No score with "Heavenly Bush"

lack of partners and only time for a short day, so I thought a solo ice route would be perfect.  I had read a trip report for a cool little WI 3 route in the drainage above the Kananaskis S & R and RCMP station near the Nakiska ski resort turnoff.  Martin S. and I had thought about hiking this creek in search of ice about 10 years ago, I use to refer to this drainage as Policeman Coulee, slight deviation on the name of a cool coulee in Writing on Stone Provincial Park in southern Alberta.  The trip report is linked here.

drips in canyon

Light to moderate bush bashing up the creek with boot to knee deep snow; I enjoyed the cool variety of short ice pillars in the main drainage, but I did not play on these as I was gunning for Heavenly Bush.  About 1.5 hours in I reached the drainage with Heavenly Bush, the approach was mostly running water over steep scree and slabs, only the vertical drop offs had ice formed.

I climbed about 100 vertical metres out of the drainage, mostly on patches of ice over slabs with running water.  I climbed 3 steep steps, with good ice, but these had open pools of water above.  The route was not formed.  I bailed and walked off in steep trees to climber's right. Good exploration day and some good exercise, but no real climbing.