Boom Mountain Route Map (see link in desciption - or click here - for interactive version).

The bushwhacking has begun! We started right in the middle of the dried up creek-bed, across the highway from the parking lot. Soon the deadfall got a bit much, and a ribbon prompted us to exit it to the left.

For the first bit, we noticed a few more ribbons that let us know we were "on track" and crossed back and forth over a rushing creek. We also spent some time on a narrow treed section, sandwiched between two streams, but eventually they joined up to form a larger one, where we then crossed to the right side. While we initially tried staying near the creek, looking for a place to cross back to the left (as suggested by Kane), the creek was rushing from the recent melt of the fresh snow and we couldn't find a good spot without risking an unwanted ice bath! We decided to just follow the path of least resistance, which led us up to the right, away from the creek.

Deep in the bush! We yelled out frequently, a little paranoid from all the bear signs we saw on Vermilion Peak and Mount Haffner the day before...

Can you spot my dad!? On the bright side, we finally got a glimpse of our objective...A little encouragement to keep on trucking! (...or discouragement, when you realize how far away it still is!)

The path of least resistance eventually led us back to the creek. It was nice to be on more open ground and gain a better understanding of where exactly we were! Still a ways to go, to reach the far end of Boom and the ascent gully!

Finally emerging at the ascent gully! As much as it pains me to say it, we'd only gained 200 of the total 1100m at this point...We sat down to refuel for the steep remaining 900 vertical meters! Sidenote: Check out those clear blue skies! (It will make sense why I pointed that out later...)

Mount Whymper looms high above. Is there a side of this mountain that isn't impressive!!?

Looking back, as we made our way up the initial "bushy" section of the gully.

On to the scree! We stayed mostly center-left in the gully until the last bit, where we angled left to hopefully cut off some traversing later...wouldn't recommend! As we found out on our way down, a goat trail goes straight across the gully higher up and allows for a much more pleasant traverse. By angling like we did, you might decrease distance, but the terrain is far more tiresome.

Eventually we did meet up with the goat trail, which was a real beauty! Thank you mountain goats!

After crossing the rubbly gully ahead, we started heading up. I built a small cairn to help us find the goat trail on the way back...The only cairn we would see on the mountain, other than the summit cairn!

Lots of rubble! There was a more hands-on, loose section before this, but it doesn't pose much of a problem as long as you look for the most stable rock to ascend.

Here we basically went straight up (above my dad's head in this picture), through the small gap to the left of the rock outcropping.

The last short stretch of scree bashing before the broad summit ridge!

Reaching the wide summit ridge plateau. This is easily followed to the summit. But wait...what happened to those blue skies!?

With the weather worsening by the second, and clouds engulfing more and more views, I raced to the summit to hopefully get some pictures! Looks like my dad wasn't in quite as much of a rush...

I know it's not far now, but it was disheartening to see this. I thought I had reached the summit at this point, in my race against the weather!

Mount Bell and Boom Lake from the summit of Boom Mountain. Great...now it's snowing 😑

Mount Whymper is one of the last peaks holding out against the storm.

The unofficially named "Chimper Peak" has officially added itself to my to-do list!

Chimney Peak is barely visible.

Far far below, the log boom for which Boom Lake is named! I tried asking the weather to chill, but I think it interpreted "chill" in the literal sense...Wait, stop snowing! That's not what I meant!!

Castle Mountain, lit up thanks to a gap in the clouds!

Rainbow! Or should we call it a "snowbow"! Snow's gotten on my camera lens now too!!

Close up of Mount Bell!

Storm Mountain gets some sun!

Another rainbow!!

A view opens up to the north, including Floe and Foster Peaks in the distance.

The larches below Storm brighten up the view! Copper, Pilot, and Brett (from left to right) are barely visible in the background.

Me, on the summit of Boom, with Whymper dominating the backdrop! Photo Credit: Dad

My dad with Storm behind! Looks like he's got a horn...haha!

Don't mind me getting blasted by ice cold wind...Check out that pretty rainbow below! Photo credit: Dad

I found the end of the rainbow! Where's that treasure at?

His smile does not accurately represent how cold he's feeling in this photo! We both had to put our down jackets on for the first time on a mountain this summer...oh wait, I guess it's the first day of autumn, so maybe it's allowed now. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Whymper (left), "Chimper" (middle), and Chimney (far right). Get it? Chimney + Whymper = Chimper! Gotta love mountain naming sometimes!

Summit selfie! This one took multiple tries, as my numb hands couldn't seem to function properly!

Beautiful Boom Lake, with Chimney, Quadra, and Bell (from left to right).

Larches clinging to Boom's sheer south face! Is physics even relevant in the mountains!?...Also, how do they even get nutrients?? Trees are hard-core!

Chimney Peak clears up slightly.

Bye-bye Boom! Leaving Boom Mountain's long, flat ridge.

Retracing our steps down rubble, back to the goat trail below.

Looking towards Ball and Stanley...still stormy up there :(

This time we followed the goat trail all the way back to our ascent gully before descending back to the valley far below.

Back to bushwhacking! For the way back, we focussed on staying right next to the creek (on skier's left side) for as much of the way as possible. Although we had to thrash through our share of thick low bush, our path was more direct and took less time. Soon it was raining however, and our lower halves got soaked from the bush!! Luckily we were heading back home, so I just continued pushing through, not caring too much. Photo credit: Dad

Start in the bush, end in the bush!