Our morning began with a leisurely departure from the house around 10:15. We loaded up the car and had Nick drive as he would need to take the car home again once we were dropped off. So started out and we made for the local mall to complete some final tasks before setting off for the airport. The drive was after rush hour so things went quickly and we were soon at the airport looking for a spot to stop and unload the car. Cars along the curb weren’t moving so we just stopped double parked for a moment to unload the bags and leave.  Check-in was fast, no waiting and the priority security line was short so we were soon in the lounge checking over the food choices, lots for me nothing for Carolyn.

Once time came for boarding we made our way to the gate and waited a few minutes to get started. The seats were large and comfortable and we were soon settled in and being pampered by the flight crew. The monitor we each had was quite big and offered many options, I just liked the simulated forward view of the plane as it travelled east. Mostly I read, dinner was decent and soon we were offloading in Toronto. The baggage took 20 minutes and fortunately ours were of the very first to arrive so we were soon on the way to get our car. Budget had us on our way very quickly and now we faced the highways. Fortunately at 9:30pm the roads were not overly busy and we made good time to Grimsby.

My truck now has canopy to replace the old worn out tonneau cover. Today would be its first in the hills so we needed to load it up with our equipment for the first time. This took 45 minutes extra before we could leave as we moved items around making more space in the cab.  It needs more arranging but we made good progress and the two boys fit nicely in the back seat leaving the centre console free for normal use.  We set out for coffee and fuel and then beef but the beef was out so we grumbled along without it.

As we passed Agassiz we started looking for the forest fire that closed the road earlier this summer. We eventually found a blackened slope on our left. It was a very steep area and the trees were brown but not black so it was a bit hard to spot the actual burned area as we drove past. We passed Ruby Creek and then turned off on to the Garnet Creek FSR. It looked to be in good shape so we were encouraged that we would be able to make a day of the area. We quickly pulled over and switched the truck to 4x4 mode and then started up the road. The old viewpoints were overgrown with alder but the road itself was in good shape.

When we came by the steepest section that in winter offers an ice covered wall to enjoy, we saw that some major road work had been completed shoring up the downslope side of the road with railings and support structures. This road was going to stay open! We soon came by a cleared section where recent logging had been completed. The cut slash did provide us with some nice wood for the campfire Geoff wanted to have during lunch. Driving on we passed the fork to the American, we continued along the Garnet to where we had previously found a lovely road-end with a great spot to park, camp and enjoy the creek.

We drove in further and soon encountered a more recent clearing and in fact the nice secluded camp spot was now wide open in a clearing! There was still a treed area along the creek but the camp site was now wide open. It took away the picturesque aspect of the area but it still was a decent camp spot and the trail to the creek provided access to some lovely scenes of the creek. We wandered along the creek a bit to gather some photos while the boys climbed rocks and ran around looking at various items of interest to boys of 8 and 6. With the buffer zone of trees the scenes along the creek weren’t too impacted by the new clearing just a few meters further away. It is still a lovely spot to sit and soak in the feel of the creek.

Well, we soon got the expected cry from the wild of “I’m hungry”, so we packed the boys back into the truck and backtracked to the fork with the American Creek FSR. Turning up that road we gained some elevation as we followed along the power lines and soon we were switch-backing up a well-travelled road looking for the small lake near the summit of the pass. Soon we came by the lake and continued on as the road wasn’t much further. Geoff drove past it but I spotted what looked like an over-grown road as we drove the mainline. He continued on a bit and came by another side road that could be it. We stopped to review it but it was not a road. We then decided to review the road I spotted.

My friend Ralph recently purchased a new portable antenna and he wanted to hike a local summit that wouldn’t be overly taxing. After reviewing a few options we settled on Black Mountain for the adventure. Our day began at a nice leisurely 8:30 when Ralph arrived at my place and we set off for the summit. Normally we would be taking my wife’s Bolt for the drive but today it was my Volt. Earlier in the week my garden tractor took exception to the all-electric and shot out is rear window with a rock! So, after looking over the missing window one more time, we left in good form for a coffee stop and then it was off to the parking lot.

Our drive went quickly as traffic was light and we soon were driving in to the lot at the base of the ski-lifts. There were quite a few vehicles parked but still lots of room and we were able to get one close to where we wanted. Once parked, we got our gear on and noticed that it was fairly warm out and calm. The sky was overcast with rain expected later but for now it was very pleasant. We started out for the trail to the summit.

