The first week on the PCT

I wrote this post after about a month on the PCT, when I figured it was about time to start blogging about it.

This post has sat in my draft folder since June of 2023. I figure I might as well add the photos, and post the darn thing. A lot has happened since that time (including not completing the PCT) but we’ll see whether I ever catch up.

Grab a snack, maybe a cold drink. This is a long read!

Pre-trail – 25 and 26 April, 2023

I flew out of Vancouver on Tuesday morning, for San Diego. I managed to get an upgrade to business class, thanks to a co-worker in the control tower mentioning to the crew that I was onboard. I was originally sitting in economy, and prior to pushback one of the flight attendants came by and asked for me. My heart raced. She asked me to come forward, and put me in a single seat in the last row of business, telling me that my friends in the tower had put in a good word for me.

At the airport in San Diego, I waited by the luggage carousel for my backpack, but it never came. My AirTag said it was nearby. An airline worker asked if it was oversized. I said no (no bigger than a suitcase, and definitely not heavier!). I said I’d have a look there though, so she told me where that was. I wandered over, and there it was, sitting forlornly all by itself. On the way out, I pointed it out to the employee of talked to. We both kind of rolled our eyes and shrugged. “Oversized”

I decided that I would walk all the way to my hostel, rather than take transit. It would only be an hour and a half, and I might as well get the limbs moving… On the way, I enjoyed looking at all the sailboats lined up along the waterfront. They’d be the last ones I’d see in quite a while!

The Gaslamp Hostel was in a slightly dodgy part of town, but nothing too bad. The hostel itself was excellent! I enjoyed the lounge and spent quite a while reading there. There was already one guy in the room (of six beds). I only saw him when I first dropped my things in the room. Most of the time he had sheets strung up around his lower bunk, making like a little cubby. I never really knew whether he was in there or not.

In the morning I was up early and in the kitchen before 8, enjoying some of the complimentary items. I packed up and was on my way before nine.

I walked to the nearest Best Buy electronics store (about two hours away) and picked up a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, as I’d left mine at home! I then walked the hour and a half to the Old Town Transportation Center, where I would be meeting my shuttle to the trail’s starting point.

I arrived a little early, so I wandered around a nearby park for a while before heading to the appointed meeting place. Mike from Taiwan was there and we chatted for a bit. Soon came more people, and the shuttle arrived. After one straggler showed up (delayed flight out of Toronto, with Air Canada? What?!?) we got on our way. We stopped at Scout and Frodo’s place (well known among the PCT crowd, they often host people in transit to the start of the trail – a LOT of people!) and picked up three more. We now had a crew of eight passengers, of which only ONE was American!

The shuttle brought us to “CLEEF” – the Camp Lockwood Event and Equestrian Facility. This non profit facility is located less than half a mile from the southern terminus of the PCT and is developing a facility to help get people to and safely on the trail. The shuttle is reasonably priced, and stops at REI and a small grocery store on the way. Then for an extra ten measly bucks, you get a tent site and an evening talk on PCT safety, focusing on things like dehydration, hypothermia, heat exhaustion/stroke, crossing rivers safely, hitching rides, and more. AND THEN a fantastic breakfast to boot!

Day one – 27 April, 2023

After waking from a restless night of cowboy camping (sleeping without a tent – just a ground sheet, sleeping pad, and quilt), and covered in dew, we woke to a delicious breakfast of bagels, muffins, oatmeal, coffee, and more. I hung my damp quilt on a corner of the breakfast shelter and packed the rest of my gear in my pack, then set off southbound to the terminus.

It was a quick ten-minute walk up the road to the monument where a couple of people from the Pacific Crest Trail Association we’re checking permits and handing out hang tags to place on backpacks, indicating that the bearer was hiking the PCT! Some photos and video were taken, then it was time to set off!

I hiked the trail back to the campground, picked up my now-dry quilt, used the facilities one final time, then set off toward Canada!

Within the first few miles, there were a couple of obligatory photo stops – the “1 Mile” sign, and the railroad crossing with distances to Mexico (3 miles) and to Canada (2647 miles!).

The day was hot, and getting hotter. I passed a bunch of the hikers I had stayed at CLEEF with, filling water bottles at a creek. I filled mine quickly, and kept moving.

I stopped for a quick lunch of peanut butter spread on tortillas, and shortly thereafter passed the ten-mile mark.

Shortly before four, I pulled into the campsite at Hauser Creek. Dylan (who had not stayed at CLEEF) and Will (who had) were there. Shortly after, Stone (working on his second Triple Crown) arrived, as did Meg (they had both been at CLEEF). Stone kept going, starting up the hill on the other side of the creek. Will decided to do the same, but half an hour later, he arrived back in camp – he’d taken a wrong turn initially, and when he realized his error, just returned to camp to spend the night there. Dylan, Meg, and I stayed there as well.

I was quite overheated from the day, and after cooking some ramen and returning to my tent, I had to spend a long time with a cool damp cloth on my forehead to cool down to a reasonable temperature. I had to do this for about the first three days in a row…

Day two – 28 April, 2023

After a fairly good night’s sleep, I set out at about 6:40 AM. Another beautiful morning to hit the trail!

The climb up and out of Hauser Creek seemed never-ending, and it wasn’t long before the sun popped out from behind the ridge and things started heating up.

After the climb, it was a descent into Lake Morena, and a stop at the malt shop! Stone was already there, eating his breakfast burrito, and Meg showed up right after me. Will arrive just a few moments later. The company was great, and the food was delicious!

I then stopped at the nearby state park to refill my water bottles, and continued on.

There was a brief stop at the Boulder Oaks campground for a snack and water, then another water stop at Kitchen Creek – the water was lovely as I soaked my shirt and hat! Then a long ascent to my tent site after a total journey of over 19 miles.

Again, I was very overheated, and had to use a cool cloth on my forehead to reset the body’s thermostat.

Day three – 29 April, 2023

I set out at a reasonable time, after a lousy night’s sleep and climbed up and up into Mount Laguna. When I arrived, there was some Trail Magic being provided by “The Wolverines” – a group of folks who have previously hiked the PCT and want to assist and support those in their footsteps.

They had provided breakfast for a whole bunch of hikers who had stayed there the night before, and were doing “pack shakedowns” – going through the contents of your pack to try find ways to help save weight and be more efficient. They also gave one hiker a ride to another town to replace her shoes, which were giving her terrible blisters.

I arrived just in time to get the last two pancakes, and also got a banana and an icy cold Sprite. Then I made a quick stop at the general store and picked up a bit of food and some sunglasses – mine had broken on day two!

I pushed on for a while and arrived at the top of a ridge overlooking Oriflamme Canyon. There were a bunch of huge boulders strewn about, and very few camping spots left available. One fellow standing atop a big boulder helped guide me to a little unoccupied site from above – very helpful!

As it was getting dark, a big group gathered up on one of the boulders to watch the sunset. Very pretty!

A total of over 21 miles hiked, but I managed to stay just a little cooler this day!

Day four – 30 April, 2023

I had a slow start on Sunday morning, and I intended to hike to a tent site just prior to Scissors Crossing. The plan was to hitch into Julian on Monday morning. Well, I missed the last tent sites, and just kept going.

