Home»All Photographs»2022 Hikes»Sentry Mountain 10-19-22

Another Wednesday just had to be taken off from work - this October was absolutely the best I can remember in terms of weather for the 16 years I have been living in Alberta. Plus, a strong low pressure system was forecast to move into the area in two days, promising our first dump of snow.
Swirling morning fog made the drive on Hwy 22 quite enchanting. Gaining access to Sentry Mountain 'trailhead', required letting down a barb-wire gate and parking in the middle of a cow pasture - I love Alberta! After securing the gate back up, I hiked past the curious cows and was on my way.
A series of cartpaths led the way to the lower slopes of Sentry Mountain. A dominant east-facing gully made for good access to the peak.
Part way up the gully, I came across a very interesting cave - one with two deep chasms for a floor and two small skylights that let light penetrate from above - very unique.
Back in the gully, terrain steepened and I moved climbers left to access the summit ridge. I donned my helmet here and made my way uneventfully to the top. The wind was howling on this warm day, and I took refuge a few meters down the east side for an extended lunch.
On descent, I traversed farther northeast across the mountain to gain access to what looked like a fantastic scree run. I was right. The deeply pebbled terrain made for one heck of a scree run - the last "woo-hoo!" for the 2022 scrambling season.
A pleasant hike took me back to my vehicle, through a pallette of fall colors.