Favorite Fall Scrambles

With so few scrambling routes documented, it is hard to pick stand outs. However, here are my picks.

Sofa North Butress.
This is a nice butress that is usually pretty clear of snow. Early in the winter, the road up the Chief Mountain Highway is still open, making for a short approach. It's location adjacent to the prairies means less snow, and better weather. The views aren't overly remarkable, but the scrambling is usually on good rock. As a bonus, the difficulty can easily be changed as you approach or recede from the edge of the arete. In the winter, the views down into Sullivan's Falls are quite good.

Crandell Knife Edge
The lower part is usually snow free. Near the top, the scrambling gets interesting as you follow the second cockscomb. While most people avoid this section, this is one of the key features of the route. If descending the east butress, be especially careful of the avalanche slopes. The views positions on the ridge are quite good. Sticking to the knife edge makes for about 3 different sections of 3rd to 4th class scrambling.

Avion Ridge
Before Red Rock closes and the snow flies, the changing colors on the Tamaracks make this a must do route. There is minimal scrambling.

Dragons Back (Forum Ridge)
Another nice early fall route. The views down into Kintla are great. As the winter progresses, the ridge separating Forum and Cameron becomes more interesting.