August
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The month started with overcast skies which led to some paddle trips.
Then a long magical spell of sunshine, only to finish in considerable
fog and rain. Sounds like the Northwest.
Hike & Paddle Outings: A paddle trip in Howe Sound, BC let us reach
Gambier Island and slip up and slide down the wet trail to the summit
of Mt. Artaban. Despite the overcast skies we had a pleasant time
paddling and on the summit of this open viewpoint. Further up the
“Sea-to-sky” Highway brought us to Whistler. While not known for its’
paddling we enjoyed nice times on Alta and Green Lakes. Our attempt
from the top of “The River of Golden Dreams” was aborted when we
reached the portage with the official warnings of swift water, beaver
dams, glacial temperatures, and other obstacles blocking our route.
Later in the day we decided to see how far we could paddle UP RIVER!
Despite having to drag and claw our way up some pretty steep beaver
dams we managed to reach the portage point. The return down river (like
down climbing) was fast but much more “interesting.” Another paddle
took us back to the future site of the 2010 Olympic ski area. Three
crews were surveying for it but the primitive road was still open to
Callaghan Lake. This is one of my favorite places on the planet. The
paddle in crystal clear water led me around chocolate colored bands of
basalt and past thundering waterfalls. Brief stops at old growth
forests added to the beauty and mystery of this location.
Mountain Hikes: Spending the sunshine weather we had pleasant hikes on
both sides of the lower Coast Range of BC. Past the Coquihalla Summit
we spent the night in the lookout on Mt. Thynne after a delicious
dinner in the historic Copper Hotel of Merritt. The next day we hiked
up Stoyoma Mt past the lovely and remote lakeside campsites. The
Coquihalla Tunnels are now open and despite the lack of rain, they were
thundering under the trestles quite nicely. The Hope Lookout trail was
still short but seemed even steeper than we remembered but the views
made up for any of the suffering we might have felt. For a change of
pace we hiked up Whistler Mt via the Tram ride. Strange mixing of
tourist access and barren alpine settings with spectacular views,
especially of the Black Tusk. After being fascinated with hikers,
walkers, horseback riders, a vehicle or two, and even a helicopter
landing on the summit of Whistler; we headed east into the more remote
areas of “The Musical Bumps.” It was surprising how quickly the crowd
thinned. Within a ½ hour we had the trail to ourselves except for three
other hikers that we saw in the distance (but didn’t even meet). The
real gem of this outing was the Singing Pass and Russett Lake areas.
Without doing the extra climb up to Russett Lake we would have missed
the most beautiful of the wildflower displays and the most dramatic
views of the rock and glacier covered mountains.
Mountain Scrambles: Luck was with us. The mixed forecast of possible
rain gave way to a blue sky day (though a bit hazy from all the forest
fires). A delightful trip to Monte Christo gave us a hike up the old
miners trail to Gothic Basin. We tore ourselves away from the beautiful
lakes and tarns and scrambled up Del Campo Peak. Despite some
appropriate whining in the group about exposure and “don’t trip or fall
here” we had an enjoyable day. The afternoon warmth forced me out of my
dislike of cold water and sent me into a not unpleasant swim in a high
tarn above the lakes. What a day.
Our luck began to change with a trip to the Duffy Lake Road area of BC
(northeast of Pemberton). The forecast that promised sun and possible
“mist” gave us high overcast and eventual rain thrashing. The first
day’s hike and scramble up Mt. Rohr was a delight – white granite,
flowered meadows, huge open flat summit with endless views – clouds
continuous but much higher than the mountains. The next day we had to
sleep-in waiting for the rain to stop. We chanced a climb of near 9000
ft Mt. Marriott but were so beaten by cold driving rain and slippery
rock that we eventually had to make a retreat before the summit (which
we never saw). A good trip to eventually repeat – in sunnier weather.
Rain Days: Closer to home we chanced a mixed forecast to go to Artist
Point and Heather Meadows to enjoy some drive-up snow and see the
mountain goats beginning to group up. No luck here, just cloud and mist
making even the drive difficult. Dinner at Milano’s was some
consolation. A forecast for cloud and afternoon sunbreaks was also
unlucky for us. Great trip back to Elsay Lake and the Rescue Cabin but
the clouds never broke so we had to save Elsay Peak for another day.
