Scrambles and Summits Summit Logs

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/21/2011 7:07:02 AM

Today marked my twenty-ninth trip up Prairie Mountain. My first trip was back in October of 2004, and on that trip and every single trip since then I have taken a summit reading with a GPS. The summit reading is almost always a waypoint averaging of approximately fifteen minutes, but ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/21/2011 6:23:10 AM

A solo outing with the new Garmin 62s and the old 60Cx which I've been using faithfully to record summit coordinates for some time now. Which will prove more accurate? More precise? Stay tuned.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/21/2011 6:18:35 AM

Here is is, two months later, and I don't remember this trip. The GPS says I went however.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 8/8/2011 3:08:09 AM

Another evening ascent, this time with cousin Brenna visiting from Ontario. Met a young guy pushing his bike up to the summit. He said it takes him 10 minutes to get down.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 8/1/2011 2:08:00 AM

A quick run up as I had just about run out of July. A warm morning, but a wind started up on the way down so maybe others weren't getting sweat in their eyes like I was. After completing the Glasgow-Banded Traverse last week, I could no longer hear the ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/30/2011 7:40:10 AM

A late evening ascent not long after the solstice. Taylor joined Bern, Erin and I to make it a foursome. We had the summit to ourselves.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 5/16/2011 2:09:20 AM

Most of the snow is gone, even though we got a ton of it. Strangely, the wind today was from the south. Also the first day Powderface Trail is open for 2011.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 4/4/2011 6:01:07 AM

An early spring dump put a lot of snow down on Calgary on Friday and Saturday. I figured a late start would give others the chance to break trail. As it was, I left trailhead at 10:20 and I was the third one up. Fortunately, the snow, while heavy, wasn't ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 3/15/2011 5:29:54 AM

Could spring be on the way? We saw hikers in shorts and shirtless. Still a little chilly for that methinks, but others differ.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 2/14/2011 6:39:07 AM

Last month it was an extreme of cold; this month an extreme of wind. A nice chinook was blowing like crazy, and not just at the summit elevations. The parking area and ridge were noisy with air movement. Luckily the trees kept us sheltered, but we knew we'd be hit ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 1/31/2011 6:21:14 AM

I made a mistake on a hike about a month ago. I mentioned that I actually missed my monthly Prairie Mountain outings. Apparently I also used the term "New Years Resolution", so I was on the hook for it. January starts slipping by, and suddenly I have only one weekend ...

Summit Log on Mount Loomis by ddmac

ddmac — 1/19/2011 6:31:35 AM

We (Brent, Shelly and I) got our usual early start from the Lineham Day Use Area (in fact just before sunrise) for our trip to the Loomis Summit. It was the perfect morning and the run down through fords of the Highwood River and Loomis Creek to our stop at ...

Summit Log on Windy Point Ridge by reastick

reastick — 1/18/2011 7:30:13 AM

Brutal cold in Calgary, but somehow things sounded warmer in the mountains. We left town at around -17C, and things didn't seem to warm up as we drove south. Just short of the parking area, we came across the largest herd of elk I have ever seen. There must have ...

Summit Log on Ha Ling Peak by reastick

reastick — 11/21/2010 8:35:15 PM

This was supposed to be a Saturday outing with Erin, but somehow it ended up being just me and Bern. The drive out from Calgary was windy, so we suspected the summit stay would be a short one. Although the hike up was pleasantly warm, the summit did prove to ...

Summit Log on Coffin Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/9/2010 8:08:13 AM

A solo outing, mostly so I could catch up on my podcasts. I thought this would be a laid-back day, and I was proven correct. While not a challenging hike, there's enough rock on the ascent ridge to keep things interesting. A rainbow accompanied me for just about the whole ...

Summit Log on Mount Tyrwhitt by reastick

reastick — 10/23/2010 7:16:41 PM

Rob and I decided on an October attack of Tyrwhitt for a few reasons, including the fact that Highwood Pass was still open and there was a remarkable lack of snow in the mountains all week. Sure enough, the day before the planned outing we get some snow. Still, Saturday ...

Summit Log on Loder Peak by farzad

farzad — 10/4/2010 7:49:11 AM

Loder Peak is a surpassingly fun scramble and now one of my favourite front range outings. In fact I would recommend this ridge over Heart Mountain especially if you combine it with a descent via Jura Creek. The south ridge that rises to Door Jamb and Loder Peak is quite ...

Summit Log on Courcelette Peak by reastick

reastick — 9/1/2010 6:55:33 AM

Courcelette Peak is not a summit that one might be attracted to normally, but a while ago the survey monument on the summit was selected as a Brass Cap Cache. So, Courcelette Peak went on my to-do list. Much later, as I was putting my panorama from Nose Hill together, ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2010 3:21:30 AM

Today's ascent completes the 12-month experiment. I've now hiked up Prairie Mountain once per calendar month for the last 12 months. Now what will I do? Maybe I should keep it up. I thought a day in the rain would be a good way to try out the new Gore-Tex ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 7/18/2010 11:39:40 PM

For July's outing, James and I thought we'd head up to see if the Stampede Fireworks show was worth seeing from 50km away on the summit of Prairie Mountain. We timed our arrival on the summit just after sundown. We were about 30 minutes ahead of the expected 10:45pm start ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 7/2/2010 2:19:14 AM

Suddenly June was close to being finished. If I was going to complete the once-a-month-for-a-year experiment, I would have to do an evening ascent of Prairie Mountain. This time of year, it should be no problem. I had the mountain to myself. Interestingly, a strong squall blew in just as ...

Summit Log on Syncline Mountain Peak 3 by reastick

reastick — 7/2/2010 1:31:07 AM

Continued from Syncline Mountain. Nugara describes the route to the third peak as dropping off from the second peak to the southwest; the direct route northward cliffs out. Well, we looked over the southwest edge and pondered just what he meant. We decided on the least-scary option and began a ...