I found the day really frustrating. I think it was the hot, hot day that really wore me down. I just could not do what I knew I *should* be capable of. I was still doing what I felt should be within my range, but it was taking a big toll. By late afternoon, I was barely plodding across the sand, in utter exhaustion.

There were a couple of people walking ahead of me, so I figured I would not be the only person camping at the highway. Well, turns out they were hitchhiking somewhere else. I had not made any plans or reservations nearby, so I was the only one camping at the highway. The last mile or two to the highway crossing were terribly demoralizing.

I was just setting up a little cowboy camp under the overpass, when trail angel Bad Santa came by, checking on the water cache, and offered me a ride into town. When I said that I didn’t have a reservation anywhere, he told me that there would be no problem snagging a spot on the patio of the local Legion.

Sure enough, there are 10 cots available for PCT hikers to use at American Legion Post 468 in the town of Julian. By the time night fell, there were five of us there – Troy and Jack, a father and son from Portland, Matthias from Germany, and Erisa from Japan, in addition to me. An eclectic mix!

I went over to the Julian Beer Company, where I happened to run into Nico (who started the same day as me) and his mom (Tiana – she met up with him while she’s traveling in the area) in line. We ended up having a really nice dinner together!

During the night, a cold weather system moved in, and there was a chill fog – just above freezing – all over town when morning came.

It was a very long, grueling day overall, and *again* I covered more miles than I intended to. Too many miles, in too much heat.

Day five – 1 May, 2023

Yesterday was incredibly difficult for me. Today was a complete redemption from that experience.

I woke from a fitful sleep at the Legion, and as mentioned, it was BITTERLY cold and foggy. I packed up and went for breakfast. I went to the first open spot I came across, the Miner’s Diner. (I should have heeded the comments in FarOut. The food was a bit overpriced for the quality/quantity.)

However, whilst there, I ran into three guys from the UK that are doing a bike ride from San Diego to Miami, raising money for charity. We had a great chat, each of us impressed by what the other was doing! So cool, two different huge cross-country voyages, in completely different directions, intersecting in a tiny town in the mountains of California.

After that was a visit to the local outfitters, 2 Foot Adventures, for some gear changes and resupply. Working with Mary (who is fantastic!) I made some changes (including bigger shoes for my hobbit feet) and bought some more food, sunscreen, etc. I mentioned that I was interested in getting a single hiking pole; I do not like to hike with poles but wanted a single one for balance when crossing creeks and as an extra point of contact when walking on snow. Mary contacted someone else – Fossil – who was able to bring along an old single aluminum (I.e. sturdy) pole to the shop. What amazing service!

Then it was off to Mom’s Pie Shop, which offers a free piece of pie, ice cream, and a drink to PCT hikers! Ran into a lot of people I’ve been seeing over the past couple of days and got to know some better. I then went to a small market and bought a few more supplies for the coming days.

I intended to leave town later in the afternoon, to get in just a few hours of hiking before dark. A couple of new friends, Corina and Luzi, were planning the same, so we arranged for a ride later on with a local trail angel. With some time to kill, I walked to the library! I sat quietly and read my book while charging my phone for nearly two hours. Oh my, what a pleasure that was!

We met our ride, Professor (who prefers to think of himself as a “trail magician” rather than a “trail angel”) at 2 Foot Adventures. As we were leaving town, we also picked up one more hiker who was hitching back to trail. We were back on trail by around 3:45.

Wow, what a difference. My pack was a lot heavier, carrying a lot more food and water than I’ve had before. But the weather was SO much cooler. That, and a relaxing half-day in town, made a world of difference. I felt the full Red Bull “gives you wings” effect. I felt I could walk forever, even though it was mostly a relentless climb over the next 3 1/2 hours. I made 9.3 miles, so I was pretty happy with the progress.

The wind was howling as I set up my tent (a serious challenge!) but was supposed to settle down during the night. After this day, I was feeling much better than I had the day before!

Day 6 – 2 May, 2023

The wind was supposed to ease off during the night, but it just kept howling right through to about mid-morning. I did not sleep well… I was up early, though, and was on the trail around 6:45. At least the wind helped keep things nice and cool all morning.

Early in the day, I passed mile 100, which was exciting! Had a nice lunch stop shortly after, at mile 101, and spent well over an hour there, with Dylan, Fake Snake, Chessie, Matthias, and Nico. Nico’s mom happened to stop by again and shared some fresh oranges. Nice!

Then off to San Ysidro Creek for more water and a chat with Kaitlyn and Emily, sisters who were southbound from Walker Pass to Campo. A quick wander past Eagle Rock, then past a mama cow and calf standing athwart the trail, and finally got into camp just after 6. It got cold FAST and I was under my quilt by 7:30!

I was camped at the turnoff to Warner Springs, a mile down the road, but I had no plans to go there in the morning. I didn’t rule it out, but figured I probably didn’t actually need to make the diversion into town for anything.

Another longer day again – the longest day I’d done yet, at 22.6 miles. It did get a little bit tough at the end, but wasn’t nearly as demanding as some of the earlier, hotter days.

Day 7 – 3 May, 2023

It was a cooler day again, and with the promise of precipitation overnight! Would that be a good thing, or a bad thing?

I didn’t end up heading into Warner Springs after all, and just strolled on down the trail in the morning. The terrain was a little bit different at the start of the day – it was like wandering across grasslands and meadows, rather than desert ridges. After a short while, the trail actually passed through some boggy wetland areas. Later in the day, though, the hills and ridge crests were definitely getting higher!

During the day, I finally tried out some cold soaking for my food. Cold soaking is a technique that is becoming more popular with through-hikers. Rather than carrying a stove, pot, and fuel, it is easier and lighter to just soak your dehydrated food in a watertight container as you hike during the day. With some careful planning, your food is ready to eat when you are ready to take a break.

This was the first time I tried what’s known as a “ramen bomb”. A package of ramen soup, and a package of instant mashed potatoes, soaked in enough water for both. Some dehydrated refried beans make a very nice addition, too, as well as delivering some needed protein to this carb-fest!

Along the way, I ended up chatting with a couple of fellows that were a little closer to my age than most of those on the trail – John and Clay. John is doing a full through-hike, and Clay was joining him for some days here and there, and then full time later up the trail. They were very fortunate in that they lived near San Diego, and their wives were able to meet them in various spots, delivering needed equipment, food, and taking them off trail for town nights!

I ended the day at a spot called Mike’s Place, a house in the hills where hikers are welcome to camp out. There is a lot of covered area, charging outlets, places to sit, and, importantly, water. With the coming rain (or worse – a chance of snow at our elevation!) a few of us laid out sleeping places on the covered patio. I managed to claim the hanging swing with its dusty cushions – perfectly bed sized, and comfy all night long!

Clay set up a tent rather than cowboy camping on the covered patio. I really didn’t want to have to pack up a wet tent in the morning, though.

