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Mount Ball

Aug 17 2001

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Mt. Ball

Tom Seto, H and I scrambled up both mountains in one day from the top of Hafner creek about three weeks before 911. The approach to the top of the creek took about six hours, a lot more than Kane's guide book suggests.

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 Top: The bivi site
Bottom: Clouds smoke and light

The bivi site was nice but the smoke from a nearby forest fire was intense and some interesting photos were had. I got dizzy for a moment.

The traverse between the two summits was fun, with one spot of ice to deal with. I used my adz to cut a single step in but I'm not sure if Tom used it on his way back, a down climb. I did.

H and Tom did an ice glissade down from the summit but I clawed my way back up to the safety of rock after a few slippery step's. Took a bit longer but was preferable to an ice burn.

 
The summit rocks

I found the bush whack much easier on return. It helps to get the trail finding skills in shape. The log jumping and obstacle course made for lots of bending, heaving and other bodily movements that with a full pack was a good workout.

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 Tom holds the summit register. It had a note from Glen W. Boles dated 1969 and was pristine

Glen along with Don Forest is a member of the Grizzly Group and one of the co-authors of The Rocky Mountains of Canada North and South, a two volume set of Rocky Mountain Guide Books that is no longer in print (but I have them, ha, ha)

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 The bivi site looking up; the route goes to the left

  

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 Looking back to the first peak. Beatrice is to the right of the gully that was ascended. Tom fumbles with gear.


Trees amid the smoke

  

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 Looking towards Mt. Stanley and Beatrice Pk.

This is in my estimation the most beautiful photo I've ever taken. The sun was setting through the smoke and then we saw this thing.

This cloud was like an awesome omen, at once beautiful but also strangely awful. At the time I thought of it as an angry God.

In retrospect it seems almost surreal that this moment came along when it did. An end to a chapter in my life and the story of this world.

I'm glad I went on this trip instead of the Castle Mountain trip we had planned on.

Unfortunately my friend Ann never made it. I would have loved it if she had come but nobody could be found to take care of her cat, Blue.

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- that myth is more potent than history. I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts -- That hope always triumphs over experience -- That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.

Robert Fulghum
American Writer, Minister, Working Cowboy

We know that we have passed from death into life, because we love... [1 John 3:14]

Bible
Sacred Scriptures of Christians and Judaism

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