The reward was seeing a mother bear with two cubs – napping in a meadow
and completely unperturbed by our presence. We also managed to enjoy
food and beverage at the Raven’s Pub in Deep Cove which improved our
perception of the day’s activities.
July
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Summer was finally here and our attention was drawn to the high country
of BC.
Needle Peak on the Coquihalla provided an unexpectedly easy hike with a
short scramble to the top. This peak dominates the divide between the
old route (Kettle Valley Rail-trail) through the mountains and the new
Coquihalla Highway. A side trip to the last remaining high trestle
including spectacular gorge and caved-in rail tunnel rounded out our
day.
Paddle: A repeat visit for some of us to Claquot Sound on the west
coast of Vancouver allowed for more time exploring popular and little
known historic sites, natural areas, and hotsprings.
The Pemberton Area of BC.
Planned and unplanned opportunities led us to this area that borders on
the Southern Cariboo and Chilcootin areas. Most nights we spent in a
cabin or hut (always to ourselves) and each day we hiked a different
trail, often with a high point peak. Some of the locations included:
Place Glacier & Mt. Oleg; Phelix Creek – Mt. Aragon; Haley
Moore-Melvin Divide; Tenquile Lake; Taylor Basin & Eldorado Peak;
Seton Portage.
Sea-to-Sky Hwy
We managed to also spend time at the Dome Mt Hut and Brandywine
Meadows. The summit views were awesome but the valley was also
beautiful with flowers and waterfalls. A favorite view – The Black Tusk
– was framed by the valley.
Two different hikes led us into a remote area of the Mamquam River.
Known for its’ isolation and old-growth beauty we enjoyed blue sky
days, mountain lakes, bears, and refreshing trail-side waterfalls.
North Cascades
A couple of fun hikes up little known and forgotten trails to Humpback
Mt and Mt. Catherine in the Snoqualmie Area provided old-growth forest
enjoyment and mountain views.
A trip up the Cle Elum river road let us explore old mining towns,
forest lakes and a chance to climb and scramble Mt Daniel and Cathedral
Rock.
June
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More than one of us had to do some recuperating after Ski-to-Sea but we
still managed to do some fun outings.
Whidbey Island Trips: A combination campout, hike, bike, and paddle
brought a group of us together. A little fun with the sea caves and
tidal flows through Deception Pass and hiking visits to beautiful
natural areas and historic sites. Some of us went further south to
explore the Rhodi preserve and various beaches around Penn Cove. The
Oaks at Oak Harbor provided dramatic photo opportunities and the more
sports-minded ended the day with a rollerblade down by the water.
Another trip to Whidbey Island gave us a chance to bike the Kettle
trail and explore the high viewpoints and historical military sites. We
also managed to explore a bakery and oyster bar before coming home.
Highway 2 Exploration: Visits to an old favorite – Lake Serene and
Bridal Veil Falls were combined with some route finding around the rock
climbing walls of Index Townsite and a first time visit to historic
Promontory Peak – great views.
More paddles: Good weather brought a few of us out to paddle and visit
Burrows Island to see the opening of the “new” State Park on the East
side of the Island. The old buildings and summit made for good hiking
and wildlife viewing. Early morning quiet paddling allowed us to see
coyotes, mink, murelets, and seals.
Highway 20 Exploration:
A chance trip gave us a chance to hunt for the “Devils Elbow,” the
remnants of the pre-road/highway through the North Cascades. Following
yet another tip, we managed to risk some rotten slopes and find the
last suspension bridge with the cables and rotted planks still hanging.
The famous cut-out “ high enough to allow a packed burrow to walk
through but too low for a man to stand” was also visible.
Eastern Washington Exploration:
Various trips allowed us to squeeze a little exploring time into the
east side before the full summer heat set in. This included visits to
Moses Coulee, Lake Chelan, Jameson Lake, and some natural sites at
Douglas Creek and Hamilton Hill. We managed to hike much of the Douglas
Creek rail-trail and were glad that we didn’t have bikes for this one.
The wildlife viewing was great.
Columbia Gorge Explorations:
A long way to go but well worth it. We joined a special interpretive
visit to the famous petroglyphs of the Columbia Valley including “She
Who Watches.” Natural areas of Columbia Hills, Catherine Gorge, and the
Columbia River Refuges & Preserves provided unusual wildlife
sightings (for us west-siders) such as white Pelicans. A trip into the
Big Lava Bed and Wind River areas provided some mystical hiking
including hotsprings and the “lost crater.” The historic sites along
the Columbia valley were also interesting and rounded out a couple of
fascinating trips. We got plenty of ideas for future visits.
