Door Jamb Mountain & Loder Peak

✕

I have been suffering from a plugged ear for a few weeks now - which, as you can imagine, is not great for somebody whose hobby involves gaining and losing massive amounts of elevation! I was prescribed nasal spray when I visited the doctor, which wreaked absolute havoc on my asthmatic lungs, and elected to just let it clear up naturally instead.

I woke up the morning of the 23rd to a ridiculously sore throat thanks to the spray - to the point where breathing was downright painful. I had agreed to head up Loder and Door Jamb with a few friends that morning, but obviously wasn't feeling it and let them know I was bailing before going back to bed.

Much of the pain had subsided when I woke up again a few hours later. I debated sitting around indoors (who was I kidding?) before a grin crossed my face. In theory I could probably catch up to them. It wasn't that much later after all.

So it was that at 1139hrs I rolled into the Jura Creek parking lot for the second time Morrowmount
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The trail started out simple enough, and I was pleased to note a well-defined path leading upwards, which I followed easily. It mostly followed the ridge high point, before eventually levelling off to climber's left. Thinking nothing of it, I simply continued following the well-beaten route.

A well-defined trail leads upwards. A well-defined trail leads upwards. ✕

The trail continues along the ridge's apex for a while before levelling off left of the high point. The trail continues along the ridge's apex for a while before levelling off left of the high point. ✕

Unfortunately for me, my trust in the trail was misplaced and I quickly found myself staring up a nice 45-degree friction climb. I really have to stop trusting frontcountry trails; I've lost count of how many times they've lead me wrong at this point! I am thoroughly done with the concept of "stay on the trail" and have been going wherever I please on more recent scrambles, which has been dramatically more enjoyable.

I debated going back but didn't want to lose all that elevation - and realistically, I needed the practice anyways and this would be the perfect place to get it. I'd definitely cheese-grater on the way down if I slipped, but there was no serious exposure or major hazard.

My chosen trail eventually peters out and dumps me in front of some moderate slab. My chosen trail eventually peters out and dumps me in front of some moderate slab. ✕

What the heck. Up we go! What the heck. Up we go! ✕

My trepidation very quickly turned into an adrenaline high as I travelled upwards one extremely grippy step at a time. The limestone in the spot I chose has some nice texture to it, and is an absolute joy to clamber around on when dry. Combined with lots of options for handholds in all but a few places, I'd say this is no more than moderate terrain.

Looking back down my ascent route.

Looking back down my ascent route. ✕

A few minutes later my head popped out onto the ridgeline, and I made one or two more moderate moves to get back onto the defined trail slightly to climber's right. One more section of easy slab brought me to the summit of Door Jamb.

Views from the summit of Door Jamb.

Views from the summit of Door Jamb. ✕

I lingered just long enough to take a panorama before continuing along the ridgeline, as Loder was clearly far higher and I expected much better views. The ridgeline between the two was largely a hike with the odd easy scrambling move and some routefinding to keep it that way. Any time I felt like things were trending towards moderate, I only had to look for signs of human traffic to find the easiest route.

One quick scree bash later, I arrived at Loder's summit and promptly went right past it to investigate the descent route to Jura Creek. As with most frontcountry summits, I was unable to find any decent beta on this thanks to the abundance of SEO "family hiking" blogspam, and had no clue what the difficulty would be. At first it looked like a brief difficult downclimb of a cliff band, but on closer inspection it appeared that I could follow a scree bench for a few dozen metres before making a few moderate zig-zags through the band.

The ridge between the two summits is easy scrambling with a bit of routefinding. The ridge between the two summits is easy scrambling with a bit of routefinding. ✕

Looking down at the descent route to Jura Creek. Looking down at the descent route to Jura Creek. ✕

Satisfied, I went back to the summit for a panorama. I lingered only briefly; I've seen this view what feels like a dozen times between all the recent trips in the area this May, and felt no need to take it in from a point lower than Morrowmount.