Summit Log on Syncline Mountain by reastick

reastick — 7/2/2010 1:29:46 AM

Continued from Syncline Mountain Peak 1. The trip to the second peak starts with a pleasant enough amble, but eventually we are confronted with interesting gendarmes. The Nugaras spent a bit of time trying to figure out a route through this area, and we had the benefit of Andrew's description. ...

Summit Log on Syncline Mountain Peak 1 by reastick

reastick — 7/2/2010 1:28:11 AM

On occasion I can still be convinced to go search for a brass cap survey marker, if it is in an interesting place and I'll be joined by good company. Such was the case for this trip. Our target would be the brass cap on Syncline Mountain, with the possibility ...

Summit Log on East End of Rundle by reastick

reastick — 6/13/2010 8:55:37 PM

After a week of rain, we get a superb weekend. EEOR is pretty much clean of snow, so why not a return trip with Brian and Lisa? The Goat Creek parking lot is pretty crowded today, but most are heading for Ha Ling Peak or for a cycle down to ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 5/25/2010 5:33:31 AM

This trip designed to give me time to think through last night's Lost finale, and get in May's Prairie Mountain ascent. I liked the finale, but it appears many didn't. Lots of people on the trail today. No excitement on the summit, but I passed a parasailer on his way ...

Summit Log on San Jacinto Peak by reastick

reastick — 4/25/2010 1:07:34 AM

Although I live nowhere near Mount San Jacinto, it had taunted me since I first flew south for Coachella 2008. A return visit for Coachella 2009 included a trip up the tram. After this, it was decided: If I made it back for Coachella 2010 I would get up this ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 4/11/2010 8:26:09 PM

For this month I decided to see how fast I could do the trip. Years ago we met a guy who had just finished running up to the summit. I don't rememebr his time, but I was pretty sure I'd never hit it. But, a steady brisk hiking pace on ...

Summit Log on Kent Ridge North Summit by reastick

reastick — 3/26/2010 8:36:56 PM

It recently occurred to me that I hadn't done a snowshoe scramble yet this winter. I figured our best bet would be a western slope somewhere along Smith-Dorrien Spray Trail, and so we settled on this route from Nugara's book. Parking at Sawmill and looking at the route ahead, it ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 3/16/2010 6:09:15 AM

A more adventurous solo outing was cancelled when I read the avalanche report in the morning. This would have to be March's Prairie Mountain outing. No avalanche danger there, right? I got off to an early start by refusing to subscribe to Daylight Savings Time until I got home. I ...

Summit Log on McConnell Ridge by reastick

reastick — 3/13/2010 4:40:42 AM

I had originally planned to get out on Sunday, but the Gold Medal Hockey Game set for that day convinced me that maybe I should get out on Saturday instead. This proved to be an excellent choice. So, not having planned or packed anything in the morning, I just made ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 2/20/2010 9:34:01 PM

February's trip up Prairie Mountain was an opportunity to get Erin some fresh air. I think this is her first summit, if you ignore Sulphur Mountain and Tunnel Mountain. Valeria joined us today. This was her first hike in Canada, but she's done some in the Urals. I'm only disappointed ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by Chris V

Chris V — 1/19/2010 9:33:09 AM

Today was just one of those days where the energy level built up to the point that I had to get out just to blow some carbon out of the pipes. I decided at about noon that I needed to get out, and was on the road to Prairie Mountain ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 1/2/2010 9:37:08 AM

Happy New Years. Alas, I couldn't get anyone else in the family out with me, so yet another solo assault. It was -20C when I left Calgary, and +2C when I got out of the car. Hiked much of the trail in shirt sleeves. Saw one gentleman on the summit ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 12/30/2009 12:44:20 AM

Relatively warm weather and a three-quarters moon prevailed, so I thought an evening hike up Prairie Mountain might yield some interesting long-exposure shots of Calgary. So, I lugged my cheap tripod and heavy lens up the slippery trail in the twilight. I was able to summit by moonlight without breaking ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/30/2009 5:56:48 AM

November's outing to Prairie Mountain is a solo outing. I'm now up to three months in a row. Strangely, on the way up I overtook a couple I had met on the same mountain a month or two previous. (Can't remember which trip it was.) The gentleman in the couple ...

Summit Log on Mount Fullerton by reastick

reastick — 11/24/2009 7:08:31 AM

Chris suggested that we tackle something on Powderface Trail before the road closed. Mount Fullerton was on my panorama to-do list, but Chris had been up it before years ago (with Doug Dog) and I was surprised when he suggested it. But, why not? It didn't sound like it would ...

Summit Log on Moose Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/15/2009 10:21:35 PM

Continued from Jumpingpound Mountain. After sidling along the berm at the Husky well site, we started up the slopes to the northwest ridge of Moose Mountain. This ridge is a very prominent whaleback from Nose Hill in Calgary, so I was looking forward to hiking along it. With the snow ...

Summit Log on Jumpingpound Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/15/2009 10:08:03 PM

The snows have come, so Chris and I weren't sure what to go for. Chris wanted more to just go for a hike, and I was cool with that. Chris suggested doing Potter's ridgewalk from Jumpingpound Mountain to Moose Mountain. I had tried this years earlier, but was turned back ...

Summit Log on Corkscrew Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/10/2009 7:48:06 AM

Not as much of a challenge as we might have thought. We actually hit the summit at 8:39am, even after driving out from Calgary. There were some views to the east, but the trees of the west slopes hid our view of Limestone Mountain.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 10/26/2009 6:35:20 AM

A quick outing with Bern and Shannon. We counted 29 people on their way up while we were on our way down. And this was about 1:30pm.

Summit Log on South Peak McDougall Range by reastick

reastick — 9/20/2009 10:01:29 PM

Usually when I write these trip reports, there's a single underlying theme to the story. Today's trip has four themes: the first scramble using my new bike as an approach vehicle, exploration up a cool valley that looks to have never seen human activity, verification that the Spray Lakes topo ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 9/15/2009 6:26:16 AM

Not sure why we were out on a Tuesday... must have been a Ferris Bueller day. This was not long after I wiped out on my bike (in the parking lot) on our Banded Peak trip, so I remember using my camera case as a bit of a sling. No ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 9/15/2009 6:16:41 AM

I think we were up here looking for geocaches. Weather was socked in. Sadly, on the way up we were passed by some guy with a paraglider in his pack. He was moving, but unfortunately the weather didn't clear for him and he never launched.