And to finish: A preview of Day 8…

24 April, 202224 April, 2022

A week that included hiking AND camping… (Update #5)

Another week has passed, and I’m keeping the movement going – the movement of steps across the ground, that is. Lots of steps, at work, and in the woods. Quite a few stairs climbed at work as well.

This week, I was off Thursday through Saturday. On Thursday I took the dog camping at Porteau Cove, along the road up to Squamish. The weather was nasty when we got there, but cleared up in late afternoon. While it was still raining, we drove into Squamish, and just took a short walk up to the base of Shannon Falls. The falls weren’t really raging, and the rain wasn’t really pouring, and the wind wasn’t really howling. It was a pleasant, short, walk.

Dog looking at the camera, with a waterfall partially obscured by foliage in the background. — Chester posing at a (partial) viewpoint of Shannon Falls.

We returned to Porteau Cove, and spent a while walking around the campground and park.

Dog on a wooden platform with railing, with a view across the water to a mountainous island — Chester checking out the view at Porteau Cove.

We had a pleasant fire, as the evening cooled off, and we were in the tent shortly after 8. It began to rain again a short while later, and continued to rain for most of the night. In the morning, however, it had cleared up again, and the rest of the day was very spring-like and almost warm.

After packing up, we headed back to North Vancouver, where we met up with a friend for a hike in between Lynn Valley and Seymour Valley, south of Rice Lake. Around 8 km or so, and a bit of up and down. The dog was tired by the end…

Dog standing the the bottom of some large wooden stairs climbing into the forest. — “More stairs???”

Yet another hike on Saturday, as well, with some members of the Swedish Cultural Society. Again, we started at the top of Lynn Valley Road, and hiked the Lynn Loop, via Cedar Mill Trail to the Third Debris Chute, then back down the Headwaters Trail, and on to Rice Lake for a little snack.

All in all, a good week of keeping the steps up, and upping the ante a little bit on elevation gained – flights climbed. My resting heart rate climbed a bit, mostly due to drinking too much on Wednesday night (an evening at the pub with my Swedish class!) and sleeping poorly that night, and while camping. My blood pressure has dropped a bit, as well, which is always a (genetic) concern for me.

Stats for 17 April – 23 April, 2022

Steps: 120075 (avg 17154) up 5% from last week
Floors: 547 (avg78) up 14% from last week
Calories burned: 24362 (avg 3480) up 3% from last week
Average resting heart rate: 51.9 (up from 49.7 the week before)

20 March, 202120 March, 2021

I Finally Went For A Hike! And Stuff About My Car…

So I haven’t been out doing much hiking at all lately. Aside from a couple of hours along the Baden Powell Trail in North Vancouver a month ago, I haven’t spend more than an hour on my feet in many many months.

Aside: I bought a new car almost exactly a year ago. It is a Volvo station wagon, but the Cross Country version. It is lifted about 5 cm from the regular wagon, and has all wheel drive. I wanted one with the smallest available rims (18″), so that I could put beefy tires on it, suitable for driving on rough gravel logging roads. The one I ended up buying had all the bells and whistles I was after (honestly, it offers to hold a kleenex for me if it thinks I may sneeze…) and for a screaming good deal – but it had the largest rims available (20″), with the lowest profile tires (245/40 R20). Moreover, the tires were summers. I haven’t (legally) been able to drive up to Squamish since October.

After intending to do so for months, I finally got around to buying new rims and tires for the vehicle. I got my 18″ rims, and some all-terrain, all-season tires, which I will keep on the car for, well, all seasons. Good in the snow in winter, and good off paved roads in summer… The reason I went into all of this? Because for the first time this year, I was also able to drive up the road to the Mount Seymour ski area, to access the trail to the First Peak of Mount Seymour!

Anyway, conditions looked good this past Tuesday, and it was time to try out my five day old tires on a trip up to Mount Seymour. Of course, the roads were well plowed, and the tires didn’t touch a single flake of snow.

On the drive through the city, the weather was very pleasant, with a few puffy clouds around, but no precipitation. There were some fairly thick clouds over the mountains, though. Once I turned up the hill for the final 11 km winding road to the parking area, the rest of the drive was in the shadow of those clouds.

To cut a long story slightly shorter, the weather was cloudy and snowy for 2/3 of the way up to the first peak, then cleared up beautifully. The wind remained sharp and cold in exposed spots, especially on the summit. I could only stay for a couple of minutes, despite the brilliant sunlight.

It was a lovely trip out, I managed to open up the lungs a bit, and burned a few calories off. It was a good day out!

Conditions just a few meters below the summit.

20 January, 202120 January, 2021

Castle Towers – Backpacking and Scrambling in Garibaldi Park – July 11-12, 2019

Castle Towers is a mountain that Jeff and I had been wanting to climb for a while. It involves a long trek into the Garibaldi Park backcountry, an overnight stay, and a lot of up and down over many kilometers!

We met at Jeff’s place in North Vancouver at just after 5:30 AM, and were soon on our way. After a quick stop at the Zephyr Cafe in Squamish, we arrived at the parking lot for Cheakamus Lake a little before 8:00, and did a final gear sort. We were on the trail by 8:15.

After stashing a brace of beers in the creek for the return, we crossed the Cheakamus River and started steeply up toward Helm Creek Campground.

As we climbed steadily up into the heart of the park, despite some blue patches in the sky, the weather slowly became worse. We reached the campground after about 3 hours of hiking, and stopped for a bite to eat.

Reaching the open area of meadows near Helm Creek Campground. The Black Tusk is playing peek-a-boo directly ahead.

Two happy hikers approaching Helm Creek Campground.

We continued up toward the Helm Glacier, and planned to traverse up on the left side of the glacier, all the way up to the head of the valley. As we turned up the valley, we watched a couple of marmots who were having a bit of a tussle. Another was nearby. I have some video somewhere, and will upload soon…

As we looked up the valley, we were disappointed to see more snow than we expected trailing up the slopes beside the glacier. The going didn’t look nearly as good from this vantage point as we had hoped.

Looking up the Helm Glacier. The snow on the left side was going to be our route. Didn’t look great from here. Instead we cut left, up a steep slope (not visible) to joint the left skyline.

We made a quick change of plan, and headed steeply up to the left, to reach the ridge line east of the glacier, and south of Helm Peak. It was a steep, gruelling ascent, and once we reached the top of the ridge, the weather really closed in around us.

Heading up the side of the valley, and into the murk.

As we followed the ridge, the rain began to spatter down, and we were totally engulfed in cloud. Because we couldn’t see very far, we couldn’t tell whether it was possible to bypass the various bumps and peaks along the ridge. Rather than risk attempting to bypass these features, and end up cliffed out as the terrain got steeper and steeper, we ended up going up and over every single feature along the ridge, adding a lot of unnecessary up and down to the approach. I didn’t take any photos once the fog got really thick, but you can get the idea of deteriorating conditions below…

Finally, 7 hours after beginning the approach, and thoroughly tired and wet, we reached the head of Helm Glacier, and started the steep descent down slippery grass meadows into Gentian Pass, our destination for the night.

Our route drops down into this saddle, and off the left side into the abyss of Gentian Pass.

