Mount Temple: My Journey
Shelly walking out to the unknown during a misty day on Mount Temple. Sept. 2019
Bagging peaks is one of my favorite Summer activities. I love the reward of grinding up some steep aspect in hopes to collect some cool shots along with enjoying a stunning view! I spend my Summer and Autumn wandering up the mountains any day that I can, taking in the fresh air and amazing views.
Living in the heart of the Rockies has made my lifestyle goals very achievable. It’s a whole new ball game when you can wake up, grab a backpack and head out for the day, never having to drive too far to get somewhere incredible.
Mount Temple was an interesting one for me. It took me 3 years of planning/hyping up for the climb as well as 2 attempts to reach the summit. Looking back, I have to say that prolonged success made this mountain quite the adventure and one of my best experiences. I loved that the achievement of smashing this summit was drawn out for as long as it was, because that made it possible to create a whole story around it.
Our first attempt (as captured in the above photo) was in September which is quite late for this hike. The Summit is so high that there is always snow on it as well as a stagnant glacier. Being the size that it is this mountain takes bad weather fronts in the worst way.
We started at 5 am with a gloomy sky, in hopes it would pass. Unfortunately the weather continued to worsen as we made our way through Larch Valley and up to Sentinel Pass. We contemplated turning around at the pass but decided to push on, holding out with optimism that the weather would clear. We reached the first crux where the rain had began to turn to snow and visibility was constantly decreasing. I briefly started to free climb in snow, turning around quickly deeming it too dangerous for our group to continue.
We then started to make our way back down the mountain, not with heavy hearts, but a sense of acceptance that we had made a solid attempt on the largest mountain in the Bow Valley, in a terrible storm. It was on the descent that I captured my friend walking out onto the cliff in what I now refer to as “ My rendition of Dante’s Inferno “.
The following year I attempted Mount Temple again, with success and unbelievable views. It was well worth the wait and very much worth the effort. The adventure was in the journey, and it was one hell of a journey!
My hiking partner Jason, taking a break on the way back down. Sept. 2020
