It was cool but sunny and calm as our record midweek crowd of 15 Ramblers started hiking from the trailhead on the Powderface Trail. We walked a short way up Canyon Creek and then headed into the woods on the north side toward a break in the cliff at the south end of our target ridge. Walking diametrically away from the sun kept us going in the right direction where we couldn’t see the ridge. After a bit of bushwacking and steep grunt work we gained the ridge and were rewarded with great views of Mt Bryant to the west.


group on south end of Canyon Ck ridge, Mt Bryant behind

A pleasant walk along the ridge top brought us to peak 1 (GR436425), where we had our first snack break. A fairly steep but easy scree descent brought us down to the col between peaks 1 and 2 and then we had to regain all that elevation and more to get to peak 2.


ascending peak 2 Canyon Ck ridges, peak 1 behind

This peak is really fairly flat with 3 minor summits, which we called peaks 2a, 2b and 2c.


Ridge on second peak of North Canyon Creek peaks

The last and highest one of these was selected for the lunch stop (GR 427439). To descend to the next col we had to go a fairly long way down and around on the west side to avoid impressive vertical cliffs of coral reef rock along the ridge. stromatoporoid fossils were scattered in the scree we walked on here.


Tricky bit between the second and third peaks

Steep, loose descent from second peak- North Canyon Creek loop

And now the final and hardest peak was ahead of us (GR412443). The bottom and top parts of the ascent to peak 3 were straight forward, but the steep slabby part in the middle was a little trickier. Staying right on the ridge crest gets too hard at one point, making a diversion onto a ledge to the east necessary. Fresh snow on this shady ledge made it a bit slippery and 10 feet of steep slab near the ledge’s top end provided a bit of excitement.


snow ramp to peak 3 (GR412443)

After this little crux getting to the summit was a breeze. Again we had great weather, clear views for more than 100 km in all directions and, of course, great company.


Fifteen on the Third Peak

The Lougheeds from peak 3 (GR412443)

We hardly wanted to leave, but November days being short, we did have to head down to the col west of peak 3 and then down the scree into the valley. It was quite a bouldery descent at first, but improved a bit lower down the drainage. We tried to outrun the approaching afternoon shade in the valley, but couldn’t do it for long. There were a few stops to regroup all 15 of us and good conversation along the way. When we arrived back in the main Canyon Ck valley (out of the shade of Mt Bryant), the sun warmed us for the last kilometre back to the cars. We all had an enjoyable late fall hike. Participants: Arnold, Stan, Carl, Nardi, David, Bernie, Peter, Manfred, Florence, Ron, Rosanne, Philip, Margaret, Mel, and Rita (c/s)