When we arrived at our planned camping area, at about 4 PM, the wind was driving, and the rain was like needles on our skin. We decided it was best to set up our tents as quickly as possible, rather than stand shivering in the elements. Conditions were not suitable for taking photos!

Setting up the tents was quite a challenge under those conditions, and when we finally did get them pitched, we each crawled into our respective abodes for a bit of shelter in our bedraggled states. We each also cracked open a beer to reward ourselves for a job well done. I managed to doze off for a little while, as well.

Settling in for a nap. Note the (now empty) beer can next to the door of the tent.

Things eventually quieted down outside, and we emerged from our tents around 7 PM to think about dinner. The rain had cleared off, the wind had dropped to almost nothing, and there were once again breaks in the clouds! We hung some of our wet things out to dry on some nearby snags, and set about preparing some hot food.

Bellies filled, we retired to our sleeping bags to rest up for a big day to follow..

The next morning we were up bright and early, and the day was looking fantastic. There were a few scattered low clouds around and some high wispy cirrus clouds, but nothing appeared threatening. We had some breakfast, and tidied up camp, packing everything into our tents before we left.

Again, 8:15 was out departure time, and we made quick time heading out of camp up toward Polemonium Ridge. That quick pace didn’t last very long, however, as the route was a long, steady climb up, up, up. Still, we managed to reach the top of the ridge in just over an hour. As we moved up, the views continually improved.

Starting up toward the summit of Gentian Ridge. Castle Towers is the tallest summit just left of centre.

The views opening up over Garibaldi Lake. Labels via the Peakfinder App.

We stopped for a quick snack, and strapped on our helmets before starting a steep, rocky descent down the other end of the ridge. Soon we were out of danger from loose rock, and started up the other side of the pass toward Castle Towers.

The top of Castle Towers (well, not actually the “top” as the route only goes to the lower of two summits – the true summit was beyond our comfort level!) is only about 1 km travel from the pass, but an ascent of over 400 meters. You could call it steep!

There were a couple of steep snow fields along the way, and we pulled out our helmets, crampons and ice axes to be safe. Again, the views opened up magnificently, particularly over Garibaldi Lake.

Snow time. Ice axe, helmet, and crampons coming out.

Jeff scrambling up some of the rocks close to the summit.

We reached the summit (well, our summit) a few minutes after noon, and took a couple of photos. We then dropped to just below the summit block, and snacked for a little bit.

Looking northeast, with a peek-a-boo view of Cheakamus Lake.

Looking northwest, with The Black Tusk dominating the left skyline.

Looking around, we could see that there were some troubling clouds beginning to gather around the area. The Black Tusk began to play peek-a-boo, and there was a lot of development down towards Squamish, beyond Mount Garibaldi. Soon, we began our descent.

Starting down one of the snow slopes. The Black Tusk is now partly shrouded in cloud.

Once again, we stopped atop Polemonium Ridge for a bite to eat, and to get a few last photos of the day’s destination. Then, the long, steady trip back down to camp.

Climbing out of the pass toward the summit of Polemonium Ridge, looking back up where we’d been shortly before.

Rounding the top of Polemonium Ridge on the way back.

When we were approaching camp, and our tents grew from tiny specks on the gravel into recognizable objects, something didn’t appear right. Jeff’s tent looked… messed up. It appeared to be partly opened, and no longer fully standing. We became very concerned that perhaps a bear had gone for a little look-see in camp.

As we were coming down the ridge, we took this photo to try zoom in and see what was happening with the tent on the left.

When we actually reached the tents, there was a great sense of relief. The gravel that we had set up on had just softened with all the rain the previous day, and one or two of Jeff’s tent pegs had pulled out, causing one side of the tent to collapse in on itself. No bears here!

We had taken quite a while to get to the summit and back. A trip of 3 km each way, so 6 in total, had taken us six hours. Yup, we averaged 1 km/h. Probably one of the slower hikes I’ve done! But we were in no rush, there was a bit of complicated micro-terrain to work through in a couple of places, and we still had a long hike out ahead of us.

We packed up our tents, and began the hike out shortly before 4 PM. We knew that the hike out would take quite a while, and we would be pushing dark by the time we got back, but it was a well established trail, and we had headlamps!

The trip back was much easier than the hike in had been, and the views much more pleasant. Once we climbed up and out of Gentian Pass (up, up, up the slippery grassy meadows), the trip along the ridge toward Helm Peak had much more expansive views. What’s more, we could actually see where we were going, and bypass some of the bumps along the way.

Starting back up Gentian Ridge. Castle Towers is on the left, and starting to get socked in by cloud.

Heading up the ridge, we passed this strange, spindly, space probe looking thing. Turns out it was a weather station recording information for a university program.

Some of the peaks along Gentian Ridge that we were able to skirt around, because we could see the terrain on the way back!

Helm Peak, the evil looking spire just right of centre, looks intimidating, even from here. It’s even scarier close up, as I learned in the summer of 2020.

The route back down to Helm Creek Campground was also more straightforward, following the ridge down almost all the way to the groomed trail, rather than the makeshift route we took up the side of the valley on the way in. The ridge is still brutally steep, coming up or going down, but at least there is a rudimentary trail.

At 7:15, we passed through the campground, and continued down the hill.

Once again, we passed through Helm Creek Campground, and the clouds were starting to clear away. The previous day, there was one party in the campground, and they were on their way out. This time, it was a Friday evening, and there were a lot more people up to enjoy the weekend.

We reached the bridge across Cheakamus Creek at 9:00, and grabbed our chilled beverages on the way by. We cruised back along the trail, and reached the parking lot just around full dark, at 9:35.

Overall, we hiked about 31 km in total, and climbed/descended over 2900 meters of elevation, over the course of two days. The trip was a memorable experience, getting deep into the backcountry of Garibaldi Park.

24 September, 201924 September, 2019

A change in the weather – West Highland Way Part 2 – June 2018

Part two of my trip along the West Highland Way, from Glasgow to Fort William. Part one can be found here.

Day 3

I had a fairly good night’s sleep at Sallochy Campsite, and woke up shortly after 7:00. I was amazed at the number of midges that were swarming around the outside of the bug mesh of my tent. This would not be the last time – it was a recurring theme on this trip!

Most of the day was spent hiking north along the shoreline of Loch Lomond. Fortunately, the weather stayed nice for most of the day. Unfortunately, it kind of got ugly later in the day…

The route had now narrowed into an actual trail. Up to this point, it was mostly either a gravel or dirt road, or a pathway alongside a paved road. Now the trail (very developed, with a groomed gravel surface) wandered along the lochside, through ferny forests, and across lovely babbling brooks.

The trail following a road, the day before.

view through tree branches across a lake toward forested mountains — Looking northward, along the edge of Loch Lomond

I passed a fairly large hotel, the Inversnaid Hotel, around 2:30 in the afternoon. There appeared to be a wedding going on, and I saw the bride and groom posing for photos near a waterfall below the trail. I made sure I didn’t photobomb them!

A view of the Inversnaid Hotel through the trees

At 3:00, I rounded a point, and had a view up toward the north end of the loch. There were some dark, foreboding clouds up that way, and I began to hear the sounds of distant thunder.

