Last Updated: November 28, 2024



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Upcoming reports & photos:

Oh my! Quite the backlog here...

  • Lone Goat & Snow Camp Mountain - hike (September 2023)
  • Isollilock Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Mount Manson - Mount Hatfield Traverse - scramble (October 2023)
  • The Gargoyles & Columnar Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Opal Cone and Lava Glacier - hike (October 2023)
  • Park Butte (WA) - hike (October 2023)
  • Trappers Peak (WA) - scramble (October 2023)
  • Rattlesnake Ledge (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sauk Mountain (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sunshine Coast (Mount Daniel, Pender Hill) - hike (November 2023)
  • Mount Dickerman (WA) - hike (November 2022)
  • Verona Peak AKA Winter's End - snowshoe (November 2023)
  • Dolomites (IT) - snowboard (December 2023)
  • Red Rock Canyon (NV) - scramble (January 2024)
  • Flute Summit & Oboe Summit - snowboard (February 2024)
  • Whistler Miscellaneous (Train Wreck, Loggers Lake, Shadow Lake and more) - hike (February 2024)
  • Mount Underhill - hike (March 2024)
  • Bombtram Mountain - snowshoe (March 2024)
  • Steep Peak - snowboard (March 2024)
  • Ruby Mountain (WA) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Blustry Mountain - hike (April 2024)
  • Sowerby Peak (Barr East) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Picacho Peak (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Kitt Peak Observatory (AZ) - (April 2024)
  • Mount Wrightson (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Saguaro National Park (AZ) - April 2024)
  • Superstition Peak/Benchmark (AZ) - scramble (April 2024)
  • Mount Humphreys (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Petrified Forest National Park (AZ) - (May 2024)
  • Piestewa Peak (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Channeled Scablands (WA | Columbia Gorge, Ancient Lakes, Potholes Lake, Palouse Falls and more) - hike (May 2024)
  • Rhododendron Mountain ("Pk. 2220") - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Flora Peak - hike (June 2024)
  • Gibson Peak - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Mount Urquhart - scramble (June 2024)
  • Rock Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Ladies Pass Quartet (WA | Cape Horn, Ladies Peak, Snowgrass NE Peak, Snowgrass Mountain) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Old Snowy (WA) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Dog Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Mount Ratney & Mount Bardean - scramble (July 2024)
  • Torrent Peak - scramble (July 2024)
  • Steep Peak - Darkside Peak Traverse - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silvertip Mountain - scramble (July 2024)
  • The Old Settler - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silent Hub Peak - scramble (August 2024)
  • Saint Jacobs Mountain - scramble (August 2024)
  • Mount David (WA) - scramble (August 2024)
  • Goat Mountain West Peak & Table Mountain (WA) - hike (August 2024)
  • Griswold Pass (Tuber Hill, Glacier View Peak, Subatomic Peaks: Baryon, Meson, Muon, Lepton) - scramble (September 2024)
  • Yellow Aster Butte (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mazama Dome (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Ptarmigan Ridge - (WA | The Portals East Peak, Coleman Pinnacle) - hike (September 2024)
  • Tetrahedron Peak - scramble (September 2024)
  • Lone Cone & Peak 86 (Tofino) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mount Athelstan ("Pk. 2460") - scramble (September 2024)
  • Excelsior Peak and Cowap Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Hollyburn Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Cheam Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Blanchard Needle - scramble (October 2024)
  • Debeck's Hill & 4 Lakes Loop - hike (October 2024)
  • Mount Hallowell - hike (November 2024)

*As of 11/28/2024


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Tuesday, February 18, 2013

Crown Mountain - Crown Mountain Trail, October 2013

Tucked away amongst the low peaks just beyond the Grouse Mountain ski area, Crown Mountain is a deservedly popular day-hike with spectacular views overlooking the Lower Mainland. From Grouse proper, the approach entails a relatively short trail hike, with just a smidge of class-3 scrambling near the very end. For the lazy, the Grouse Mountain Tram saves about 2900-ft of gain starting from near the end of Capilano Road, or you can get your sweat-on and hike the relentless Grouse Grind stair-master instead. Whatever you do, a stop at the Peak Chalet for a quaff before taking the tram back down is practically mandatory, and you’ll still please the in-laws with an early return in good time for Thanksgiving dinner!






Friday, February 7, 2013

Mount Cruiser - South Corner, September 2013



In a range known for loose rock, Mt. Cruiser joins maybe a handful of other Olympic peaks that offer easy but fun climbing on reasonably solid rock. Approached via Mildred Lakes, Cruiser’s popular South Corner route entails just 3 short pitches - a steep 4th-class chimney, a run-out 5.0 slab/face and finally the exposed ridge crest to the summit. All this can be enjoyed only after 4.5 miles of winding, rooted trail with bad-tempered hornets, a steep, and tedious bushwhack and some footsore side-hilling to boot.

Arriving at the trailhead late in the afternoon, Eli and I reached the lower lake basin at dusk and stumbled around in the dark before locating a suitable camp spot next to another party along the SW shore of the middle lake. Leaving the trail just shy of uppermost-Mildred Lake the following morning, we thrashed through brush heading in a northerly direction. We were aiming for a prominent swath of grass and low vegetation we spied earlier that morning. The swath seemed to offer the easiest route to the upper basin west of Cruiser proper. From there, we angled leftwards over heather, talus and gravel to reach the apron beneath a prominent ‘Y’ chimney.

After a cruxy step in the lower chimney, we scrambled up the left ‘Y’ branch ending with a tight squeeze under a chockstone. The chimney business now behind us, we turned right and walked a short distance to the base of the slab. Stepping out off the platform onto the slab felt a bit committing and is probably the most difficult move of the pitch. Climbing up, I clipped a couple manky bolts and that was pretty much it for pro. I stopped to set up a belay at the newer bolted rappel station near the crest and brought up Eli. From there we simul-climbed the remaining bit to the summit using slung horns and a rusty bolt or two for protection. The summit isn’t a particularly comfortable place to hang out, so we had a quick look around, snapped some photos and started back down.

My camera fell out of my pocket while rappelling down the slab pitch and disappeared somewhere in the bushes or talus below, never to be seen again. Eli started taking photos only after this happened, so unfortunately no snaps of us on route. And what about those hornets you ask? Suffice it to say, they really took a liking to me on the hike down from the lakes. I tried outrunning them after the third or fourth sting and promptly tripped on a tree root protruding from a particularly steep section of trail. My ‘swan dive’ and subsequent tumble was halted only when I narrowly avoided face-planting a tree and slammed into it with my pack instead. The hornets seemed satisfied with this performance and graciously left me to nurse my bloodied knees and wounded pride. Thankfully the rest of the hike down that damned trail went without further issues. Goodbye and good riddance!



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