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 9/15/2009 6:09:29 AM

Even though a day on Prairie Mountain is now really just a better day than being at the gym, I think I'm still going to track all my trips. When we used to live in Banff we used to hike Tunnel Mountain and Sulphur Mountain for a workout, and I ...

Summit Log on Tornado Mountain by ddmac

ddmac — 9/5/2009 7:32:08 AM

After two earlier attempts at the Tornado Summit that we called off just short of our goal due to significant weather, we decided that the forecast for today looked promising and knew the benefit of an early start with the unpredictable weather patterns along the divide. Tyler and I met ...

Summit Log on Crowsnest Mountain by reastick

reastick — 9/1/2009 7:07:17 AM

A Sunday outing as the summer wanes. Today's party comprised Don, Larry, and Larry's son Matt. After our rather early 5:30am departure from Calgary, small talk soon turned to discussions of earlier departures by these guys in the past, so I counted myself lucky to get the sleep I did. ...

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 6:37:05 PM

Over years of working with Terry, I often mentioned that he should come out west from Boston to try some backpacking in the Rockies. This year he was able to get away for a week, so I thought why not start with the best hike in the Rockies? Northover Ridge. ...

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 3:27:31 AM

Date approximate. A return trip with Fadi. On the second day we met up with Rhonda the Red Haired Ranger, who was doing the loop as part of her job. Not a bad job.

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 3:23:27 AM

Date extremely approximate. This was a one-day trip with Kevin and Bruce. We decided that doing the loop in one day required use of bikes along Upper Kananaskis Lake. Imagine our surprise to find a brand new NO BIKES sign at the end of Upper Lake parking lot. We chose ...

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 3:10:35 AM

A return trip, this time with Bruce, Bruce, and Mark. I don’t remember a lot about the trip, except for the satellite-watching we did after dark at Aster Lake. And, of course, except for the dump of snow we got at Three Isle Lake. On the August 1 long weekend, ...

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 2:47:51 AM

Date approximate. This was my third attempt at Northover Ridge during the summer of 1987. This time, things worked out. Two other guys rolled into Aster Lake on the first day. On the second day they caught up to me heading up to Tarns Col. It seemed they knew me, ...

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 2:31:07 AM

A second attempt at Northover Ridge, this time with Bern. Once again, we're turned around at Tarns Col by inclement weather.

Summit Log on Northover Ridge by reastick

reastick — 8/23/2009 12:36:11 AM

Date approximate. My first attempt at Northover Ridge. Can't remember exactly when it was, but it was sometime during the summer of 1987. Made it to Aster Lake no problem, camping by Foch Creek. Had the whole place to myself. Ultimately turned around at Tarns Col (where you first step ...

Summit Log on White Man Mountain East Summit by reastick

reastick — 7/31/2009 6:34:33 AM

After booking our vacation at Talus Lodge, I began to look for scrambling opportunities in the area. I could tell, however, that the lodge owners were (understandably) leery about letting Bern and I venture off and creating a liability for them. So, I resigned myself to a nice vacation of ...

Summit Log on The Talonette by reastick

reastick — 7/31/2009 6:03:45 AM

Day 3 of our stay at Talus Lodge. Dan the Guide took us up on the south plateau where we marvelled at the expansive stromatolite beds. These stromatolites look pretty different from the purported ones on Mount Cory, so I'm not sure they're the same thing. From the stromatolite beds ...

Summit Log on GR395417 by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2009 2:31:42 AM

Continued from here. Although we were sure that we would be able to bail off the ridge in many different places if we ran into difficulties, our next objective did seem quite far away. We could see two obstacles that might end the day for us: First, there was a ...

Summit Log on GR408436 by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2009 2:29:54 AM

Continued from here. The route from Peak 3 to Peak 4 looked straightforward from the summit of Peak 3. The only challenge was in figuring out why there was such an obvious game trail just below the ridgeline. What were the sheep bypassing? After getting down to the col, Chris ...

Summit Log on GR411445 by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2009 2:27:36 AM

Continued from here. From the summit of Peak 2 we surveyed the route over to Peak 3. A couple problems presented themselves. First, to descend off Peak 2 we would have to negotiate some very interesting rock formations which I assumed were the result of wind action on the young ...

Summit Log on GR426441 by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2009 2:25:47 AM

Continued from here. Peak 2 beckoned us from the north, but we hadn't anticipated how much elevation we would have to lose to get there. It was too early to start moaning, however, so we headed out down the north slope of Peak 1. Things were a little steeper than ...

Summit Log on GR435427 by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2009 2:24:02 AM

After our quick outing to the ridges of North Canyon Creek, Chris emailed to remind me that this area had been on his list for some time. He wanted to do some more exploring on the peaks up there, and after having seen what I had seen, I was game ...

Summit Log on Old Baldy Mountain by mirbach

mirbach — 6/23/2009 6:39:13 AM

Three Rocky Mountain Ramblers were up a day before reastik. Also via the west ridge

Summit Log on End Mountain by mirbach

mirbach — 6/23/2009 6:34:44 AM

Four strong scramblers climbed Association Peak (see that summit log) and continued on to End Mountain. We went away around on ledges around the west side of the ridge between the two and finally found a break in the cliffs on a western buttress of End Mtn. There is an ...

Summit Log on Association Peak by mirbach

mirbach — 6/23/2009 6:27:34 AM

Four scramblers (all members of the Rocky Mountain Ramblers) climbed Association Peak. We took the drainage that runs north to south on the west side of Association all the way from Old Fort Creek to the col west of Association. There are a few bits that would qualify as moderate ...

Summit Log on GR408436 by reastick

reastick — 6/20/2009 10:01:15 PM

A Friday Ferris Bueller day to break in Bern's new hiking shoes. The forecast called for afternoon thundershowers, so we really didn't plan on a complete day. We thought we'd just go exploring and see where we got to. About halfway along the ridge, we discovered that the terrain got ...