Along this section of trail, I came upon one of the more interesting trail features I saw: a little gathering of three tables and some chairs made of wood, in the form of oak leaves and acorns. Very cute!

Acorn and leaf trail-side accouterments!

Shortly after 4:00, a little bit of rain began. It was just a little light shower activity, but I donned my rain shell, just in case. A little while later, I strolled across a field with an abandoned old house, and a smaller stone building at the far end. This was my first bothy!

What is a bothy, you ask? “A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge… Most bothies are ruined buildings which have been restored to a basic standard, providing a windproof and watertight shelter. They vary in size from little more than a large box up to two-storey cottages.“ – Wikipedia

The bothy had a trio of people inside already, and I joined them. It began raining much harder outside, as an actual thunderstorm came rolling through. The bothy was a solid stone building, with a couple of raised sleeping platforms. There were just a few small, deep-set windows in the walls, which made the place quite dark inside.

I sat down on one of the sleeping platforms, just below a window, and pulled out my book for a while. A few other people came in and dried out, then carried on. There was a bit of conversation among the occupants, but each group mostly seemed to keep to themselves. As a solo traveller, I didn’t chat much with the others…

Home for the night was going to be a campground at Beinglas Farm, which was a little over three km along the trail. The rain seemed to be pretty much done by about 6:00, so I packed my things back up, and got on my way.

Fifteen minutes before I got to the campground, the skies opened up. Seriously, the rain came down hard! Truly a deluge, for the remaining 20 minutes on the trail. I splashed into the campground, and was thrilled to see that there was a warm, dry pub on offer! I shed my rain layers, paid for a campsite, and sat down to a dinner of cullen skink, bread, and Guinness(es).

After a little while, the rain began to ease, and I went out to set up my tent. With the rain dying off, the midges began to reappear. I set up the tent and got right in. Later in the evening, someone was playing live music in the pub, and it sounded pretty good! Unfortunately, I knew that exiting the tent, and getting back in later, would permit far too many midges inside. I declined to do so…

24 September, 201924 September, 2019

A change of plans! – West Highland Way Part 1 – June 2018

Planning

6 June, 2018. It was about 4 in the afternoon when I arrived back at my campground for the night. I had just spent 8 hours hiking up and over Càrn Mòr Dearg and Ben Nevis, and I was bone tired. More than that, I was incredibly discouraged. The hike had been only about 18.5km, with a cumulative elevation gain and loss of less than 1500m. On top of that, the whole thing began and ended very close to sea level. There was no reason that it should have tired me out the way it did! I was in good shape, and very accustomed to trips of that length and difficulty.

I thought about the general plans I had over the next few days. Nothing really well defined, but the goal was to do a lot of vertical, up and down a bunch of Munros for the next week or so. Feeling the way I did after Day 1, I realized I wasn’t ready for it.

I think the major problem was the jet lag, and lack of sleep from my sleepless 9 hour red-eye flight. An additional issue was that I was a bit anemic – a situation spotted during a platelet donation just a couple of days prior to my trip. I am basically a vegetarian (I do eat some seafood) and had not been keeping up on my supplemental iron recently. It was showing. I wasn’t desperately low on iron, but low enough that I had to be deferred for a couple of months. The low iron count was certainly a factor in the fatigue I felt.

Anyway, long story only very slightly less long, I didn’t feel up to tons of ascents and descents right away.

I hopped on the internet, and looked into some options. One that jumped out at me right away was the West Highland Way. When I was driving from Glasgow to Fort William, I had seen glimpses of people hiking a trail alongside the road, along this route.

The West Highland Way starts on the outskirts of Glasgow, and winds 154 km to Fort William. The elevation gain was fairly substantial overall (I ended up averaging about 600m of gain/loss per day over six days) but it started slowly over the first couple of days, increasing as the trail went on.

Anyway, with very little preparation, I lay in my tent that evening, and arranged my transportation online. I packed up my backpack, and tried to get some sleep.

Day 1

I woke early on the 7th of June, and packed up. Everything went either into my backpack, or into the trunk of my rental VW Golf. I drove into Fort William, and tried to figure out where to park for a week, where I wouldn’t be towed. The “long term” lots around town were no good for anything over 24 hours. Finally I went and asked in the train station. I was told that I could park around the back of the station, at my own risk. No cost, no time limit, perfect!

I parked the car, and then kept looking back, hoping I had everything I needed. Mostly, I did…

I hopped on the CityLink bus to Glasgow, and we pulled out at 9:00 AM. While we traveled, I tried to figure out (on my phone) where I would stay that first night. I knew that I would be in a national park that had limited opportunities for camping permits. There were none available for that night, however. I did find a hotel in Drymen, though, which would give me a 19 km first day. No problem.

City Link bus interior — Time to take the bus to Glasgow!

After almost three hours, I arrived at the Anniesland station in Glasgow, and changed onto a train for the 12 minute, £2.80 trip to Milngavie.

It was just after 12:30 in the afternoon, and I had about 4-5 hours of walking ahead of me. I decided not to linger. I realized that I had left my toothpaste and toothbrush in the car, and made a quick stop in a grocery store to grab those things. At 12:45, I found the start of the walk, and began my trek!

Selfie with sign indicating the start of the trail — Starting the West Highland Way in Milngavie.

I realized later that I probably should have picked up some sort of guide or map or something near the start of the route. Turns out I never would pick one up, and just got by using Google Maps and my GPS app…

The first day took me through a lot of farmlands on the outskirts of Glasgow. It was more rural than suburban, but definitely was a very settled area. There were a lot of gates that needed opening and closing, to keep livestock from escaping. One thing that I found very cool was all of the cuckoos that I kept hearing! That’s something we don’t have in BC, and it was strange to hear such a familiar sound (of a cuckoo clock) out in nature.

The 19 km trip, with about 250 meters of total elevation gain and loss was utterly exhausting for me. It took almost five hours, and I was really dragging my feet by the time I arrived at my hotel!

When I got checked in, I found it impossible to leave the room. I had thought I might head to a pub for food and a pint, but there was no way. I boiled water in the supplied kettle, and ate one of my dehydrated meals. Then I slept. I slept fitfully, unfortunately, but at least I slept…

That first night, I realized that I’d forgotten a couple of other things in the car. I had no contact lens case with me. That night, I ended up emptying a couple of small cream containers from the complimentary in-room coffee service, giving them a good wash, and filling them with contact lens solutions – which I fortunately had!

I also realized I’d forgotten my travel electrical adapter, so I had no way to plug in my USB charger. I was able to borrow one at some of the places I stayed at night (hotels and campgrounds) but I did have to be careful with my phone usage!

One more important lesson this day: I learned that there are also private campgrounds in the area, in addition to the park campgrounds. Turns out I could have stayed in an £8 campsite instead of the £60 hotel…

Day 2

I was up fairly early on the 8th. I found the closest chemist and asked about a contact lens case. Well, the only way I could get one was included in a pack of two travel-sized bottles of solution. So that added to my pack weight…

Once I had that sorted, it was off for a bit of breakfast at Skoosh. This place is a wee tearoom on the Drymen high street, and they make an excellent breakfast! I had a full Scottish breakfast, with all the vegetarian options, and it was an excellent way to start the day!

