

Purple Fleabane along the trail.

Rocky Mountain Goldenrod along the trail.

Woolly Packera along the ridge.

Common (or other type of) Stonecrop near the ridge top.

Type of Saxifrage along the ridge.

Umbrella Plant / Wild Buckwheat near the ridge.

Cow Parsnip along the trail.

Stanley Glacier Trail (615 m elev. gain)

Kona cooling off at high point of Stanley Glacier trail loop at end of July.

View of Mt. Whymper, a nice scramble peak, across the Vermilion River Valley. (Edward Whymper made the ill-fated first ascent of the Matterhorn and wrote the classic “Scrambles Amongst the Alps”.)