Summit Log on Mount Joffre by reastick

reastick — 6/15/2009 5:47:29 AM

Date approximate. This was a fantastic outing. Still my favorite time in the mountains. Bruce Milne, Mark Retzer, Bernie Eastick and I headed in to Aster Lake one day in August 1989. At least, that's when I think it was. The trip into Aster Lake was uneventful enough that as ...

Summit Log on Mount Joffre by reastick

reastick — 6/15/2009 5:36:14 AM

Date approximate. Sean Forestell, Bruce Milne and I headed in to Aster Lake to give Mount Joffre a June attempt. Bad idea in 1988. The first day in to Aster Lake was spent postholing. I can't remember how long the trek in was, but we were pretty tired when we ...

Summit Log on Mount Livingstone by reastick

reastick — 6/14/2009 8:25:21 PM

Mount Livingstone was on the list for our December outing to this area. We had planned to do Windy-Hornecker-Saddle-Livingstone, but suboptimal weather and a bad read of the map left us with only two of the four complete. Part of the problem with getting to this area is that it ...

Summit Log on Ha Ling Peak by reastick

reastick — 5/25/2009 6:02:16 AM

After taking my daughter Shannon down to the Coachella festival for the second year, she owed me big. I think she understood this, so she reluctantly agreed to accompany me up Ha Ling Peak. That would be a good start. Weather was spring-like, but there was still lots of snow ...

Summit Log on Wasootch Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 5/11/2009 3:22:39 AM

A quick return trip to Wasootch Peak. For details and photos follow the trip report link.

Summit Log on Mount Gordon by mirbach

mirbach — 4/24/2009 7:37:46 AM

Six Rocky Mountain Ramblers climbed to the top of Mount Gordon on day one of our Bow-Yoho ski traverse. Our route is described in Chic Scott's "Summits and Icefields".

Summit Log on Crowfoot Mountain by mirbach

mirbach — 4/24/2009 7:33:32 AM

Three Rocky Mountain Ramblers did the ski ascent as described in Chic Scott's "Summits and Icefields" book.

Summit Log on Mount Baldy South Summit by reastick

reastick — 4/12/2009 8:40:14 PM

Still lots of snow in the mountains, so an Easter outing would have to be near the foothills and relatively sun-baked. I'd always been intrigued by the ridge heading north from Baldy Pass, and Potter's Ridgewalks book made it sound interesting enough. The trail up to Baldy Pass was travelled ...

Summit Log on Wasootch Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 4/5/2009 2:06:27 AM

An attempt on Wasootch Peak that was aborted due to snow conditions. Photos available by following trip report link above.

Summit Log on Ole Buck Mountain by Chris V

Chris V — 3/31/2009 2:30:37 AM

I was looking for a hike that would keep me out of avalanche territory. I remembered that j2d2 had hidden a geocache up on Ole Buck Mountain in the Sibbald Flats area, so that was the inspiration for this destination. A couple of heavy snowfalls over the last week meant ...

Summit Log on McConnell Ridge by reastick

reastick — 3/28/2009 8:10:57 PM

We only intended this to be a workout outing, but it ended up being tougher than expected because of the snow. The blue skies made for a really nice day, although almost all my pictures with the new camera ended up with a nasty blue cast.

Summit Log on Little Lougheed by reastick

reastick — 3/17/2009 6:10:30 AM

A return winter visit to Little Lougheed. I had tried this about a year ago, but conditions were such that a solo outing was pretty draining. I returned this year with Chris.And a good thing he came along. Conditions were almost exactly the same 14 months later: Tough upper crust ...

Summit Log on Coliseum Mountain by reastick

reastick — 3/15/2009 6:01:39 AM

Our original plan was to try the official lookout on Shunda Mountain, but the road is not cleared in winter and therefore too much of an approach. Coliseum Mountain proved to be an exceptional backup plan. It appears that the trail is maintained by the Nordegg locals. Thanks guys! We ...

Summit Log on Sugarloaf Lookout by reastick

reastick — 1/20/2009 9:26:48 AM

Avalanche conditions remained foreboding, so I decided maybe I'd better pick up Mike Potter's Fire Lookouts book. Chris and I decided that there was a cluster of lookouts down south we could head towards. If there was access problems with one (who knows what roads close when?), we could maybe ...

Summit Log on Cascade Mountain by reastick

reastick — 1/1/2009 1:04:00 AM

Date approximate. At this point I had been to Alberta for about a month, and this was my second big scramble (First Peak of Rundle was the first.) On this trip I was accompanied by the person who would become my wife (Bern), and her brother (Jim). Also, a Quebecker ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 1/1/2009 12:50:40 AM

I was hit with a cold on Boxing Day, and then to top things off I took a non-drowsy cold pill before bed and ended up staring at the ceiling for hours the previous evening. So, I wasn't up for much more than a half-day outing to Prairie Mountain. Conditions ...

Summit Log on Mount Hornecker by reastick

reastick — 12/13/2008 10:25:20 PM

Continued from Windy Peak.After deciding to head to Mount Hornecker and then consider a direct route to Mount Livingstone, we headed down the south face of Windy Peak, kicking steps into the firm snow. Once back into the drainage we picked some some game trails on the Mount Hornecker scree. ...

Summit Log on Windy Peak by reastick

reastick — 12/13/2008 10:10:41 PM

Determining when the mountain roads close in Alberta is a challenge, given that they all seem to close on different days and there isn't really a single site you can visit to get this information. I was able to discern that Highway 542 stayed open all winter, but that it ...

Summit Log on Missinglink Mountain by mirbach

mirbach — 12/1/2008 9:17:05 AM

Eight Rocky Mountain Ramblers walked up the west side to the high point and then continued on to the north taking in the open areas marked in white on the topo map. This is a pleasant off-trail walk, not a scramble. Note that Hwy 546 is closed Dec 1 - ...

