Repeating Myself On Mount Loki

I don't usually climb mountains more than once unless I am climbing them by another route. Gimli Peak, for example, I've climbed four times - twice by the standard scramble route (the second time was a SAR training day or I wouldn't have been there), once by the NE buttress (5.6) and once by the south ridge (5.10). Mount Loki, I thought I would never climb again as I previously climbed the peak on a spectacular fall day in 2008 and so had no need to go back. Although the trip itself is probably one of the best day hikes in the Kootenay, a high summit of a prominent peak with no technical difficulty, no bushwacking (thanks to the excellent volunteer trail) and above average road access, the necessity of taking the ferry to the east shore is enough to deter me from repeating the trip.

However, some friends of ours were hiking the peak and invited us along, and, as we are set to leave the West Kootenay in a scant two weeks and Canada in under four weeks, we went along to share a last mountain summit with friends.

Some recent logging meant the road was a bit rougher than normal but easily accessible by the family sedan. The trail, apart from one 200 metre section covered with avalanche debris was in good shape, and, the summit views were excellent - if you could overlook some haze from forest fire smoke - as always.

Sharing a final summit with friends, priceless.  

Doug and Buddy on Mount Loki