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Monday, February 26, 2024
Round Mountain - Elfin Lakes Trail, February 2023
Immediately to the east of Squamish city limits, Round Mountain and its extension, Paul Ridge makes for a low commitment and relatively low consequence ski touring venue. It's a great place to go stretch one's legs for both beginners and seasoned veterans alike. The road to the trailhead is plowed in winter, the approach to skiable terrain is short and options for more aggressive lines are limited only by how far one desires to tour. Located within Garibaldi Provincial Park, this is the same trailhead as that used for approaches to the Red Heather Hut and Elfin Lakes including the adjoining campground and shelter. I've previously come this way in the Summer for a bike 'n hike to Diamond Head and most recently a jaunt out to The Gargoyles, Columnar Peak, Opal Cone, and the Lava Glacier. Always an impressive sight being so close to the mighty Garibaldi with her expansive glaciers and towering walls of volcanic choss!
Bit of a shitshow for me getting rolling on this, starting with the fact that I forgot my touring poles at home. First mistake. Resolved this with a quick rip down to the Canadian Tire in Squamish for a pair of "el cheapo" collapsible poles. Back up to where I was parked earlier at the switchback and hoofed it from there. Second mistake. Wasn't aware of the intermediate parking and didn't think it prudent to drive all the way to the upper lot without chains. This resulted in a ~5 km walk of shame just to reach the trailhead vs. a fraction of that had I started from the intermediate lot like most others. Did see a car off the side of the road about a km or so from the end, so at least I had that going for me! Skinned up to the summit without further issues (the way is obvious), with plenty of others out enjoying the filtered sunshine and 20+ cm of fresh powder that fell overnight. Couple laps down Round's north slopes and it was time to call it a day. Easy cruise back to the Red Heather Hut followed by a veritable luge track returning to the upper lot. Bummed a ride down to where I was parked and made a beeline for Backcountry Brewing. Duh.
Rolley Lookout (and peak) - via Florence Lake FSR, January 2023
Rolley Peak is primarily known for the viewing platform from where there are great 180-degree views overlooking the southern branch of Stave Lake. It makes for a reasonable mid-winter objective for those with 15lb JRTs in tow and not wanting to put in very much effort or battle the deeper snow at higher elevations. The approach follows a gated gravel road off Florence Lake FSR, or if you prefer a newer trail that also starts off the FSR a bit past Devils Lake. I wasn't aware of this trail at the time, and so hiked up the road ignoring the no trespassing signs posted at the gate. Easy walk up, although one could get confused with the various road forks encountered along the way - L, R, R. L (I think). Reached the viewing platform in good time, enjoying the views of the lake and snowcapped peaks in distance - Mount Baker and the Chilliwacks to the SE, the Chehalis Range to the NNE, Crickmer directly north and Statlu Peak directly across the lake to the east. Good stuff!
Made a short detour and bashed up to the no-view "true" summit because, um, because it was right there. A dumpster dive by every definition and not worth the effort, then hiked the road back down to where I parked. Had time to kill, so went for a walk around nearby Rolley Lake. Neat boardwalk action, Pepper loved it of course. Wrapped up the day exploring Stave Falls and Hayward Lake, and down to where the Stave River meets the Fraser. All in all a fine, chill day exploring all things Stave!
Frenchman Mountain - via Sunrise Pass, January 2023
In Vegas for a conference and snuck in a day prior to hike Frenchman Mountain. Located on the east side of the Las Vegas Valley, Frenchman offers outstanding views the entire LV metropolitan area including The Strip, Red Rocks, and Spring Mountains beyond. It hadn't been a particularly productive December and early January for us, save for an impromptu ski trip to
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outside Golden, BC to close out '22 and ring in the new year. That said, with relatively marginal ski conditions prevailing through early '23 it was nice to get the heck out of dodge and enjoy the warm January sunshine of the arid southwest. Just might make a habit of it!
Anyway, we Uber'ed ourselves to the "trailhead" located off NV 147 at Sunrise Pass, hopped the gate, and started plodding up a gravel road that leads through a small valley towards a saddle visible in distance. The road is obviously used to service the telecommunications equipment up on Frenchman's summit and as such leads all the way there. At times the road is littered with loose softball sized rocks making for somewhat tedious travel and poses a hazard to one's ankles. Up n' over the saddle and down to a pass of sorts before resuming the grind now up to Frenchman proper. Couple summits there on the ridge about the same in height - we tagged both to be sure and then wandered around taking in the sights. Great views of the LV Valley and beyond as mentioned, south towards Henderson, east towards Lake Mead and north towards the Valley of Fire - gotta check that out one of these days! The military jets flying in and out of Nellis AFB added some noise pollution to the day, but it was awesome seeing them fly circles around us!
Unable to reserve an Uber pick up from Sunrise Pass as we were resting on the summit, we returned the way we came hoping for some cell service as we approached the highway. No luck in that department but managed to score a ride back to civilization courtesy of a local couple and their friendly dog. Dropped off at the first gas station we came across and found our way to a taqueria for a quick bite and cold beer while waiting for our ride back to the hotel. Salud!
Low hanging fruit on a lazy pre-ski season November day. Chilliwack's Mt. Thom makes for a short hike culminating with a decent view overlooking said "metropolis" with the mighty Sumas Mountain in distance. Cultus Lake is visible looking south as well as some partially obstructed views looking north across the Fraser Valley. Snow and ice on the trail necessitated the use of microspikes, thus rendering this excursion into what we affectionately term a "spike hike". Interestingly, the peak and Promontory Neighborhood directly below lies just upslope from a landfill complete with swirling clouds of seagulls feasting on the piles of trash. Though we couldn't see nor smell anything foul from the trailhead or summit, I thought this an unusual location for one of Chilliwack's up-and-coming suburban neighborhoods. But I digress. Hit up Hillkeep Regional Park on Chilliwack Mountain's summit on our way home for somewhat better views looking out towards the Cheam Range and peaks flanking the Chilliwack River Valley.
Oyster Dome - via Samish Bay/Connector Trail, November 2022
Headed south for a TJ's run justified by a hike in the Chuckanut Mountains near Bellingham. With fantastic views overlooking Samish Bay with the San Juan Islands beyond, we made Oyster Dome our objective for the day. This is a popular hike starting from Chuckanut Drive leading to a lookout from a subsummit of Blanchard Hill. Linking Samish Bay and Chuckanut Connector trails, it's a little over 5 kms to this point. We enjoyed the views in the warm sun, identifying the various islands laid out before us and reminiscing about our many kayaking trips there. A short thrash to the north from here yields a spot where there are also some decent views of peaks bordering the Fraser Valley, namely the Golden Ears Group, Robie Ried and Judge Howay.
As we still had time to burn and were hopeful for more views, we proceeded to the true summit of Blanchard Hill next. Not nearly as good as Oyster Dome as expected but the trail there does pass by couple lakes for a little variety. Then returned the way we came, making a short detour to the Samish Overlook to catch a stunning sunset over the Fidalgo Tidelands and Whidbey Island with Olympic Mountains in distance. No trip is complete without a hydration stop if possible, so closed out the day at Stones Throw Brewing in B'ham. Cheers!
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