This trail is very well travelled and nicely maintained so it allowed us to make good time. With the cooler air we also didn’t need as many stops. As we ascended the slope I had to keep stopping to admire the fall colours that were out in full swing. I hadn’t given that any thought before the start but out here I was very nicely surprised by all the colour. I had many opportunities to capture some nice fall scenes. The small ponds along the trail really offset the colourful huckleberries and ash, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the trail that seemed to be missed by most of those zipping past us. Though we took our time up the trail, we soon arrived at the small lake at the saddle between the two summits. There were a fair number of people around but the cooler day had kept many off the trail so it wasn’t overly crowded.

After admiring the lake a bit and chatting with a group enjoying the scene we made our way the short distance to the north summit. We arrived at the summit around 11am an hour before our scheduled start. The trail went much faster than I had expected but this gave us time to relax and eat some lunch before setting up the radio gear. I took time to take a number of photos from the top, Mount Tantalus in the distance was particularly lovely this morning and the thick clouds cast a neat look to the Lions.

I recently added MacNab Peak to the list of summits in the SOTA program and I wanted to get a first activation on it. The old logging roads though likely overgrown still looked fairly open and I was hopeful I would be able to drive them a fair ways before needing to hike the remainder. So I planned my adventure with my son Nick and we set off for the summit. The drive in went quite quickly as we made only one stop for fuel and then we were soon approaching the start of the Norrish Creek FSR.

The drive up the mainline went quickly but I read with some annoyance that the gate blocking off most of the FSR was to be closed again in January. We just learned of its opening and now it will be closed again. We soon approached the side road that leads up the slope of MacNab and there we were greeted with a locked gate! Not at all what we had planned. Rather than reduce as much of the drivable road as possible we suddenly were faced with all of it. This added 2.5km of road to our hike and 300m extra elevation. I decided to go hiking but I didn’t expect to reach the summit.

I find the Squamish valley to be full of many fascinating mini-adventures. The area is quite large and the mountains seem to be huge. The Squamish and Elaho Rivers offer a wide variety of areas, from deep gorges and fast rapids to lazy wide river areas that hide the power of the river. The only negative of the area is the time it takes to get there. So it had been over two years since my last visit. On that trip we came to see the remains of the Elaho forest that burned in one of the bigger forest fires. Today we just wanted to introduce Geoff’s boys to the area.

We left the house a bit after 8:30 and made good time on the highway until Horseshoe Bay, there we encountered the road half closed off for a bike event. The whole length of the highway from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler was down to a single and even alternating lanes. The traffic wasn’t super heavy but it was slow going due to the event. Eventually we arrived at Squamish and filled the tank with fuel and then set off if the valley. On the way we called my radio friend John to see if he was home, today he was and when we came by his home we dropped in for a few minutes. Three years ago when Geoff and I last visited, Geoff had dropped in hunting knife and John had kept it for him waiting for the return visit that never came.

Well, after a short visit and collecting the lost knife we piled back into the truck and started off along the FSR. We didn’t want to do a lot of driving so we decided to head for the area just past the confluence of the Elaho to where the Squamish valley widens out and where there is a nice area that is very popular for camping. We made fast time along the road stopping only once to give the boys a few minutes to explore the sights. Once we neared the bridge over the Squamish we slowed down and starting looking for any campers on the river. We found only one group camped along the river, right at the start of the area. We continued past and found a nice area about 1 kilometer further up the river. Turning off the road, we picked a nice location to park and there we started to explore the campsites.

After a bit of walking around we started cooking lunch. As with most things cooked in the hills, it tasted good once we had it ready to eat. After the food we walked along the river for a distance exploring the various camp spots, the area is quire broad and though fairly flat, the ground is packed with smooth stones embedded in the soil, fairly easy walking but sleeping on the ground would be a bit hard. On our return to the truck we came by some grasses with grasshoppers jumping around. The boys were interested in them though it took a bit of coaxing for them to hold the little creatures.

I had been talking with my Ham friend John Bell about doing another hike while he is in town. He suggested Brandywine Mountain as one that looked not overly difficult and was worth 6 points for the Summits on the Air program and at the time it was not yet activated. So despite my concerns about the amount of elevation gain I signed on for the workout. In the couple of weeks since we planned the hike another ham beat us to the first activation but we decided to go for the summit for the points alone.