May
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After record sun in April it was decidedly hard to get motivated in the
nearly continuous mountain rain and cloud of May.
May 1st found us exploring the Washington Pass area (North Cascades Hwy
was open despite the potential for rockslide). We hiked and tried to
ski to Cutthroat Pass but the snow was pretty much gone from the
slopes. Across the way at Rainy Pass it was a delightful XC ski and
snowshoe to Rainy Lake. The view was tremendous and the ski tracks
going up the back of the cirque were equally impressive. Another time
we played on the beautiful snow from the couloir on the backside of
Liberty Bell down to the vehicles parked at the Hairpin. Some of us
skied to the plane site on the way to Kangaroo Pass.
May was also a good time to practice ice axe use, snow travel, and even
a little snow climbing in the Heather Meadows area. Despite sullen grey
mornings, each afternoon we were there turned into dazzling sun.
Finally, a few days of forecasted sun encouraged us to explore the Hood
Canal side of the Olympics. The sunny warm days along the Canal tempted
us to wander beaches and shorelines longer than we had planned. Each
day though, we pulled ourselves away and wandered up a different river
drainage. Gushing waterfalls, trails to mountain summits overlooking
the sound, historic cabins, nature trails, and beautiful Rhodi blooms
just beginning their season delighted us on each trip. We ended the
trip at Lake Cushman with an overcast morning. On the way home, the
drizzle was an easy burden to bear as we used the last day to tour
Whidbey Islands parks, trails, and beaches.
April
April
was a remarkably warm and sunny month this year. Record sunshine
in the mountains produced an exceptionally beautiful Spring for
skiing. Road trips provided glorious views.
Olympic
Peninsula Outings (sunshine made the drive and ferry ride worth
it): lots of short hikes including Dungeness Spit, Neah Bay, Shi
Shi, Lake Ozette petroglyphs, ocean beaches; Hurricane Ridge ski
touring and camping; Lake Quinalt lodge and trails, old growth
forests.
Southwest
WA Coast: more sunshine days, abundant wildlife, interpretive
centers, historical sites, planning for Fall paddle trip to Willapa and
Fort Canby.
Tetrahedron
ski tour, Sunshine Coast, BC: lovely ski touring, short steep
climb on Panther Peak, “private” cabin.
Goat
Ridge, Howe Sound, BC: via Petgill Lake trail, great views of
Howe Sound, and dramatic cloud breaks around Habric and Sky Pilot.
Mt.
Saint Helens Trip: Hiked Ape Cave, Tale of two forests; ski
off summit of St. Helens, gentle “classic” ski tour up Marble Mt. with
finest volcano views in WA; various wetlands and parks along Lewis
River.
Snow
Travel & Ice Axe practice at Heather Meadows (warm up for the
Spring season).
March
This was a glorious transition month as snowshoeing and skiing mixed
with more hiking opportunities and even a paddle or two. The
spring snow outings promise to be excellent and long range weather
forecasts promise extended periods of sunny weather for next month.
Ski & Snowshoe Trips
British Columbia: Brandywine Falls, Cal Cheak Valley, Whistler,
Soo Valley, Pemberton, Cheakamus, Whistler Interpretive Forest &
Crater Lake, Zoa Peak & Coquihalla, 3 trips to Hemlock Valley,
Jones Lake/Conway Peak.
Mt. Rainier: Crystal Mt, Paradise, White Pass, Snoqualmie
Pass.
Highway 2: Scottish Lakes/High Camp, Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee,
Smith Brooks.
Stehekin Valley: 3 days of hiking, snowshoeing, and even a canoe paddle
to see the pictographs.
Hikes
High Falls in Squamish Valley. Sauk River Valley, Mt. Loop
Trails: Beaver Lake, Old Sauk, Whitechuck Trail. Yakima Canyon.