Back to the hotel, to load up the pack and check out, and I was on the road at the crack of 10:30!

About an hour into the day, I started getting some glimpses of Loch Lomond in the distance. It disappeared again for a while, as the trail climbed up the east side of Conic Hill. Cresting the top of Conic Hill, two and a half hours into the day, there was a lovely view encompassing the southern third of the Loch. Lots of people were on top of the hill, about 350 meters above the lake. Pretty impressive, considering it was early on a Friday afternoon.

view over Loch Lomond from Conic Hill — Looking over Loch Lomond from Conic Hill

After taking a few photos, I started down the west side of Conic Hill, headed for the wee village of Balmaha. Once there, I popped in to the Oak Tree Inn for a pub lunch – Cullen Skink – and pint of Guinness. Some fine sustenance for the rest of the day.

I continued up the side of Loch Lomond, northbound, and at about 4:00 I reached Sallochy Campground, my home for the night. I had booked it online the night before, and was pleased to get a site in this location. It made for another 20 km day, which was just fine, as I was still very tired and having trouble covering a lot of distance. This second day also included a lot more elevation than the first had – more than twice as much, at around 550 meters total. The weather had been fairly warm through the day, and I drank a lot of water when I arrived!

The campsite was just fantastic! I was in one of the lochside spots (Site 6), and it was quite secluded from the other sites. An idyllic spot with great views over the loch. The campground was quite busy in the large, central common camping field, it being a Friday evening. It was certainly quiet in my site, though.

View of Loch Lomond from the shoreline. Blue skies, some puffy clouds, mountains across the loch. — View from my campsite, looking across Loch Lomond

—-

12 October, 201812 October, 2018

Ben Nevis via the CMD Arête – 6 June 2018

June 2018. Glasgow. I had just landed, after a miserable flight from Vancouver. I had booked a bulkhead seat, so I had a ton of room to stretch out. I had brought along ear plugs, and a sleep mask (blindfold) to help out on the red-eye flight. I thought I was all prepared. What I wasn’t prepared for was the very young person a few seats over. Approximately every 45 to 60 minutes, this little beastie started to shriek. I mean, I felt sorry for the kid – and his parents – but what really matters is that I didn’t get a wink of sleep on my trip across the pond.

Approaching Glasgow after 8 hours aloft.

I arrived in Glasgow around 10:00 AM local time, which was 2:00 AM by my body’s clock. I picked up my rental (a nice little VW Golf) and set out on my adventures. I had ten days and nights, and a list of at least a couple of dozen mountain peaks that I wanted to hike up.

I started with a trip to the Cotswold Outdoor shop in Glasgow’s West End Retail Park. Picked up a few maps, a book on the Munros of Scotland (all mountain peaks with an elevation of over 3000 feet), and a few supplies, like fuel for my stove, that I couldn’t bring on my flight. I also stopped at a nearby mall, and picked up a local SIM card for my phone. One big plus on this trip was the cell coverage – it was very good, with gobs of cheap and plentiful data.

From there, I drove to Fort William, where my adventures would begin! On the way, I looked around Glencoe a little bit, and scoped out the north face car park for Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis (The Ben!) is the tallest mountain in the UK, at 4413 feet (1345 meters). I found a campground nearby, and checked in for the next couple of nights. The plan was to climb Ben Nevis the following day (my first *full* day in Scotland) and return to the same campground that night, and decide on my next objective from there.

I awoke bright and early Wednesday morning, after sleeping very, very poorly – jet lag sucks. I headed to the North Face Car Park, and set out at about 7:45 in the morning. My route was going to take me via what is known as the Càrn Mòr Dearg arête. This avoids the boring “tourist path” or “pony track” that most people take to ascend Ben Nevis – a very mundane trail that follows switchback up a dull, steep hill. The CMD launches you up to the top of a Munro on the east side of Ben Nevis, with stunning views of the North Face of the Ben – a sight that the hikers on the other side of the hill just never get to see. After reaching the summit of Càrn Mòr Dearg (which is the 9th tallest peak in the UK) the route follow a ridge line that heads south then turns west towards Ben Nevis. The ridge then steepens and climbs a long talus slope to the summit.

The first twenty minutes or so was through actual forest. Nice!

Everything started out smoothly. The first 2.5 km were a relatively gentle grade, up a fine trail along the Allt a’Mhuillin. After that, however, I started up a steeper, unrelenting grass and heather covered slope toward Càrn Mòr Dearg.

Heading up the valley between CMD and Ben Nevis.

Getting close to the point where I started up and left. The north face of Ben Nevis is looking daunting! The peak was in and out of cloud for the first couple of hours of the hike, but cleared by the end of the day.

Looking northwest toward Fort William, while hiking up Càrn Mòr Dearg.

The North Face of Ben Nevis from across the valley. Much more interesting than the other side of the mountain! I will be following the left skyline to the top.

Two and a quarter hours from the car, I reached the summit of Càrn Mòr Dearg, my first ever Munro summit!

What is a Munro, you ask? Well, in 1891, a gentleman by the name of Sir Hugh Munro created a list of all mountains higher than 3000 feet (914.4 meters) in Scotland. The list has undergone some amendments since then, and there are currently 282 mountains classified as Munros in Scotland. Some subsidiary summits that are high enough to be Munros, but are closely associated with a main peak, are known as Munro Tops – there are another 227 of those. There is some discussion about how much “prominence” is required to be a Munro, versus a Top, but 282 is where the current number stands.

Anyway, the summit of Càrn Mòr Dearg didn’t present any particular difficulties, apart from a lot of steep slogging uphill, with a bit of looser rock near the top. The most challenging thing on the summit was the cloud of midges that had gathered. I stopped for a bit of food – buns and peanut butter – but didn’t linger, as the midges appeared to want to eat as well.

What are midges, you ask? They are tiny biting flies, and they exist around the world – but those in the Highlands of Scotland are notorious. They are most active at dawn and dusk, but seem to congregate in mountainous areas throughout the day. Fortunately, they can’t handle much more than a light breeze, so a windy day provides a welcome reprieve. Their bites are painful (they saw through the skin with their serrated mouthparts, rather than piercing it like a mosquito) and result in very itchy welts. They are an issue from late in May through September.

View from the summit of Càrn Mòr Dearg, looking along the CMD Arete toward the final ridge ascending Ben Nevis.

The next section was pretty cool, following the ridge around toward Ben Nevis. There was a bit where it became a bit problematic to remain on top of the ridge, due to some blocky, time-consuming scrambling, so I dropped down to a trail below the ridge-top, off to the left. Unfortunately, it was tough to get back up on the ridge for a little while, so I missed a bit of exciting terrain, but soon I was back on top.

On the ridge, looking up toward the (hidden) summit of Ben Nevis.

On top of the ridge, looking back toward Càrn Mòr Dearg.

About 45 minutes after the summit of Càrn Mòr Dearg, I was at the low point of the ridge.

