I never set out with the intention not to summit a peak. The thought of not reaching the top rarely crosses my mind—unless I’m facing injury or severe weather.
For more than a year, Mount Howard has been on my radar. Every time I see a runner post it on Strava, I think to myself I want to do that peak. Last year I broke my ankle, the day before I planned to summit.
This particular Sunday felt like a perfect time to finally summit Mount Howard. There wasn’t any snow in the front ranges, and I wanted a short drive. The first five kilometres wind through Canyon Creek bed leading to the base of the mountain, which might explain why Mount Howard isn’t as well-known. The trail is roughly 20 kilometres with 1,300 metre-gain, which involves a loop on the ridge.
Although there were a few cars parked at the pull out, it was a quiet morning. Mentally I was prepared for the trudge through creek bed, knowing it could take up to an hour to reach the mountain’s base. I simply focused on staying on route, and scanning the trees for wildlife. I had to cross the creek twice but mostly I kept my feet dry.
It was windy at the creek bed and I could tell looking at the trees that it would be even windier on the ridge. I was warned not to try this summit on a windy day – there is no place to hide on the summit.
A small cairn marked the start of the ascent on Mount Howard. From a distance, I could see a section of trees before the trail opened into the wide ridge. I promised myself I’d reach to the tree line. I had no desire to fight the wind.
Initally, the trail heading into the trees looked super intimidating but once I started climbing, it wasn’t as bad as it looked. I could hear the wind pick up as I followed the surprisingly well-defined trail. Out of the trees, I weighed my options – press on and fight the wind or turn around and try another day.
I chose the latter and turned around.
I will go back on a calmer day. I really appreciated the quiet and remote feel of this area. The dirt road to the trailhead is a bit bumpy, but my Qashqai managed just fine.
Honestly it was a nice morning trudging through the creek bed. I hiked mostly on the way in and ran fast on the way out. I need to explore this area more.