BOU AVENUE
Mount Fox

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After being shut out of Kananaskis Country because of a backcountry travel ban the previous weekend (due to extreme fire hazard), I was relieved to learn that the ban had been lifted just in time for the 2003 Labour Day long weekend.  Ironically, just as K-Country lifted its ban, the British Columbia government ordered a backcountry restriction for the southern third of the province, effectively shutting down all provincial parks and BC Forest Service recreational areas in southern BC.  Elk Lakes Provincial Park was one such park that was closed by the order; yet, adjacent Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on the Alberta side of the border was completely open to backcountry travel.  Go figure.

Coincidentally, the scrambler's route up the east ridge of Mount Fox also delineates the border between the two parks/provinces.  On 31 August 2003, I rode my bike to West Elk Pass and hiked up the trail to Frozen Lake en route to Mount Fox.  Because the trail is a shade on the BC side of the border, I was technically in violation of the BC backcountry restriction order and subject to a $10,000 fine and six months imprisonment.  Undaunted, I pressed on up the east ridge.  While the entire route was dry and the scrambling was generally enjoyable (ie. minimal scree),  the length and the sustained angle wore me down considerably by the time I reached the summit ridge.

	This is Mount Fox as seen from the Elk Pass trail.  The east ridge runs diagonally up from bottom left.
	Frozen Lake in itself is a worthwhile hiking destination.
	This is typically what most of the east ridge is like:  a seemingly never-ending series of false summits and shattered hopes.
	Sonny approaches the 2973-metre summit of Mount Fox.  Mount Joffre is visible in the hazy distance.
	Besides the Kananaskis Lakes, also visible are Mounts Sir Douglas, Warspite, Invincible and Indefatigable.  The big knob in the foreground (no, NOT the one in the green t-shirt!) is known unofficially as "The Turret".

The descent was uneventful until I retrieved my bike.  I have skied the Elk Pass trail many times in the winter, so I was anticipating a really fun ride back to the parking lot.  I had a fast but bumpy ride to the Hydroline trail junction when I noticed something wrong with my bike.  My front tire was flat.  Initially, I was annoyed at having to stop and change a flat (I had a spare inner tube), but that annoyance turned into alarm when I noticed that my pump, which is normally secured to my bike frame, was missing.  It must have been jarred loose further back along the trail.  I was only about 1.5 kilometres from the trailhead, but I didn't relish the idea of pushing my bike that distance or hiking back who-knows-how-far to retrieve my lost pump.  Instead, I basically rode my bike the rest of the way with a flat front tire (round-trip time of about 8.5 hours).  I amazed even myself.  The bike handled far better than I thought possible; I doubt that would be the case if my back tire was flat instead.  Now I just need to get a new pump, a new tire and possibly a new front rim as well.

The bike ride back to the parking lot is a blast...as long as you don't get a flat tire or lose your pump!