Big cairn at the low point on the ridge between Càrn Mòr Dearg and Ben Nevis.

Around this time, the lack of sleep, and jet-lag started to really kick in. According to my body clock, it was around three in the morning, and I hadn’t slept very much, or very well, over the previous 48 hours. My whole body was dragging.

When I began up the final ridge toward the summit of Ben Nevis, a climb of about 300m (1000 feet) I felt like I was in the death zone of Mount Everest. This was a long, steep incline of large boulders, and after every 10 steps or so, I had to sit down and catch my breath. That last 300m, over a distance of about 1 km, took over an hour to cover.

Eventually, around 4 1/2 hours after setting out, I reached the top of the ridge, and the broad – well, huge, really – summit plateau. First I wandered over the the far northeast corner, where I could view the entirety of my route up, then back westward, past the ruins of the old observatory, and various markers.

Some of the summit attractions atop Ben Nevis.

After a while wandering around on the summit, I started down via the “tourist route” on the west side of the mountain. There was pretty much a constant stream of people coming and going along the path, a sharp contrast from the three people I saw on the other end of the mountain – two going the same direction as me, and one the opposite way.

I followed the trail for about an hour, down to Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe. At that point, I broke off toward the outlet on the north end of the lochan, and then across country, to rejoin my route up.

Looking down toward Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, heading down the hill from the summit of Ben Nevis.

Hiking alongside the lochan, headed back to the car park.

GPS track from my route. The lollipop loop trip started at top left, in the North Face Car Park, and ran clockwise.

11 October, 201811 October, 2018

Coliseum and Burwell – North Shore Hiking – 4 October 2018

Thursday, the 4th of October, started as a cool, crisp morning. When I got in my car at 6:30, there was frost on the roof and the windshield – brrr! I drove to Lynn Headwaters Park, and parked at the lot closest to the trailhead. I was on my way at about 8:05. That gave me just under 11 hours to get back to the car – the gate to the park road would close at 7:00 PM. I decided that my turnaround time would be 2 PM, giving me 6 hours for upward travel, and five hours available back…

The hike up along Lynn Creek is a familiar one to me; I often hike up to Norvan Falls with my dog. This hike would take me almost all the way to the falls, followed by a sharp turn up the Norvan drainage. Straight up to the top of the ridge, and a left turn toward Coliseum Mountain and Mount Burwell.

It was quite chilly as I began the hike, and the gradient for the first 7 km is not very steep. I wore long, zip-off pants, and two top layers. Shortly after I set out, two trail-runners passed me on the way up the valley. As I hiked along, I tried to keep an eye out for mushrooms growing alongside the trail – I’d really like to get into mushroom foraging! My recognition skills will need some serious practice, in order to keep myself alive…

After about an hour and a half, I turned off the Norvan Falls trail for the Coliseum Mountain trail. As soon as I turned up the hill, the (internally produced) heat began to build, and I stopped to remove my outer, long-sleeved, top. About this time, another fellow passed me on his way up – he was really moving!

The trail was quite wet, with a number of muddy sections and running water in places. Along this area, up to the top of the ridge, there were quite a variety of mushrooms to be found!

Two of the coolest mushrooms I saw on the way up the hill!

Another pretty crazy mushroom I saw on the way up – I believe it is a ***Turbinellus Kaufmanii*** (based on an Instagram post I saw from the same area that looked identical!)

About three hours after leaving the car, I reached the crest of the ridge, north of The Needles, and turned northwards. This section of trail was a mix of more open forest, and small areas of alpine meadow.

Shortly after reaching the ridge, the fellow who passed me near Norvan Falls came back the other way, from Coliseum Mountain – he was making good time! A short while later, the two trail-runners who had passed me early in the day went by on their way down. I don’t know whether they went to Burwell, or just to Coliseum.

At this point, there began to be much more open rock, and the trees faded away. I decided to ditch my long pants, and donned my kilt instead. Kilted rambling in the alpine – hard to beat!

Shortly after reaching the ridge crest above Norvan Creek’s drainage, open spots began appearing in the forest.

A little open area with a side trail dropping down toward Paton Peak and the Seymour River Valley.

More open patches appearing, with a few fun little scrambly bits.

The last little while before the summit of was spectacular – the expanses of open granite in this area are just beautiful for rambling around. Four hours after I began, I reached the summit of Coliseum Mountain.

Some of the open granite below Coliseum Mountain. Mount Fromme and Grouse, Dam, Little Goat, and Goat Mountains beyond. The Crown Mountain group peeks over the trees on the right side.

Top of Coliseum Mountain, looking toward Mount Burwell.

I dropped down toward the big tarn north of the summit, and began the traverse toward Mount Burwell. It didn’t look that far away, but it took far longer than I expected it to. The route went up and over a couple of intermediate bumps, and was a bit steeper than I expected.

Looking across at Cornet Lakes, below Mount Burwell, with Cathedral Mountain beyond.

A small tarn below Coliseum Mountain, with some ice still floating on the surface, shortly after noon!

Eventually, five hours after leaving the car, I arrived atop Mount Burwell. I sat down and enjoyed some lunch, and took a bunch of photos.

On the summit of Mount Burwell, with Cathedral Mountain in the distance.

Stylishly attired in my hiking kilt, from Sport Kilt.

Looking back southeastward at Coliseum Mountain. You can see how much open rock there is all around the summit. The three peaks of The Needles are visible to the right of the summit, as well. Actually, I think that the two closest peaks are North and Middle Needles, but the one beyond and slightly right of them is Lynn Peak. South Needle is hidden behind Middle…

I also heard the unmistakable sounds of a De Havilland Beaver’s radial engine approaching; it took just a few seconds to spot it, and I took a bit of video.

After a satisfying lunch and a few selfies, I packed everything back up and started back down, an hour after arriving.

On the way back down from Mount Burwell, I took this photo alongside the large tarn between Burwell and Coliseum, looking north. What a beautiful (but chilly!) day!

The trip down wasn’t much faster than the approach had been. Heading down the upper section of the trail, down the ridge and the Norvan drainage, I had to be careful not to slip on the slightly damp and very steep trail, which slowed me down somewhat. When I reached the flatter section of the trail below Norvan Falls, the trail was a low enough gradient that I had made good time on the way up. It would have been tougher to go much faster without running – something my knee and feet won’t let me do!

What took five hours on the way up took about four and a quarter on the way back down. By this time, the sun was getting pretty low, and the air was getting chilly. The last little while along Lynn Creek, my hands were getting rather cold, and I considered stopping to pull my gloves out of my pack (good to always be prepared!). I decided, however, that it would be best to just keep going and get back to the car. The heated seats sure felt good, when I did get back, though!

The GPS track for my hike up Coliseum Mountain and Mount Burwell.

30 September, 201830 September, 2018

Whistler Getaway – September 2018

My wife and I took our dog with us, and spent three nights up in Whistler, last week! The weather was fantastic, after having a few days of rain the previous week. We mostly strolled through the village, and relaxed in our loft suite at the dog-friendly hotel. It was very refreshing.

We did get out on a couple of short hikes while we were there, however!

