North America, Canada, Coast Range, South of Bella Coola

Publication Year: 1959.

Coast Range, South of Bella Coola. This year’s journey into the Coast Range took Floyd Burnette, Allen Steck, Jim Wilson and Dick Houston for three weeks into unexplored territory south of Mount Snowside. After driving to Bella Coola from California via William Lake, we rode on the lumber-camp boat to the Williams camp on South Bentinck Arm. Fortunately the area had recently been reopened by the Forestry Department after being closed because of fire hazard. This problem of closure is something unusual in the Coast Range but one to consider in dry years. We set off with 75 pounds up the Taleomey River toward the glacial system at its head. Although resembling the more northerly Noeick River, which we traversed in 1956, the Taleomey proved somewhat easier except for a new hazard—hornets. In five days we had established ourselves on the plateau of the Taleomey Glacier. In three perfect days we climbed Mount Ogre, Mount Moloch, and the east peak of Mount Jacobsen, all believed to be first ascents. The names are from J. L. Dudra’s map (A.A.J., 1954, 9:1, opp. p. 74). On the last climbing day Steck and Wilson made the difficult first ascent of Mount Geryon, to the south, in 17 hours of climbing and glacial travel. We retreated via the west col of Mount Mongol and joined our route of 1956 down the Noosatsum River to the Bella Coola River.

Richard C. Houston