Summit Log on Mount Howard by reastick

reastick — 11/17/2008 6:18:41 AM

Winds 20km/hr gusting to 40, 60 in the mountain passes.So said the forecast for our planned return to Mount Howard. Our first attempt was foiled last year by snow, and our second attempt was foiled last week by the 2008 Kananaskis Rally. But, with Powderface Trail closing in two weeks, ...

Summit Log on Porcupine Ridge by reastick

reastick — 11/11/2008 10:28:32 PM

Our plan for the day was Mount Howard, as Powderface Trail was going to close soon and there's very little snow in the front ranges. But, as we were foiled by the Calgary Sports Car Club and their Kananaskis Rally, we needed a Plan B. Not having any guidebooks or, ...

Summit Log on Mount Howard by reastick

reastick — 11/11/2008 10:18:26 PM

I too was bested by the Calgary Sports Car Club. Some peaks take me three attempts; here's hoping this was attempt #2 on Mount Howard.

Summit Log on Mount Howard by Chris V

Chris V — 11/10/2008 5:44:16 AM

Powderface Road was closed for the day due to a car rally. Great, and no back up plan.

Summit Log on Mount Kidd (South Peak) by mirbach

mirbach — 11/9/2008 10:15:08 AM

Six Calgary Outdoor Club members climbed Mt Kidd's South Peak. But it was so socked in that we were only sure we were at the right spot because there was a cairn and register. Hence the poor rating above.

Summit Log on Sheep Mountain by mirbach

mirbach — 11/9/2008 9:51:41 AM

Eight Rocky Mtn Ramblers climbed Sheep Mtn via Beaver Creek. One descended the south ridge of Sheep Mtn to Ridge Creek, the others ascended to Coffin Mtn and descended it's south ridge to Ridge Creek.

Summit Log on Coffin Mountain by mirbach

mirbach — 11/9/2008 9:48:21 AM

Seven Rocky Mtn Ramblers added a "bonus" to a planned trip to Sheep Mtn by climbing Coffin Mtn from the east side. It is very steep climbing from the col between the two, but would not be a scramble. The first part of the climb on snowy vegetation was worse ...

Summit Log on Pasque Mountain by reastick

reastick — 11/8/2008 10:03:17 PM

We got lucky with the weather on this one: The divide peaks to the west were socked in with cloud all day, but a mere 10km east we had high ceiling all day. Although the light stayed grey all day, we never lacked a view. We were optimistic about our ...

Summit Log on Banded Peak by mirbach

mirbach — 11/7/2008 8:16:11 AM

Two Calgary Outdoor Club members completed the trip, pretty much as described by reastik (except we didn't get lost finding the bridge over the Little Elbow river). It was amazing to climb it at this time of year with zero snow. 8 hours round trip at a steady pace with ...

Summit Log on Waputik Peak by mirbach

mirbach — 10/26/2008 4:28:11 AM

Five Rocky Mountain Ramblers summitted this peak August 7, 2008. The views, on a beautiful day, are absolutely spectacular. It seems amazing that a peak that is so obvious from the highway is climbed so infrequently. It's the peak that splits the Jasper and Golden highways north of Louise. The ...

Summit Log on Midnight Peak by mirbach

mirbach — 10/26/2008 2:21:52 AM

Three Rocky Mountain Ramblers climbed this summit Oct 15, 2008. We used the Baldy Pass trail until it's high point, then turned right and followed the north ridge up to the summit. This is also not really a scramble in Rambler terms as one could do any part of it ...

Summit Log on Isola Peak by mirbach

mirbach — 10/24/2008 11:43:47 PM

Five members of the Rocky Mountain Ramblers hiked to Isola Peak on Oct 23, 2008. See the Ramblers trip report for more information and photos. Notes: - The route we took would not be a scramble in Rambler terms, no hands are required at any point if one takes the ...

Summit Log on Rimwall Summit by reastick

reastick — 10/15/2008 3:00:10 AM

A scrambling outing on Thanksgiving is starting to become a tradition for me. I think I'm turned around about as often as I summit, but I suppose the weather and choice of summit has a lot to do with that. This summit proved to be pretty straightforward, except for maybe ...

Summit Log on Snow Peak by reastick

reastick — 10/1/2008 7:49:04 AM

A nice Sunday outing on a fall day after a number of scramble-free weeks. I joined Kyle, Dave, Don, and Peter. As with many peaks in the Rockies, little Snow Peak had stymied me in the past. One ski attempt in the 80's was turned back by high winds, and ...

Summit Log on Mount Wintour by dan2see

dan2see — 8/21/2008 8:09:24 AM

I started at the parking lot, and simply bush-whacked my way up as high as I could go. About 300 meters above the creek, I traversed a scree slope, and reached a cliff band. This rock looks pretty good, I'd gladly scramble it if I had a partner, and maybe ...

Summit Log on Exshaw Mountain by dan2see

dan2see — 8/21/2008 7:48:18 AM

We did not know where the route might be, but this is just a small mountain, so we figured it's gotta be easy. We started in the village, at the children's playground, and simply followed the slabs directly uphill. To avoid going over the big drop-off, we climbed the scree. ...

Summit Log on Mount Lougheed (Peak 3) by reastick

reastick — 8/4/2008 5:58:24 AM

Continued from Lougheed Peak 2. The traverse to Peak 3 is essentially a pleasant walk along a wide scree col. Although the slope to the summit is somewhat steep, the scree was pretty solid and we made good time. Forty-five minutes after leaving the summit of Peak 2, we stood ...

Summit Log on Mount Lougheed (Peak 2) by reastick

reastick — 8/4/2008 5:56:38 AM

Mount Lougheed presents a striking profile from Calgary. Along with Mount Sparrowhawk and Wind Mountain, its three summits form an impressive skyline, and the closer you get to it the steeper its northeast cliffs appear. The Mount Lougheed traverse (which also includes Wind Mountain) is a significant alpine undertaking, so ...

Summit Log on Old Baldy Mountain by reastick

reastick — 7/27/2008 12:45:33 AM

For some reason, some peaks take three tries for me. My first try at Old Baldy Mountain was last winter, and I was turned back by snow. Another attempt a few weeks ago was ended because of a lack of willpower. So, on this third attempt I had a bit ...