The first was a walk through the village, and over to Lost Lake. We walked around to Canine Cove, on the eastern side of the lake, and after sitting for a while enjoying the fine weather, we continued around the north end. After rounding the end, we headed up into the hills on the west side of the lake, traveling along both hiking and biking trails.

A viewpoint along the Tin Pants trail, west of Lost Lake.

A decorated Christmas Tree along the trail, west of Lost Lake.

Eventually we made our way back to the village, and our hotel.

The next day, we looked online for some options a little further afield, and I discovered a short hike nearby that I wasn’t familiar with: The Ancient Cedars Trail. According to the description I read, it was up a logging road, but was easily reached by passenger car – no 4×4 needed. It also said that it was a suitable hike for all ages and abilities.

So, we started out for the hike, and shortly after turning on to the logging road, we found that the condition of the road had deteriorated quite a bit since the website was written. It was a long, slow, arduous trip in my Mazda 3! Eventually, we reached the trailhead, and started up the trail

And I mean UP the trail. It was pretty steep and unrelenting, especially for a non-hiker (like my wife). The website (and others I’ve seen) said that the elevation gain was 150 m. I’m not sure how that works, when the trailhead is at 835 meters, and the high point is around 1040 meters. Plus a bit of up and down through some draws and gullies… Does. Not. Compute.

Anyway, the trees in the cedar grove at the end of the trail are big and beautiful – estimated to be somewhere over 900 years of age!

A viewpoint along the Ancient Cedars Trail.

Chester likes the big trees on the Ancient Cedars Trail!

Most suspenseful sign of the entire Ancient Cedars Trail. I *STILL* want to know how it ends!

Eventually, we all made our way safely back to the car, and began the painstaking process of picking our way through the potholes and boulders to the highway…

Finally, on our last day, we hiked to the Train Wreck, just outside of Whistler. The trail is a pleasant, easy trip – well groomed, and well graded. The suspension bridge across the Cheakamus River is very cool, and the site itself is really neat to see. In short, there are 7 rail cars scattered through the trees, that derailed way back in 1956. In the intervening years, they have been painted over and over again, becoming an ever-evolving art display in the woods.

Chester trying to prepare himself for the psychological stress of crossing the suspension bridge.

Chester taking in the psychedelic wonders of the Train Wreck site

All in all, a very cool, easy hike, and well worth the time!

So, in summary, no “big” hikes, but a few short ones to add just a little spice to a very relaxing vacation!

30 September, 201830 September, 2018

Strachan & Black – Easy Hiking on the North Shore – 29 September 2018

The weather had been good for a few days, but I hadn’t had an opportunity to go hiking (aside from a couple of short hikes near Whistler – more on that here).

Saturday the 29th looked like the weather would start out fine, and end up showering by around dinner time – probably earlier in the mountains. So I decided to tackle a couple of peaks on the North Shore that I had never hiked before. They are relatively easy hikes, without any sort of technical difficulties, and very easy routefinding. That way, if the rains came early, I wouldn’t be stuck in a challenging situation.

The only issue with hiking these two peaks (Mount Strachan and Black Mountain) is that they are on the opposite sides of the parking area at Cypress Bowl – which means basically two out-and-back hikes, with no opportunity to traverse from one to the other. So: Gain all the elevation, lose all the elevation, and then gain all the elevation again!

I got a bit of a late start, not arriving at the parking lot until about 11:30. The place was packed! So many vehicles, so many people. Everyone wanted to take what might be one of the last not (yet) rainy weekends of the hiking season.

I started out heading east from the parking lot on the Baden-Powell Trail, and hiked right past the turnoff to head up the Mount Strachan Trail – it was well hidden by some logs and snags. I checked my GPS, and backtracked about 200m to find it; from there it was easy to follow.

There were a few big, beautiful old growth trees along the way, as I climbed through the forest. Lots of delicious blueberries were on offer as well – I had a few, just to sample them. A few mushrooms were gaudily on display, too.

Some funky looking, but poisonous, mushrooms growing on the way up Mount Strachan. I’m pretty sure these are Fly Agaric (amanita muscaria) mushrooms, though they are usually redder in colour…

After about an hour on the trail, I reached the site of a 1963 plane crash. Debris from the aircraft, a small two-seater jet training aircraft, is scattered across the trail. Two members of the Royal Canadian Navy died in the crash, which wasn’t found until three days after the accident.

Some of the debris that remains from the Royal Canadian Navy T-33 that crashed on Mount Strachan, 23 November 1963.

After this point, I began to feel occasional raindrops – the rain was arriving a little bit early! Fortunately, it didn’t come down heavily at all, and was quite intermittent. I reached the south summit after about an hour and a quarter. This is the peak that the Sky Chair ski lift reaches. It was a little windy, with occasional raindrops continuing to fall, but the view was pretty nice toward the southwest, looking over Howe Sound.

Selfie from the south summit of Mount Strachan, looking down over Howe Sound.

From here, there was a drop of about 30 meters or so, down into a saddle, then up the other side about 35 meters to reach the north, true summit of the mountain. In the saddle there were quite a few people taking a break, and enjoying the whiskey jacks that were flying around, cadging food.

Quickly up the other side of the saddle, up some fun little slightly scrambly steps, and I was on the north summit. Considering the weather conditions, the view north was pretty good – it would be quite lovely in better weather! There were showers visible further to the east, but pretty clear looking toward Brunswick, The Twins (Lions) and the Sky Pilot group (Co-pilot, Sky Pilot, and Ledge).

The view north from Mount Strachan. Unnecessary Mountain, Brunswick beyond, a glimpse of Hanover, the Lions, and the Sky Pilot group way off in the distance.

A couple of minutes to look around, and I set off back down the trail. I still had another mountain to climb, and wanted to do it before the rain struck in earnest! I followed the trail until the vicinity of the T-33 crash site, then moved onto the service road, following it down to make better time. At this point the drizzle was fairly steady, but still light. It faded away before I reached the parking lot.

I was back at the parking lot at 2:05 PM, a little under two-and-a-half hours after setting out, and began to make my way up the Baden-Powell trail in the other direction – toward Black Mountain.

This trail is much more clear, maintained, and well-defined. There were a lot of people going up and down there!

I reached Cabin Lake in about half an hour. Lovely little lake, that!

Cabin Lake, between the North and South summits of Black Mountain.

A man and his dog, on the shore of Cabin Lake, Black Mountain.

I turned left and hiked to the south summit of Black Mountain in a few minutes. There were nice views over the city and Howe Sound, but I don’t think I took photos that way…

I then returned to Cabin Lake, and set off toward the north summit, via a far less traveled trail, despite the fact that the north summit is actually the higher of the two. The views from the top, however, are not as dramatic as from the south summit.

North summit of Black Mountain, looking toward Mount Strachan (only the lower south summit is visible from here) and The Lions (The Twins) beyond.

After a couple of minutes, I returned the way I came, and was soon back at the car. The rain held off the entire time I went up and down Black Mountain – perfect!

Total of about 12 km hiked, and up/down a total of around 800 meters or so. All in a little less than four hours – and I was home in time for dinner!