Come the morning of the hike I set off from the house for the spot I was to meet John and from there we would continue on together. When I got to Highway 1 it was busy but traffic was moving along quite well so I was hopeful the rush hour traffic wouldn’t be overly harsh. Well half way across the Port Mann Bridge traffic stopped still. It was very slow going all the way to Gaglardi after which travel resumed at the posted speed! That was very odd and I really don’t understand how that works. I made decent time the rest of the way to pick up John but was a half hour late.

The drive to Squamish went smoothly and once in town I put out a call on the local repeater for VE7CUU – John. He responded immediately and provided some tips for the drive up to Brandywine. He would be listening for me when I got to the summit. We soon were pulling off the highway and onto the forestry road leading up to the Brandywine meadows. There are two spots that hikers regularly use to reach the meadows. The lower spot with 500m of extra elevation to hike is for those with feeble vehicles. The upper road is very rough in places and has some extreme water bars to navigate. It is for roads like this that I have my back-country truck and it made quick work of the upper road, we didn’t even require the winch. Once at the end we turned the truck around and found a nice spot to park. The views were already pretty good.

Once we were loaded up with gear we set off along the route. The trail to the meadow is well travelled and maintained, it is an easy hike and we made good time to the start of the meadows. When we reached the open section of the valley and had our first glimpse of tits length we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the area. It became instantly clear why it is such a popular destination. But our goal was that tiny summit at the far end of the valley. So we continued along the trail drinking in the sights and sounds as we enjoyed each new scene. When we reached the end of the broad valley we stopped for a good rest before tackling the next section which was a steep scramble up the rock strewn slope to the ridge.

Well, with a final look back on the nice easy hike along the meadow we watched another group of hikers make their way towards us with their dog. Now looking the other way and way up we were staring at the steep rock covered slope to the ridge 400m above us. I’m sure John simply was picking out a route, I on the other hand was wondering just what I was thinking to agree to this. John encouraged me by saying he was looking for the easiest way up, I wasn’t convinced it would be much better than any other. But we were here and the points were above us so I started up the slope trying to step on solid ground so I wouldn’t need to redo some steps or worse, require a medivac. After what seemed like an interminable progression of severe penance I made it to the saddle on the ridge. John was some welcome encouragement and his advice that we stop for a longer rest and eat some lunch was more than appreciated.

By now it was clear we would not be on the summit at our posted time and as we had cell coverage we updated our postings on the web. We looked back down the steep slope and noted that the other group had progressed a quarter way up but there they stopped, we didn’t see them again so I guess they decided not to over tax their dog with the rest of the scramble. The next section of the trail was along the ridge, the first bit had some short steep spots but generally it was a very pleasant walk as we slowly gained elevation to the summit. There was one spot we had to drop down 20m but nothing too much then we reached a section with a snow field that we had to cross along the top edge. Finally we reached the final rise to the summit.

Wen my kids were young we visited the suspension on several occasions. Each time the boys had fun crossing the bridge though some had more challenges with it than others. My youngest son Ethan, Elizabeth’s father, was one who had no issues crossing the bridge as a teen. So we planned for the week-end adventure and when the day arrived the two came to my house and together we ventured for the park in the electric Bolt. It was an easy drive up and we made good time with the light traffic on the highway.

When we arrived at the park the first parking area was a bit over half full but I drove past and looped past the small café and there I spotted a nice open space to park. I think it is the closest one to the bridge! Not bad for a casual time start. We parked and then made a pit stop before heading for the bridge. At first sight Elizabeth was a bit unsure but Ethan stepped out onto the bridge and helped her get started. She was fine after that though she moved each step very carefully while holding tightly onto the railing. The bridge was vibrating a bit with the traffic but nothing serious. We slowly made our way across while gathering a few photos.

Once across we headed upstream to the 30 foot pool. The trail was very nicely maintained with many wooden walks and stairs. Once we got down to the creek level the trail branched out into many smaller ones and we followed one to the creek. There we wandered over the rocks in the creek bed. Elizabeth slipped at one point and banged her leg but she was soon fine and back on the move. We finally arrived at the pool and there we clambered over the rocks to get a view of the small waterfall at the far end of the narrow gorge. We spent some more time climbing rocks to get to the middle of the creek and a better view of the waterfall. Once we had our fill of the area we started back towards the bridge.

I had planned to activate two summits on my next trip to Victoria. Both would be a first activation for me and so I was looking forward to the hikes and getting them in the log. First up was Mount Newton. Normally one can drive up most of the way to the summit and then just walk the last bit but with the extreme dry summer conditions the road was closed to vehicular traffic. So I planned to walk the entire length of the road in. Now that may sound hard but the hike still was only a mile in length!