February
Ski and Snowshoe Trips
Manning Park: Fat Dog alpine ski tour
Heather Meadows: Various day and moonlight snowshoe trips
Miller River (Hwy 2) ski tour
Stevens Pass: backcountry ski tours
Laidlaw/Jones Lake/Four Brothers Mt: ski lake and snowshoe to summit
Coquihalla: Falls Lake, Yak Basin, Needle Peak ski tours
Drive/Hike/Snowshoe Exploration Trips
Highway 2: Index Townsite & Townwall hikes, Water Fall Hikes:
Eagle, Sunset, & Alpine Falls, Forked Sky State Park, Old Cascade
Highway, Sultan River Parks, Heybrook Lookout, Bridal Veil Falls, East
Baring & Skykomish parks & hikes, Coquihalla Highway &
Summit Rec Area: Various trailheads, historic railroad stations,
avalanche assessment, Falls Lake, Coquihalla-Merrit-Logan Lake-Kane
Valley: Lookouts, railtrails, natural areas, ice-fishing, track skiing.
December
December Short Notice Outings
reported by Bud Hardwick
Mt Loop Highway Deer Creek Road/Kelcema Lake: ski & snowshoe to
beautiful snow covered lake Monte Christo Townsite: ski & snowshoe
tour, snowcovered cabins, dramatic Mt views
Rockport-Mountain Loop driving tour: great Mt views, salmon spawning,
new trails
Darrington: Siegelson Ridge snowshoe & ski tour, alpine views, new
snow
Stevens Pass: back country ski and snowshoe touring, alpine ridges,
rail trails
Diamond Head: Elfin Lakes, Squamish: ski and snowshoe tour to huts,
spectacular views
Mt Baker Highway Heather Meadows: pleasant snowshoe outing, social pace
Salmon Ridge & Anderson Creek Roads: easy skiing over freshly
fallen snow
North Cascade Hwy
Driving tour & hikes: newly formed mountain lake, salmon habitat
Forest Divide, Mt Baker/Baker Lake: snowshoe & ski in softly
falling snow
November
Gambier I., Howe Sound Easy Hike via two ferry boats to summit &
views
Eastern Washington Old Growth forest, Elk & Big Horn Sheep,
Waterfalls, rail –trails, pictographs & petroglyphs, Snake River
Canyon, Devils Canyon.
Mountain Loop Highway Ashland Lakes, Twin Falls (ancient waterfall of
glacial lake).
Burlington Wild Washington Slide Show featuring local wilderness
Wallace Falls Moderately easy hike along Wallace River and views of
dramatic waterfalls
Squamish, BC Mamquam River Rd, easy Snowshoe to Pinecone Provincial
Wilderness.
October
Mountain Loop Highway Monte Christo easy gravel road bike to old mine
and town sites.
Stevens Pass Hike to Nason Ridge, divide between Hwy 2 and Lake
Wenatchee
Howe Sound Crest, BC Hike between the Lions and over The Saints (Mts)
Thomas, James, David
Capilano Mt., BC Beautiful mountain lake and brilliant alpine views
Canyon Lake Hike Visit to the unusually old - Old Growth Forest
Okanogan, BC Easy hike to Crater Mt, 8000 ft, views of Cathedral Lakes
Chilliwack Valley, BC Difficult Hike Loop: Lindeman to Flora Lake, Mt.
Wittenberg, wet snow.
Manning Park, BC Trail hike to summit of Frosty Mt. ~8000 ft, High
point of Manning Park, Largest Larch trees in Canada.
Stein Valley, BC Internationally famous Biological Preserve, ancient
Native Pictographs
Twin Sisters Range Attempted visit to botanically interesting sites
blocked by flooding.
September
North Cascades Hwy Washington Pass Peak, Blue Lake, New Ross Lake Tr.
(under construction)
Hannegan Trail Traverse: Hannegan Peak-Granite Peak-Skagit Range-Mamie
Pass
Sea-Ski – Whistler - Lilloeet Lake, BC Various hiking, biking, and (in
winter) ski outings explored. Four hotsprings in five days visited.
Lynn Valley, N. Van. Mt. Burwell & Mt. Coliseum high traverse.
Views into Capilano Valley
^top
|
With the approach to Ski-to-Sea a small
cheering squad came out with Bud on the only sunny training day to
practice the Downhill Ski Leg of the race. Here's the only sunny views
that Bud had during all his training trips to the mountain. The cropped
photo provides some scale of the race by showing the enlarged detail
from the center of the previous photo with one person on the climbing
(uphill) part of the ski "leg." 