Summit Log on Grizzly Peak by reastick

reastick — 7/14/2008 6:12:07 AM

A half-day hike today as we had to be home for the return of one of the teenagers. Even though we started later than anticipated, we were only the second ones at the parking area. The trail is well-beaten, and later in the day I would see why: This is ...

Summit Log on Mount Lawrence Grassi by reastick

reastick — 7/1/2008 8:44:45 PM

The forecast called for heat and afternoon thundershowers, so I made an early start. I managed to beat the heat and the thundershowers, and many of my photos had perfect lighting. Here's to getting up early! The ascent of Mount Lawrence Grassi is described in Kane's book, but the start ...

Summit Log on The Windtower by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2008 10:32:07 PM

Another hike with Brian and Lisa. I'm getting quite familiar with this little peak now, but that's OK because it's fun. As we were leaving Canmore, we saw some signs that the long-delayed Mount Nestor burn was going to happen today. We hoped we would still have views from the ...

Summit Log on Pasque Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2008 10:21:06 PM

In picking Pasque Mountain as an objective, I underestimated how far into the mountains it was, and therefore underestimated the amount of snow to plow through. My day ended before noon in waist-deep corn snow. I'm not sure snowshoes would have helped, had I brought them. I should have suspected ...

Summit Log on Junction Lookout by reastick

reastick — 6/7/2008 11:14:59 PM

Still lots of snow in the mountains, so another outing in the front ranges was called for. Rain was called for late in the day, so we got an early start. The route is another straightforward fire road ascent; however, this one is longer than most and involves a ford ...

Summit Log on Bull Creek Hills by reastick

reastick — 5/25/2008 2:46:24 AM

A Victoria Day outing with Bern, Brian, and Lisa. The weather had started to turn after a beautiful couple of days, but not so much that a hike was out of the question. Our route went up to Grass Pass, and then eastward as per the guidebooks. There are many ...

Summit Log on Thunder Mountain by reastick

reastick — 5/18/2008 12:25:18 AM

Looking west from Calgary it doesn't appear we're going to have an early season with all the snow still out there. Chris suggested Thunder Mountain after having read Wietse Bylsma's trip report, and photos suggested there might be little to no snow on it. A Friday outing before the long ...

Summit Log on East Wendell by Chris V

Chris V — 4/15/2008 7:38:53 AM

A great day of hiking with Rob. Well, except for the issue of the east ridge of Yamnuska having to be ascended on the way in and out. On East Wendell, once out of the SW scree bowl, the ridge to the summit is an excellent way to finish the ...

Summit Log on East Wendell by reastick

reastick — 4/14/2008 1:23:58 AM

Last year about this time we headed into CMC valley to scramble Mount Wendell. This year it was East Wendell. Is this now a tradition? Although this little peak is in Nugara's new guidebook, and although the majority of the route is south-facing and sun-baked, we figured we'd have the ...

Summit Log on Mount Collembola by reastick

reastick — 3/14/2008 9:25:36 PM

A Thursday outing with Chris. We were pretty much undecided on a target as we pulled out of Calgary in the dark, but the fact that Collembola's south face was clean of snow a week ago and nothing new had fallen pushed it to the top. We arrived at the ...

Summit Log on Mount Collembola by reastick

reastick — 2/5/2008 9:18:34 AM

I had originally given this route a shot back in December, but I turned around early. I figured a return visit on Superbowl Sunday would be a fitting time, as Andrew Nugara's ascent was on this day. I wasn't as desparate to get back for the big game, so I ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by Chris V

Chris V — 2/2/2008 7:20:38 AM

Went out for a quick blast up and down Prairie Mountain. Weather was clear, -9 at the trailhead, and probably near zero higher up. Windy on the summit as usual. This felt rather nice after a week of temperatures around -30.

Summit Log on The Fortress by reastick

reastick — 1/28/2008 4:54:30 AM

James, Dave, and I headed up The Fortess to find the recently-hidden geocache up there. We left Calgary at 6am, thinking we could beat both the heat and the crowds; we were right on both counts. We took what seems to be the popular route: Up Headwall Lakes, and back ...

Summit Log on Mount Rae by reastick

reastick — 1/20/2008 11:27:27 PM

I had just returned from Europe late Friday night, and I decided that a Sunday scramble was the best way to get rid of jet lag. Too late to hook up with anyone else, I decided that Mount Rae would be the target. Mount Rae is the tallest peak visible ...

Summit Log on Cox Hill by reastick

reastick — 1/15/2008 8:30:43 AM

We didn't plan to do anything this weekend, but Saturday was so nice we figured we'd better get out on Sunday while the weather was good. What would have little snow for such little mental-preparation time? Cox Hill of course. It was a typical chinook day: Things were windy and ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 1/3/2008 8:01:49 AM

My unrelenting pressure on Shannon to get a hike in for 2008 worked far quicker than I expected. Steph came along to provide support. Things were pretty warm today, which made the trail pretty slippery. No problems, however, as we were able to scoot off to the side whenever things ...

Summit Log on Moose Mountain by reastick

reastick — 1/3/2008 7:47:13 AM

Although we had bigger plans for a New Years Day outing, we justified Moose Mountain on account of all the snow we expected to find elsewhere. It turned out that it wasn't a bad choice, as the mountain was very windblown and snow wasn't an issue at all. When we ...

Summit Log on Mount John Laurie by reastick

reastick — 12/30/2007 4:29:49 AM

Bern was supposed to come with us the last time I went up Yamnuska, but something came up (of course) and she couldn't make it. We still had to get her up there before the snows came, and last weekend it finally came together. I hadn't been out with Dustin ...

Summit Log on Mist Mountain by reastick

reastick — 12/30/2007 2:47:22 AM

Dustin and I tried to get up Mist Mountain on Thanksgiving, before the snows came and the road through Highwood Pass was closed for the winter. We had an absolutely beautiful day, even if it was a little cold. Unfortunately, the chilliness froze a thin layer of ice on everything, ...