I arrived at the locked gate around 10:30 and reversed back down the road to find a spot where I could park. There were no parking signs along the road from the gate down past the start of the park but not much further out there were spots amongst a couple other parked cars. I pulled in to a spot and got out to get my gear loaded. One of the other problems with the dry summer were the forest fires and the smoke from them was thick in the region. It was quite dense today and was a concern for me doing even this level of exercise. But I got my pack on and started up the road.

Not much after the gate I met another hiker who was doing a cross trail, they commented on the air quality and how it was making walking much harder. I agreed with her and after a moment to get a drink I continued on up the road. A service truck came down the road and disappeared into the smoke. So I knew some people were still going to the summit. The road continued upward at a decent rate and as I got closer to the top it dipped back down to a parking area and access to a picnic area. Here the road that continued to the summit was further gated and the paved road became gravel.

I climbed over the edge of the gate to continue my way up and there I met a group walking back down. They indicated that there were no views of anything other than a park worker painting a staircase. I continued up the final stretch of road and arrived at the summit area. At the summit there are two groups of buildings. The slightly lower one has a massive cell tower and a radar system for the airport. The higher fenced off area is occupied by a large dome building. I walked to the official lookout next to the tower and scouted out a location to set up. I chose a spot only a few meters from the lookout platform.

Looking around at the heavily covered cell tower a few meters away and a spinning radar antenna for the airport I wondered if any 2m RF would find its way through the field to my antenna. Persevering, I set up the yagi and Ralph’s 30 watt amp and put out a call.  I very quickly had my first contact in the log. Followed by two club members back home and then a number from across the water in Washington. After 20 minutes I had 14 in the log, a record for me. Well that felt good and it seems that the towers beside me had little impact.  So as there was no view, I packed up the gear and started back along the road. On the way up I spotted a side trail that looked like it went towards the summit so on the way down I found it and saved a few steps. Soon I was back to the car and ready to set off for my room. A good adventure, record contacts despite the heavy smoke and no view.

Mount Keenan was a summit on the list I have wanted to try for a number of years. It was first activated by another radio operator a few years back and it looked like one that wouldn’t be overly difficult to do. So I convinced Ralph to join me on the adventure and when he had some time we would set out and climb to the summit.

Back in July Ralph indicated that he would be able to join me for the adventure mid-week in August so when the day arrived he came to my house and we set off for the summit at 8:30. The drive to The Hemlock Valley resort area should have taken around two hours, but as we approached Deroche we were stopped by a train at the crossing. Normally uneventful but it stopped not much past crossing the road. It sat there for a while then backed up a bit while another train sailed past on the second track. Then it moved forward a back a few times before finally backing up out of the way. The whole process took upwards of 15 minutes! Quite annoying. From there the rest of the drive went quickly.

One of the concerns I had on selecting this summit was whether we would be able to drive up to the ridge line or if the access would be gated off and we would have to hike all the way up the slope from the base of the chairlifts. When we arrived the gate was open and in we went, now to pick the road up. I found one that seemed about right that followed along a ski lift. We drove it to the top of the lift and there the road ended, so I returned to the bottom. After looking around we didn’t see anything better so I decided to go back up the road we tried and turn at a small side road mid-way up. Sure enough that road opened up and we were able to follow it to the top of the bowl. There we made a few turns and we were able to follow some narrow roads through encroaching hemlocks towards the ridge I had plotted on Google Earth as our access route. The road got quite narrow for my big truck and when I reached a fork I turned the truck around and parked it just in on the branch. I hoped it would be out of the way of any ATVs. We then got our gear in order and set off for the start of my plotted route.

A short way along the road it opened up and the area would have been a good spot to park. Well I wasn’t sure what to expect so I guess parking where I did added about 500m to the hike. But the walk along the road went quickly and was quite easy. When we arrived at start of my track we were standing at the top of a drop, so we continued along the road another 100m as it descended a bit, then we cut across a small meadow for the forested ridge that we would be following. So far it was going quite well. The first bit of the route was through mature trees with little undergrowth but even here the dead branches were a bit of a nuisance. Then we broke out of the trees into more open areas with thick clumps of black huckleberry which we had to push through. It was slow going as we made our way up the ridge alternating between the trees and the clumps. The smoke in the air didn’t help either.