Last Updated: September 17, 2023



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Recent content updates are viewable under what's new.

Reports in the queue for posting are coming soon!

Upcoming reports & photos:

Oh my! Quite the backlog here, eh? Busy with life and adding to the queue every chance I get...

  • Caltha Peak - hike/scramble (September 2022)
  • Beauty Peak - hike/scramble (September 2022)
  • Markhor-Needle Traverse & Flatiron - hike/scramble (September 2022)
  • Conway Peak - hike/scramble (September 2022)
  • Green Mountain/Pk 2200 - hike/scramble (September 2022)
  • Mount Brew (Whistler) - hike/scramble (September 2022)
  • Mount Barbour - hike/scramble (October 2022)
  • Mount Gillespie - hike/scramble (October 2022)
  • Cougar Mountain - hike/scramble (October 2022)
  • Barn Bluff (Red Wing, MN) - hike/scramble (October 2022)
  • Mount Steele - hike/snowshoe (November 2022)
  • American Mountain (attempt), Hunter Lookout - hike/snowshoe (November 2022)
  • Belcarra Mountain - hike/scramble (November 2022)
  • Oyster Dome - hike/scramble (November 2022)
  • Mount Thom & Cilliwack Mountain/Hillkeep - hike/scramble (December 2022)
  • Frenchman Mountain (Las Vegas, NV) - hike/scramble (January 2023)
  • Rolley Peak/Lookout - hike/scramble (January 2023)
  • Round Mountain - ski tour (February 2023)
  • Blowdown Peak - ski tour (February 2023)
  • Silverdaisy Mountain - ski tour (March 2023)
  • Spearhead Glacier/Husume Coulior - ski tour (March 2023)
  • Cowboy Ridge/Peak 2026 - ski tour (April 2023)
  • Slahanay Peak - hike/scramble (April 2023)
  • American Mountain & Mount Lincoln - hike/snowshoe (May 2023)
  • Mount Mclean Attempt, Red Rock Trail, Dragons Back Trail - hike/scramble (May 2023)
  • Stawamus Chief (South, Middle & North) - hike/scramble (June 2023)
  • Flint & Feather - hike/scramble (June 2023)
  • Goat Ridge (Squamish) - hike/scramble (June 2023)
  • Grouty/Mortar Peaks - hike/scramble (June 2023)
  • Pebble-to-North Creek Traverse incl. Pebble, Thiassi, Wesley & Sugus - hike/scramble (July 2023)
  • Mount Truax - hike/scramble (July 2023)
  • Blackcomb Buttress - rock climb (July 2023)
  • Whitecap Peak - hike/scramble (July 2023)
  • Mount Hanover - hike/scramble (August 2023)
  • The "Long Traverse" incl. Long, Tynemouth, Arrowhead, Tabletop & Anemone - hike/scramble (August 2023)
  • Armchair Traverse - hike/scramble (August 2023)
  • Snowspider Mountain - hike/scramble (September 2023)
  • Mount Trorey - hike/scramble (September 2023)
  • Macleod Peak - hike/scramble (September 2023)
  • Ben Lomond - hike/scramble (September 2023)
  • Mount Killam & Gambier Island - hike/scramble (September 2023)

*As of 09/24/2023


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Monday, November 14, 2022

Mount Chief Pascall - Northwest Ridge, January/April 2022



Mount Chief Pascall is a lesser member of the famous Joffre Group that includes iconic peaks such Mount Matier, Slalok Mountain and of course Joffre itself. With good access from Hwy 99, it is a popular Winter objective for ski tourers and hikers alike. The route features travel along forest roads, a steep forest grunt up to the alpine and an aesthetic ridge finished with a short steep pitch to reach the summit proper. Its north face offers what appears to be a great ski descent down into the basin and where one intersects the forest roads from earlier, making for a nifty loop tour. Like with most peaks in this area, the views are nothing short of spectacular with a great panorama of the Duffey area from Cassiope and Saxifrage, Cayoosh, Marriott, Rohr and down Cayoosh Creek Valley overlooking Duffey Lake and beyond.

Truth be told, I had a bit of an ordeal with Chief Pascall, with repeated failed attempts for one reason or another. The photos shown here are from both a January '22 attempt and subsequent success in early April '22. In January I was stymied by unexpectedly firm snow on an exposed traverse just below the summit. I was wearing my snowboarding boots with spikes and still got zero purchase. Didn't fancy an uncontrolled slide a few thousand feet down into Cerise Creek, so called it and simply rode back the way I came. Better luck when I returned in April, this time coming prepared with crampons and ice axe. Snow was still quite firm in spots and the arctic wind blowing in from the east was just as strong as before. It all made for a short but satisfyingly fun mountaineering(ish) finish. As a Winter and/or early season objective, this one is deserving of classic status and is well worth the long drive and effort!

Click here to view.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Gin Peak - via Hanging Lake Trail, January 2022



Not to be confused with the so-called "Alcoholic Group" on the Squamish-Cheakamus Divide, a range of peaks with names such as Brandywine Mountain, Keg Peak and Mount Brew; nearby Gin Peak and its lesser neighbor Tonic continue with the area's boozy theme. Together with Sproatt, Rainbow and the Puma duo, these summits comprise the subrange sandwiched between Callaghan and Whistler valleys. With good access and well-travelled trails, the zone lends itself nicely to the short days of Winter. Approached from the groomed Nordic trails at Whistler Olympic Park, Gin in particular makes for a pleasant ski tour with excellent views of Rainbow Mountain, the Garibaldi Park giants and south down Cheakamus Valley.

Made my way over to the WOP entrance gate in time for a very civilized 9 am opening (8:30 on weekends), paying the silly entrance fee for the "privilege" to park there. Skinned-up and started navigating a maze of Nordic trails towards the Hanging Lake winter trail. As expected, the trail was icy towards the end and made for some tedious travel with splitboard. Nevertheless, I reached the lake in good time, now in total whiteout. Teamed-up with a couple guys who's splitboard tracks I had been following to this point and alternated leads up into the unknown. Topped out above the fog in short order, with a stunning in-your-face view of Rainbow Mountain to the northeast. Gained the broad summit ridge and proceeded on my own from there to tag the actual summit. Quite the winter wonderland up there with loads of ski descent options for those keen on exploring further! Didn't linger as the fog was slowly creeping upslope. Blower pow back to Hanging Lake followed by an icy sketch fest down the forest trail returning to where I started. Ice cold beer in lieu of G&T for apres to round-out a satisfying day in Callaghan Country!

Click here to view.
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