BOU AVENUE
Gap Mountain And Mount Burstall
I slept in on 2 August 2003 and wasn't particularly motivated to go scrambling in the hot weather.  Nevertheless, I dragged myself out to the mountains and picked Gap Mountain (near Highwood Pass in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park) as a suitable destination for the day.  Once I got going (around 12:30 PM), I felt more energetic and was soon having fun scrambling up ledges and rocky ribs on the upper part of the mountain.  I reached the 2675-metre summit about two hours after leaving my car.  Thinking of a limerick to write in the summit register took almost as long as the descent (I returned to my car at 4:30 PM).
Where the fun begins!
The col east of the peak grants a foreshortened view of the scrambler's route.
Summit Ridge
A couple of scramblers make their way up the summit ridge.  The true summit is not visible here.
Summit Of Gap Mountain
This is looking back at the true summit from a subsidiary summit to the north.
First Summit Of The Day
Sonny rests his foot on the summit cairn.
Kananaskis Lakes
The Kananaskis Lakes and a maze of ski trails are visible from the top.
Ruffed Grouse
I nearly ran over this very quiet ruffed grouse on the way down.
After getting down from Gap Mountain, I was still feeling pumped, so I decided to try and bag a second peak for the day.  I changed T-shirts, had a drink, and drove up the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail to the Burstall Pass trailhead.  It was a little after five o'clock when I began hiking up the trail to ascend Mount Burstall.  In my haste, I totally missed the cairn marking the trail leading to the upper valley north of the peak (I found the trail on my descent).  As a result, I had to bushwhack my way into the upper valley before settling into a long, tiresome trudge up to a high col northeast of the peak.  By this time, I was feeling quite tired and had a slight headache.  I had plenty of water and food left, but I was really craving some juice or pop.  Furthermore, the stifling warm air and relentless mosquitoes conspired to sap me of any energy I had left.  Undeterred (ie. I've made it this far; no sense turning around now!), I continued up to the summit ridge where I perked up again as the scrambling became more interesting (ie. exposed).  I reached the 2760-metre summit a little after eight o'clock.  The descent took only half as long and was notable for a brief encounter with a resident moose and her calf.
The Crux
This is the summit block of Mount Burstall.
Second Summit Of The Day
Sonny bags his second peak of the day.
Looking South
L to R are Mount Smith-Dorrien, unnamed, Mount French, Mount Robertson, and Mount Sir Douglas.
Mount Birdwood
Smoke from B.C. forest fires can be seen behind Mount Birdwood.
Boreal Toad
I almost stepped on this boreal toad on the hike back to my car.