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dan2see
Sep 10, 2007, 3:23 AM
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I've just created a Hike Report on SummitPost. It's a scramble not a climb but I thought some of you outdoors guys might be interested.
Here's the link:
Daniel's Porcupine Ridge, on SummitPost
Click on the pictures to see the larger versions.
Porcupine Ridge is a lonely place. Although it's very accessible in the Canadian Rockies, and only 100 km (60 miles) from my home in the city, it gets no visitors. I believe I was the second hiker on that ridge this year.
I did not make it to end of the ridge, though. Not yet...
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skinner
Sep 10, 2007, 4:12 AM
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I guess it's lonely when you go solo!
The crest is a nice looking feature, sort of looks like the bonus after all that ridge slogging. Looks like it might even be a good one in the winter? At least you could walk across or up the creek.
I'm not exactly sure of the proper spelling, but I usually see "gendarm" written as "gendarme", I knew what you meant though.
Was there much bushwhacking involved?
Nice TR looks like you had a great day.
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dan2see
Sep 11, 2007, 1:10 AM
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skinner wrote: I guess it's lonely when you go solo!
Well I don't get embarrassed when I look up at the rocks above and whimper, "I can't do that!" or when I grovel and hesitate up something that's no more than 5.easy.
On the other hand, when I'm taking the time for a nice snack and snooze under a pine tree, and ummmm enjoying the wind and the sun and the view, nobody says "C'mon Dan, let's get moving!"
The stopper was when I reached the crux. I quote myself: "But I had no safety and no partner, so I decided to stop here."
In reply to: The crest is a nice looking feature, sort of looks like the bonus after all that ridge slogging. Looks like it might even be a good one in the winter? At least you could walk across or up the creek.
In reply to: I'm not exactly sure of the proper spelling, but I usually see "gendarm" written as "gendarme", I knew what you meant though.
In reply to: Was there much bushwhacking involved?
Wasootch Ridge (the next ridge over) is very popular. I've met 10 hikers on the same day up there. Porcupine Ridge is more challenging, but it's really fun, and I don't understand why it's so lonely. It's so lonely, when I found a cairn up there, I got excited. Until I remembered that I had built it on a previous trip.
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skinner
Sep 11, 2007, 2:38 AM
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Me too, I was thinking "Damn.. now there's a quotable little snippet that would fit nicely as a white space filler in some guide book!".
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moose_droppings
Sep 11, 2007, 3:34 AM
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Thanks for the TR Dan.
Be sure to post up when you "bridge" that ridge.
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dan2see
Sep 12, 2007, 1:17 AM
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Hey TC and Skinner, when I wrote that comment about the cairn I did not mean to be funny. 
But the more I think about that trip, the funnier it gets!
So, Moose, I'm getting impatient to get back up on that ridge and complete the report properly.
But first, I want to explore acouple of other mountains... And winter is coming, that changes the agenda, too...
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skinner
Sep 13, 2007, 4:06 AM
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What other mountains?
I think, fall is the ultimate time in the Rockies for nice ridge routes.
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dan2see
Sep 13, 2007, 5:06 AM
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skinner wrote: What other mountains? I think, fall is the ultimate time in the Rockies for nice ridge routes.
- Belmore Browne and The Tiara, from Powderface Trail
- Boundary Ridge, from Baldy Pass Trail
- Door Jamb and Loder Peak, and see if it's possible to scramble up from Kid Goat
- Bull Creek Hills, from Highwood, the most beautiful hills anywhere, and Cowbell Crag, too.
- Mist Mt, and Storm Mt.
- McGillivray Slabs, and McGillivray Summit
and of course:
- Porcupine Ridge (the whole thing)
Last winter, the trail conditions on the ridges and summits were fantastic. Good snow, ice only where it's needed. All winter was a hiker's heaven. This winter? Who knows?
Last year, I was dirt-bagging and managed to climb a %&# lot of crags in this area. But this year I work  to pay my rent, so it's harder to get out. In fact that's the reason why all my hikes were solo. It's a matter of schedule.
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skinner
Sep 13, 2007, 10:57 PM
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That's a pretty ambitious tick list for somebody with a job. 
It's been awhile now, but I remember Storm being pretty easy. Mist however, took us around 12 hours one October (don't forget the headlamp)
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dan2see
Sep 14, 2007, 1:14 AM
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skinner wrote: That's a pretty ambitious tick list for somebody with a job. It's been awhile now, but I remember Storm being pretty easy. Mist however, took us around 12 hours one October (don't forget the headlamp)
That's a tick list, not an itinerary. I usually pick the priority item the night before, when I'm comfortable in my bed.
The daylight hours are getting short, so I bought a headlight. It's a Petzl Tikka Plus. I've already tested it in my neighbourhood park, rock-hopping and tree-climbing in the dark. My wife made me promise to let her know when I plan to use it. Well I'm not sure about that...
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