Summit Log on Little Lougheed by reastick

reastick — 12/29/2007 11:19:54 PM

My hope was that this little peak was short enough and caught enough wind that the snow wouldn't be too deep, and I was looking forward to checking out peaks 1 and 2 of Mount Lougheed from the summit, but, alas, this was not to be. Although the snow wasn't ...

Summit Log on Baseline Mountain by reastick

reastick — 12/16/2007 10:41:22 AM

Fire lookouts are a great way to keep active in the mountains during the winter months, especially when you don't feel like slogging through snow. We took the access road up the mountain, enjoying a pleasant hike while Dave's dog Morgan ran an extra 10km back and forth. The wind ...

Summit Log on Burnt Timber Lookout by reastick

reastick — 11/25/2007 11:29:45 PM

This is an area I've not explored before. The Burnt Timber Creek area is a gap of lower peaks in the Front Ranges, and when looking north from Nose Hill in Calgary it is why the mountains end so abruptly at Margaret Lake. Our destination was yet another abandoned fire ...

Summit Log on Tiara Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 11/24/2007 3:25:55 AM

Continued from Belmore Browne. A late season return trip to pay a visit to the spirit of Doug Dog before Powderface Road closes for the winter.

Summit Log on Belmore Browne Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 11/24/2007 3:19:11 AM

A return trip to Belmore Browne and Tiara Peak before the November 30th closing of Powderface Road.

Summit Log on GR401472 by Chris V

Chris V — 11/24/2007 3:09:29 AM

A continuation of my hike from Belmore Browne to Tiara Peak.

Summit Log on Belmore Browne Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 11/24/2007 3:02:05 AM

A hike that included GR401472 and Tiara Peak.

Summit Log on GR401472 by reastick

reastick — 10/28/2007 9:05:00 PM

Continued from Belmore Browne Peak. After leaving Belmore Browne Peak I continued along the ridge to the juntion summit. Here, I could either head south toward Tiara Peak or north to the ridge system that ultimately becomes Midnight Peak and Baldy Pass. I headed north. The wind continued to howl, ...

Summit Log on Belmore Browne Peak by reastick

reastick — 10/28/2007 8:49:06 PM

Another Powderface Trail outing before the road closes. I had been up Belmore Browne before, on the way to Tiara Peak, and was enamored of the wide open ridge system up there. I thought today might be a good day to explore to the north, following Potter's Ridgewalks description. As ...

Summit Log on Snow Peak by dusty1974

dusty1974 — 10/17/2007 2:01:00 AM

On Saturday Oct.13 six of us decided to see if we could get another scramble in before the snow's got too deep. We picked Snow Peak as it was rated an easy scramble. Not expecting the peak to be popular we were surprised to have two others starting at the ...

Summit Log on Mount Ware by reastick

reastick — 10/14/2007 9:53:15 AM

A week later than expected we were able to get out to try Mount Ware. I can't remember doing a lot of hiking in the Sheep River area over the years, so this would be a good opportunity to see some new scenery. In particular, we thought we might see ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 10/9/2007 3:04:06 AM

Just a quick Thanksgiving outing with Bern when our Plan A fell through. The summit was socked in, but things lifted enough for us to watch them flying out the Moose Mountain lookout and his gear. While we were lounging on the summit, we were joined by a runner who ...

Summit Log on Mount Howard by reastick

reastick — 10/6/2007 8:19:34 PM

After checking out Mount Howard from Mount Bryant last weekend, it was #1 on my list for my next Friday off. Chris was fortunately off that day as well, and even though he had summited Mount Howard years ago with Doug Dog, he felt up for another visit. We knew ...

Summit Log on Mount Bryant by reastick

reastick — 10/2/2007 8:05:50 AM

A peek at the mountains from Calgary indicated we might be into shoulder season: There is already more than a dusting of snow out there. This might be the time to tackle the peaks along Powderface Trail and Highwood Pass while the highway is still open. Given that today was ...

Summit Log on Tower of Babel by dusty1974

dusty1974 — 9/21/2007 2:03:35 AM

After completing two peaks (Little Hector and Andromache) the day before energy levels left us looking for something quick that's still called a scramble on our return trip from the Icefields Parkway. Tower of Babel stood out as an easy choice and something I've been wanting to check of the ...

Summit Log on Mount Andromache by dusty1974

dusty1974 — 9/21/2007 1:46:21 AM

This was peak number two for the day. After summiting Little Hector we descended to Hector Pass with a brief delay to practise self arrest on a minor band of snow/ice left on Hector. The route up to Andromache's ridge is fairly obvious but not promising, it's a scree slog. ...

Summit Log on Little Hector by dusty1974

dusty1974 — 9/18/2007 6:55:31 PM

COC event:For us this was the first peak of a two peak day so we got an early start on the day by camping the night before. This proved overly cautious as the time required was less than expected. We headed up through the trees on a well defined trail ...

Summit Log on Wasootch Peak by reastick

reastick — 9/12/2007 9:01:09 AM

Last October Dustin and I were turned around on Mist Mountain by winter conditions. This year we thought we'd try before the snows hit. Sadly, when we got to Highwood Pass this morning we realized we had waited to long. The ascent route looked snowy enough that we were pretty ...

Summit Log on Holy Cross Mountain by reastick

reastick — 8/30/2007 9:55:06 PM

Holy Cross Mountain has been on my list of peaks to scramble since I went up Mount Head a while ago. There didn't appear to be any significant challenges, at least from the perspective of Mount Head, and the fact that it is prominent from Nose Hill in Calgary meant ...

Summit Log on Poltergeist Peak by reastick

reastick — 8/27/2007 9:16:58 PM

Trip report continued from Pakakos Mountain. Although our second day dawned bright and clear, we didn't see this because we lingered in our tent until 8am. Although the day was much better, all our gear was still wet from the day before. Even though the fire we made dried things ...

Summit Log on Pakakos Mountain by reastick

reastick — 8/27/2007 8:50:28 PM

Looking at a topo map, it is hard to tell why this mountain has a name, let alone why a contest was sponsored to name it. It sits out of the way in the Ghost River Valley, dwarfed by other peaks in the area, and likely not visible from anywhere ...

