North America, Canada, Canadian Rockies, Mount Noyes

Publication Year: 1976.

Mount Noyes. In late July, Jack Cade, Hugh Johnston, Pierre LeMieux and I met much of Clan Gmoser at the height of land near the extreme head of Porcupine Creek in the Murchison Group. We had spent the previous five days in the headwaters area of that stream making some new ascents. One of these was an unnamed peak, 10,300 feet, which had previously been ascended only by the Dominion Survey. Our route was via the talus, scree and cliffs of the west buttress, descending by the much easier south ridge. Within a few feet of the very summit of this peak, an extensive deposit of frozen ground moraine covers the glacially polished bedrock to a depth of more than 20 feet. We exposed the polish at a fringe and noted that the direction of glacier movement was almost exactly parallel to the main line of the Canadian Rockies in this area. Hans Gmoser, with his father, brother and nephew, none of whom share his avocation or ability to speak English, joined us for a late lunch on the 25th after which we proceeded down the initially very steep valley of Noyes Creek into the teeth of an exceedingly stiff northwest wind and snow squalls. Hugh, Pierre and I set out early the next morning to ascend the north peak of Mount Noyes, hitherto unclimbed. Our route caused us to return to that height of land and the pass between the north fork of Silverhorn Creek and Noyes Creek. Thence, we ascended diagonally across the upper part of the glacier on the east side of the summits to the final rock cliffs. These were very easily scaled, and within four hours of leaving our camp we were rewarded with a fine view and diminishing winds.

William L. Putnam