Loder has some pretty decent views on offer, but I have to admit I'm getting a bit tired of this area what with all the recent trips nearby!

Loder has some pretty decent views on offer, but I have to admit I'm getting a bit tired of this area what with all the recent trips nearby! ✕

As expected I was able to break through the cliff band on moderate, blocky steps covered in ball-bearing scree. It certainly wasn't the most pleasant, but it was workable. The manky scree continued as I started towards the descent gully, and I found myself wishing for the terrain of the ruined Siffleur River trail instead! When I wish for that, the route is really bad. It took about ten minutes before I started to find more firm forest terrain to travel on instead.

Once I reached the gully I started to encounter blockier terrain, but with so many hand and footholds that it was definitely no more than easy scrambling. With the confidence I'd gained from my practice on the way up, it was trivial to just walk straight down some of the smoother areas and trust my approach shoes to grip.

Descent to Jura Creek starts out as obnoxiously loose ball-bearing scree. Descent to Jura Creek starts out as obnoxiously loose ball-bearing scree. ✕

There is often firm, well-anchored dirt to travel on, which is much more pleasant. There is often firm, well-anchored dirt to travel on, which is much more pleasant. ✕

The blocky gully terrain eventually merges with a larger tributary of Jura. The blocky gully terrain eventually merges with a larger tributary of Jura. ✕

The gully eventually merged with a larger tributary of Jura Creek, where I stopped to top up on water before continuing downwards. The creekbed was modestly blocky but travel was easy overall, and I only found odd bits of an ascent trail that likely made it through the 2013 flood.

It wasn't long before I merged with Jura Creek, just upstream of the second canyon and "false fault" geological feature. I was pretty familiar with the terrain, having been up here just two weeks prior on Morrowmount, Morrowmount
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The descent route merges with Jura Creek just before the second canyon and "false fault". The descent route merges with Jura Creek just before the second canyon and "false fault". ✕

I've been visiting the Rockies for 20 years now and I'm still finding cool rocks as an adult. I've been visiting the Rockies for 20 years now and I'm still finding cool rocks as an adult. ✕

Travel is easy and fast in the wide-open creekbed. Anyone who tells you looking for the trail is worth it here has seriously weak ankles. Travel is easy and fast in the wide-open creekbed. Anyone who tells you looking for the trail is worth it here has seriously weak ankles. ✕

I had heard rumours Cross & South Ghost Peak
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My poking around was rewarded with a makeshift campsite on the west bank of the creek, and an obvious, well-travelled trail leading south from the site. I enthusiastically grunted my way up it and was surprised to note just how much elevation I was gaining relative to the canyon! It eventually levelled off and travelled parallel to the canyon, and I found myself extremely glad to be up here instead of trusting my weight to flimsy driftwood once again. Aside from one recent deadfall blockage, the trail was in phenomenal condition.

The bypass route gains elevation pretty rapidly at first... The bypass route gains elevation pretty rapidly at first... ✕

...but eventually levels off and becomes a nice stroll through the forest. ...but eventually levels off and becomes a nice stroll through the forest. ✕

Fresh deadfall blocks the way here. It's easy enough to slip through. Fresh deadfall blocks the way here. It's easy enough to slip through. ✕

The trail eventually descended back to Jura Creek and another, much larger makeshift campsite slightly downstream of the parking lot trail. Given its location, I'm not surprised I missed it last time.

The bypass emerges slightly downstream of the parking lot trail. The bypass emerges slightly downstream of the parking lot trail. ✕

Looking back at the start of the bypass from the creekbed. Looking back at the start of the bypass from the creekbed. ✕

A few minutes later I was back at the parking lot after following the patchwork of undocumented trails to its source. I don't know that I'd recommend this scramble, as the views were pretty middling for the amount of effort and the creekbed slog is far from amazing or scenic either.

I never did catch up to my friends. Speaking with them later, it sounds like they travelled back via the ridgeline while I was busy monkeying around on the slab off-route...