Anti-Ghost Ridge
Date Walked: 30th November 2015
Distance: 4.1 miles (6.7km)
Actual Ascent: 1932ft (589m)
Time Taken: 3.5 hours
Anti-Ghost ridge sits to the south east of Black Rock Mountain in the Ghost Wilderness area of Alberta. To reach the parking area take highway 1A west out of Cochrane for 13km then take the turning for forestry trunk road 40 (signed to Benchlands, Sundre & Nordegg) follow this for 25km to the junction with Range Rd 74b (a gravel logging trail accessed through a gated entrance) Follow this gravel road for 16 km but note this road deteriorates terribly after 5km. The road actually improves this time of year as it becomes mostly an ice road but 4x4 is required to ascend the hills along the way. When you reach the top of the 'big hill' 16km from the start of the road you'll see the warning sign about road conditions ahead; park on the flat area to the right of the sign.
At the top of 'Big Hill' today the snow is flattened by the hunters and off road vehicle users who frequent the area in winter. From the truck the route is not the obvious one heading into the trees, it is the right hand side of this shot heading up the short steep hill and turning left at the top.
At the top of 'Big Hill' today the snow is flattened by the hunters and off road vehicle users who frequent the area in winter. From the truck the route is not the obvious one heading into the trees, it is the right hand side of this shot heading up the short steep hill and turning left at the top.
You know it's winter when the moon is still lurking above Mt Costigan at 10:30am, it is just visible in the shot above but I thought it warranted a zoomed shot.
The trail heads through easy going open spaces in the early stages, a strong wind ensures little snow remains here though with temperatures at -11 as I set out I could have done without the wind chill today. As I walked I was eyeing the christmas trees here which are well balanced as they have light on all sides, as the Alberta government allow you to head into the wilderness and cut down a tree of your choosing for the princely sum of $5 (with certain restrictions) it's always worth noting where good specimens can be found.
In the early stages the trail rises and falls repeatedly, at the higher points the wind chill is cutting and it's full coat/hat/gloves weather for only the second time this year. As I pop up and down in the forest I gain views over the Ghost river and Mt Costigan beyond.
The lump I'm heading for today is the rocky outcrop standing on the right here, at 2000m (6500 feet) it's a modest target for a couple of reasons. Firstly this is my first outing since late October and secondly I forgot my snowshoes and this made it a real slog in places today.
Dropping back down into the trees I find the first knee deep snow of the day and plod on for a few hundred metres before escaping it and rising again providing a view back toward the car park with Saddle Peak and Orient Point providing the backdrop. From this point the trails disappeared under snow.
Finding a set of deer tracks I used them to my advantage and plodded on following in those footsteps for quite some time before they deviated a little too far from my goal and I decided to turn directly into the trees and just plough up the hill in the forest. I reasoned that I'd not been for a while so I must have some energy reserves available.
As it turns out my reasoning was terribly floored, the slope was quite steep and the snow much worse than anticipated. Climbing over deadfall added to the misery and I was grateful to finally break out of the cover and into the open where the sun had cleared the snow completely.
I had gained some ground with the direct approach but in terms of the energy expended to get there it was costly. After scrambling up a short rockwall I stopped for a breather, dumping the hat and gloves and unzipping the jacket I sat 'steaming' in the morning sunshine.
After a much needed break I carried on up the hill with a few self imposed switchbacks to ease the charge until I reached another rockwall which made for some really enjoyable scrambling, though I found myself resting again as I reached the top.
The summit is now in sight (though foreshortened) and what little snow remains here is nowhere near the depth of the snow in the forest below. The route ahead isn't through the obvious gap on the left but between the main lump and the pinnacle to the left of that.
Once through the gap there is a choice of a circuitous route to the left or a much shorter, much steeper scramble to the right, obviously I took the latter which makes it's way up a nice twisting fissure that has large boulders and trees within it, making it easy to navigate but still strenuous.
Once out of the slot I am almost on the top of the ridge and the upward slope to the summit is clear of snow allowing me to enjoy the view of 'The Devils Head' (left) and 'Black Rock Mountain' ((pointed lump in the centre of the shot)
On reaching the summit I dropped my gear and sat with my back against a rock facing the sun and enjoying what little warmth it offered, next thing I know I'm waking up freezing cold and shivering. It seems the effort to get up here was enough for an involuntary 15 minute siesta after which I left my gear and set out along the ridge with my camera in hand and bear spray in pocket.
A zoomed shot of Black Rock Mountain is almost enough to show the small disused fire lookout station which continues to defy the rigours of Canadian winters. Built in the 1920's and abandoned in the 1950's the lookout remains defiantly perched atop this wonderful mountain which I really enjoyed hiking in May this year.
Along the ridge beyond the summit is a great spot to look over the South Ghost Wilderness. With the sun sitting as high as it gets at this time of the year above Orient Point it makes a wonderful scene, to the right of Orient Point is Mt Costigan and then the Ghost River separating The Devils Tower on the far right.
I had a good wander around the entire ridge and found some interesting points with views back across the prairies as far as Calgary and a large brass survey marker. From the edge of the ridge looking north it seems there might be more to see here as there is a nice looking ridge to the right of Black Rock Mountain but that would be for another day.
After getting the circulation going again and exploring the ridge I returned to my gear and set off down toward the truck, this time from the top of the steep scramble I took the more circuitous route through the deep snow with views to the east over the prairies.
With the advantage of descent speed I was soon passing through the gap and bounding back through the forest ignoring the deep snow (another great advantage of descent)
I have no idea why this is named the Anti-Ghost but at least it has a name and so can be identified easily. I found it hard going today and the biting cold wind didn't help me any but as always the views were beautiful and it was great to be out in the hills again.