Scroll down to see March 6, the second successful attempt.
March 1- Mt. Klaudt - first attempt / by the Sasquatch Mountain Resort
Stats: 8.35 km / 490m gain / 1260m high / 4:15 hours MT
This was an attempt at Mt. Klaudt. Things didn't go quite as planned. And the weather didn't cooperate either. It wasn't supposed to snow. Nevertheless, we certainly had a good workout with a great group of people. Those "horrendous potholes" that we were warned about, were no longer on the last few km of the Hemlock Valley Rd.
We ended up taking the higher Old Yeller route (yellow line), instead of part of the lower Old Yeller route that would connect us to the blue Mt. Klaudt route. All 16 of us were waiting at the lodge at 9:15 am, eager to get moving in the cold. But Mary, who lives there, had not arrived yet. So I texted her but neither one of us got eachother's messages.
Three members of the group were convinced this was the correct way to go, having done this route in the past. There were some steep sections, especially by the round tower, where we had to kick our feet into the bank.
We followed these yellow circles.
At a junction we turned right (east).
Frank is grabbing this hiking pole. It was broken.
At the end of this open area we turned right (south) and soon came to a junction of the Brett Creek FSR. There we turned right onto a groomed trail.
We were on the groomed trail for about 20 minutes. Then, according to my All Trails app, we were to turn left into the forest. There was another set of snowshoe prints leading up into the forest. They looked to be about a day old? But there were no blue markers. Odd.
Eventually we ran into the first square blue marker, which now appeared at regular intervals. So why weren't there any in the beginning of the trail?
Not sure why the blue markers made us do a large square off of the route before connecting with the All Trails route again. At this point we agreed to have lunch at 12:00pm, in another 40 minutes.
Ahh. Those hot drinks sure went down good. There wasn't much wind, and temps were reasonable, just a bit below zero. Looking at my GPS, we'd completed 2/3 of the route, in a very round-about way. Although the remainder of the snowshoe would've been on fairly level ground, it still would've taken about another hour return with no view, as it had now started to snow in earnest. So the group decided not to summit.
Still smiling. The group shot, minus four who had turned back at the junction.
Back row: Carolyn, Ed, Maureen, Irene, Peter, Mark, Frank, Lorenz
Front row: me, Sue, Terry, Don
When we got back down to the junction and turned left, guess who was just a little ways away? Mary! It was her snowshoe prints we'd been following in the powder on Mt. Klaudt. She led us back to the parking lot farthest from the lodge, which is where she'd been waiting for us in the morning. Eight of us trudged on to the pub to join the other four. The hot apple cider sure was good.
When I was downstairs, the women working there, asked if all of our group had come in. I affirmed that it had and then I asked her why she asked. She said they'd sent a few guys out to look for us, because one of the four who'd arrived 2 hours earlier, had mentioned that we were on an unmarked trail. I told her we were very well equipped, I myself having 2 GPSs and two others in our group also having GPSs. Apparently this route was closed, contrary to what I read on-line. Hence the lack of markers in the beginning of the route. But we can still use it. Odd.
Not having made the summit just makes me more determined to do so. So stay tuned for a continuation of this blog...
March 7 -- Mt. Klaudt - Second Attempt
Stats: 8.35 km / 655m gain / 1402m high / 4:40 hours MT
Like the saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again". And so we did, five days later. Our failure the first time made this success even more satisfying. Conditions couldn't have been much better. The sun was out for the most part, there was no wind and therefore the powder snow stayed on the evergreens, creating a Dr. Seuss landscape.
We parked at the southern end of P3, then crossed the road and plodded up and over the bank.
It was so nice to have Sonia, Brigitte & Sheri with us, having not seen them for a long time.
Mary Riddols was our leader, breaking trail for most of the way. There was no going off course this time. We followed the All Trails route, with the exception of the very beginning of it. Instead of doing a right hand horseshoe curve along the road and then on to the groomed Brett Creek FSR, we cut across directly to the FSR.
Looking back.
Back at the junction where the unsigned route to Mt. Klaudt begins. The northern ski slope is in the distance.
At the lower elevations, the snow looked wet and skimpy compared to last Wednesday. But that soon changed as we gained elevation.
Looking back at the left ski hill.
This is the only photo I got of Mt. Urquhart (1800m) before the clouds covered it, the pointed peak to the left -- northeast.
Here we kept going straight, avoiding the big blue-marked square we'd snowshoed last Wednesday, and going straight up through tree-well territory.
Harrison Lake and the Old Settler Mt. (1800m).
The snow-ploughs: Allana, Mary, Brigitte & Fred.
It was so pristine and peaceful.
We had to drop down a bit a few times, before the final push to the summit.
Mt. Cartmell to the left and in the distance behind it is the Breakenridge Range (1950m) -- north.
A short section below this avalanche slope.
This was the steepest slope. Once above it, it wasn't long to the summit anymore. For those of us who have snowshoed both Cartmell (1430m) & Klaudt, we all agreed that Mt. Klaudt has steeper sections than Cartmell.
Made it! Mary R, Gary B, Sheri K, Sonia J, Brigitte G, Allana W, Fred H, me, Terry B + Sue A
Harrison Lake is 60 km long!
Looking southeast towards Harrison Village and Bear Mt.
Mt. Slesse to the left, McFarlane & the Border Peaks.
After lunch at the top, we went to this nearby viewpoint, southwest of the summit.
Now we could see the west and northwestern views, of the ski slopes and surrounding peaks.
To the distant west is Golden Ears PP.
Mt. Grainger (1800m) to the right -- northeast
Heading back down, looking northeast and east once again.
Most of the peaks in this region are named after veterans of the First & Second World Wars. Neil Grainger, sometimes aided by Jack Bryceland (author of the 103 Hikes in Southwestern BC book) climbed these peaks and placed crosses on each one.
We all had our ways of getting down this steep section. Some jogged down on the virgin powder, some cautiously picked their way down, holding onto trees and some played it safe, sliding down on their butts.
Obviously they had fun doing it, despite the yelps, grunts and "Ahh!!!"s.
northeast
I just missed catching Sheri doing a face-plant. She retrieved herself with as much dignity as possible in such a situation. Good times.
northwest
Back at the tree-well territory on the steep slope, Mary abruptly called a halt to us following her when she lost her leg here. So we detoured to the left for a bit. When we regrouped back down at the junction to the FSR, we were wondering what the kerfuffle was about just a few minutes prior. Apparently Gary, who was looking rather frosty white and sheepish, had been instructing the others with him to watch out for that hole. As he was pointing at it, he lost his balance and fell into another one! And Terry took her love of trees a bit too far. She ended up wrapped around one at rather odd angles. She had just managed to clamber out of the tree well and regain her balance, when she took a step forward, only to fall into another one. She said she normally never uses foul language but this one time she just couldn't help herself. Thankfully we all came out in once piece. All but two of us headed to the newly renovated Sasquatch Inn restaurant at the bottom of the mountain.
The bold grey line, looping to the northwest, is where we'd showshoed Wednesday, turning back just beyond the grey square / turquoise loop.
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