Summit Log on Mount Allan by reastick

reastick — 8/19/2007 9:29:19 PM

Time for another hike with the Tuplins. Bern thought the Mount Allan Centennial Trail might be a good idea, and somehow I convinced everyone that we should head back to Nakiska via Mount Collembola. So, that was the plan for the day. We got off to a (relatively) late start, ...

Summit Log on Mount Cory by reastick

reastick — 8/9/2007 4:55:33 AM

Mount Cory was more unfinished business for me. My first attempt ended when I cliffed out on the wrong rib, and my second attempt ended when we reached an early turnaround time that was the result of a dinner date back in Calgary. Even though it was my third time ...

Summit Log on Mount Sparrowhawk by reastick

reastick — 7/28/2007 10:06:22 PM

Another hot day expected in Calgary, so let's get up high in the mountains to stay cool. Bern figured she could make it out with me this time, so we needed to pick a destination that wasn't too difficult. Mount Sparrowhawk is in Daffern's trail guide, so how hard could ...

Summit Log on Gap Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 7/12/2007 11:17:29 PM

Accompanied by reastick and Dustin, we summitted Fable, then followed the ridge to Gap. A fun route with plenty of moderate scrambling and route finding. When choosing your descent route, believe what Kane has to say in his description. Resist the urge to follow the easy looking scree slopes to ...

Summit Log on Mount Fable by Chris V

Chris V — 7/12/2007 11:11:07 PM

I accompanied reastick and Dustin on this outing. A very pleasant, though long day.

Summit Log on The Windtower by reastick

reastick — 7/9/2007 6:49:09 AM

I only had time for a short day today, and that's good because I had a pretty long outing last weekend. The Windtower was close to home, and unfinished business since my snowshoe adventure with Chris V back in March. Without any snow cover, the trail is actually kind of ...

Summit Log on Tiara Peak by Chris V

Chris V — 7/8/2007 4:07:20 AM

Sorry, I haven't had time to leave a description yet. Photos are available by following trip report link. All in all, a very enjoyable outing, in spite of the weather conditions.

Summit Log on Gap Peak by reastick

reastick — 7/1/2007 10:20:37 PM

Continued from Mount Fable. After a short lunch break at the bivy site on the col, we started out for Gap Peak along Gable Ridge. It was about 1pm when we headed out, and it felt like our time was a little behind the published time, but we felt good ...

Summit Log on Mount Fable by reastick

reastick — 7/1/2007 9:26:14 PM

Mount Fable is not a bad way to start your day. Our goal was to complete the Fable-to-Gap traverse over Gable Ridge, and we knew that if Kane said it was an 11-hour day, we should plan on an early start. We were able to leave the parking area at ...

Summit Log on Banded Peak by reastick

reastick — 6/30/2007 2:54:37 AM

I had planned to attack this peak on my own on Thanksgiving, but during dinner with friends the night before Kevin thought he'd head out with me. We met at the Elbow parking lot at about 6am to saddle up on the bikes. Unfortunately, we had not scoped the terrain ...

Summit Log on Prairie Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/30/2007 2:18:37 AM

Just a quick jaunt to try to get back into shape. The skies were clear today, so the views were great.

Summit Log on Exshaw Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/30/2007 1:06:58 AM

Arrived here with Chris V after coming down the ridge. We had come up to check out some of the peaks in the area, like Morrowmount and the Mythic Towers, but alas the weather did not cooperate. The views were socked-in completely all day, and fresh show drifted down on ...

Summit Log on Cox Hill by reastick

reastick — 6/29/2007 6:06:24 AM

After overdosing on tryptophan, a Boxing Day outing up Cox Hill seemed like the right combination of activity and leisureliness. The ascent was uneventful as we stayed on the trail the whole way up. Not much snow, but enough that the ptarmigans were hard to see in their white camo. ...

Summit Log on Wendell Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/28/2007 6:14:15 AM

Chris Veenman, Dustin MacNeil and I tackled Wendell Mountain on March 10, 2007, after having read of another ascent in January. We thought that this peak might be east enough that the snow cover would be slight, but still far enough from civilization to be an adventure. We were right. ...

Summit Log on Grotto Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/24/2007 6:41:28 AM

Somehow, Grotto had become my nemesis. Two attempts, and two recon missions. The first one was in April of last year, and I got turned around by snow. The second one was a couple weeks ago, and I got turned around by a lack of energy about half-way up (must ...

Summit Log on Pigeon Mountain by reastick

reastick — 6/17/2007 7:02:11 AM

The weather today called for blech, so Pigeon Mountain seemed like a good bad-weather day. The clouds were low, and we suspected our views would be less than minimal. We were right. Things were wet, but the rain pretty much held off all day. The best part was that there ...

Summit Log on Exshaw Mountain by Chris V

Chris V — 6/13/2007 2:03:52 AM

"Summitted" Exshaw Mountain with reastick. Non-stop wet snow, and very low visibility made this trip a bit more of a challenge than it normally would be. These conditions also limited our resolve to explore very far north along the ridge. We had no views of the surrounding peaks. However, I ...

Summit Log on Cougar Peak by reastick

reastick — 5/26/2007 7:18:43 PM

The peaks in behind Canmore, many of which are visible from Calgary, were starting to entice us. A number of recent trip reports on what has become known as Cougar Peak (here, here, and here) gave us an early season destination that would allow us to survey all the other ...

Summit Log on Black Rock Mountain by reastick

reastick — 5/17/2007 3:48:04 AM

My nephew Jeff was only in town for three days, so even though the weather looked miserable we decided we'd better get out so as to not waste the day. Black Rock Mountain seemed like maybe it was far enough removed from the main mass of the mountains that weather ...

Summit Log on Mount John Laurie by reastick

reastick — 5/17/2007 2:13:29 AM

My nephew Jeff was in town for a visit, and Yam was on my list for him. The weather was bad for the first few days of his stay, but things finally cleared up for Saturday--his last day of the visit. While we had good clear weather, we unfortunately ended ...