East End of Rundle (EEOR)

Elevation: 2530 m
Elevation Gain: 900 m
The name EEOR (derived as an acronym for East End of Rundle) is likely a reference to the melancholy donkey of Winnie the Pooh fame. The peak itself is the most south-easterly outlier of the 12 km long Mount Rundle massif.
My Ascents:
June 30 2012, July 14 2011, June 25 2011, May 24 2010, June 22 2008, July 15 2007
Trailhead: Goat Creek Trailhead

Usually my summer weekends follow a script: 1) set sights on a peak; 2) see who I can trick into coming (if no one wants to come, skip to step 3); 3) climb mountain. Every so often, however, someone else suggests a peak and I happily provide my skilled guiding services. In this instance, my hyper-scheduling friend (cough: Lise) let it be known that she had left June 30 free for a scramble and that she had her eye on EEOR. Our friend Anne seemed keen to join and I was curious to see how Crux would handle the hands-on scrambling near the top of the peak. Despite the less than ideal forecast, we all piled into the car and made for Canmore.

Having climbed EEOR numerous times, the photos from this trip are a little scant. In fact, I didn't take my camera out until the summit where I captured this view of Ha Ling, Mount Lawrence Grassi, the Three Sisters and Spray Lake.

Summit puppy dog eyes. “Lunch time?” Crux and I had separated from Lise and Anne on ascent since I didn't want to take Crux on the slightly more exposed ridge route up. Although I normally prefer this route, I reasoned that the gullies (which I usually use for descent) might make a better option for a puppy whose lack of hands might complicate any sections of "hands-on" scrambling.

Looking down the long ridge to Mount Rundle, some 12 km away over Banff.

Stormy skies over Grotto Mountain. Canmore still in the sun…for now.

At long last! Lise and Anne finally make their way up the final scree slog to the summit.

What they lacked in speed, they made up for in style.

We were literally somewhere over the rainbow.

Group summit shot. It kind of looks like Lise is farting rainbows in this photo.

Puppy love.

EEOR’s alternate summit. I didn’t want to go but Crux really wanted to sign the register and I’m a sucker for puppy dog eyes.

More unpleasant weather approaching. Time to get down!

Despite what weathernetwork.com had to say this morning, there was nothing “scattered” about this shower; it lasted all of the way back to the car.