Bagger Challenge 2009

Kids: don't do Coliseum/Burwell/Cathedral unless the weather is a sure thing.

It was so bad, what with the 10m visibility, hail, wind, thunder, lightning, and torrential rain, that we gave even Burwell a miss after summitting Coliseum.

Neither Conroy nor I have great reputations for knowing when to pull the plug on an adventure, but we gladly and proudly did so today.

My intentions were good....get up early for a 7:30am start. But the heavy rainfall turned me back into the house & into bed before I got to the garage. No way I as going to do an unfamiliar route in these conditions! Back to my warm bed. 45 minutes of fitful twisting & turning & I was back in my running gear & out the door.

I was going for the Needles via the Hydraulic Creek route using Jurgen-esque tactics. Never been on it & I was up for an adventure. I rode my bike up the Seymour Demo road to the bridge at Hydraulic Creek (just beyond 5km). At that point, I switched to trail runers & clambered through the bush to stash my bike (it turns out I never saw a soul & could just as well left my bike on the trail against a tree).

The trail goes up...steeply. I found a tree that sported a Ziplock full of trail descriptions (Thanks!) & grabbed one. The ribbons are plenty & many of them are marked with comments ("Either way", "3 Hours to S. Needle", "Hydraulic Flats", etc...).  Just when you think the steep is over, it gets steeper. Eventually, I made it to Lynn Ridge & found another Ziplock loaded with elevation profiles. At that point, the ribbon indicated 45 minutes to the South Needle. The wind had picked up & the rain was coming down, so I put on my gloves, hat, gore-tex jacket, & cinched up the hood for good measure. I skirted a minor peak & eventually wound my way up to the very tip of the South Needle via some small rock bands. The rain made the going a bit slick, but it was straightforward. I got to the peak, added a rock to the top of the summit cairn & quickly snapped a couple of photos with my cell phone. At this point the rain was coming sideways, & the wind was gusting at about 65-70km/h. The view was non-existant...too bad really...a beautiful oblivion. I was tempted to toss a rock into the void to hear how far a drop might be in store, but thought better of that idea lest a Crerar or Conroy type be lurking below. I tried to locate the Middle Needle, but the low cloud obscured everything. My legs were numb from the blowing cold & the rain, so I was just as happy to head back to the valley.

Crerar described the descent as steep but runnable "slalom-esque". It was a blast...but due to the added element of rainfall, it was more of a controlled skid all the way down. The loamy trail reduced the impact of the bigger drops, but a couple of times I post-holed through the soil...watch it!

I made it back to my bike, switched shoes & rode out along the rode...this was the worst part of the whole trip....without fenders & already soaked to the bone, it was a miserable ride back.

That said, beers & a hot shower never felt sooooo good!!

A glorious day to celebrate living in North Vancouver.

I have little to add to Ryan Conroy's excellent description of his (INSANE) traverse of Lynn and the three Needle Peaks (see http://www.clubfatass.com/blog/ryan-conroy/first-bagger-rights-complete-traverse-needles-lynn-ridge-lynn-peak-coliseum-mountain). I thoroughly endorse Ryan's recommendation that you make it a more modest loop along often runnable single track: up Lynn, to South Needle, and then back down via the Seymour Valley Trailway.

LYNN HEADWATERS TO LYNN PEAK (992m): The hike to Lynn Peak is a tough 2.9K, with some decent trail running towards the top. The true summit is actually surrounded by trees, about 300 metres north and up from the viewpoint where everyone stops. Apparently at this viewpoint used to be docked the blimp used to log Lynn Peak up to the 1970s.

LYNN PEAK TO SOUTH NEEDLE (1165m): a superb new trail has been put in by North Shore Rescue and others, running west from Lynn Peak to the South Needle. It is darned tough (four significant ups-and-downs) but incredibly well flagged, with excellent but discrete pruning and foot-notching on fallen logs. Exhausting but largely runnable or power-hikeable. Glorious and unique views of Crown to the west, Coliseum, Burwell and Cathedral to the north, and Seymour and the Fannin Range to the east.

SOUTH NEEDLE TO MIDDLE NEEDLE (1258m): a significant contrast to the above. You will see the occasional downed flag on the ground, but there is no marking, or, for that matter, no trail to speak of. Happily, the route is relatively clear.

The descent to the col between the South and Middle Needles is not at all obvious from the South Needle. Basically head straight north (not east, as some internet reports state). Although it looks steep, it is less steep than the sheer drops to the west and east.  It is essentially a slow descent along a series of ledges -- hold tight to the scraggly pines and blueberry bushes and gingerly lower yourself down ledge-by-ledge.  It is mossy and slippery and you could do yourself harm without care. The terrain changers to a mere slope, and then you bushwhack down through blueberry bushes to the base of the col.

Then the climb up Middle Needle. As Ryan observes, one hits a rocky bluff pretty soon. A careful choice of hand-holds and branches makes the ascent not so bad. Some more bushwhacking up through blueberry bushes to the false summit, and then across a short ridge to the true summit of the Needles mountain formation.

The major redeeming feature of this area is the plentiful and massive blueberries: wild berries the size of domesticated blueberries, growing in clusters of three: the bushes actually sag with the weight of the fruit. 

MIDDLE NEEDLE BACK TO SOUTH NEEDLE BACK TO HYDRAULIC CREEK TRAIL: The return to South from Middle Needle is the same nastiness, in reverse.

About 20 minutes' descent back south from South Needle, you return to a well-marked intersection with a steep and spongy trail bombing down to the Seymour Valley Trailway in the Seymour demonstration Forest. It is also wonderfully well-flagged and groomed, at the same hands (North Shore Rescue et al.) that created the Lynn-South Needle Trail. It is a long and beautiful descent, taking one past old-growth giants and a gentle series of burbling cascades. If you have hardy legs the descent will take 20-30 minutes, leading you to the Hydraulic Creek Bridge on the Trailway (about 5.5K from the site of the former gazebo). Despite its steepness, the Hydraulic Creek Trail is very runnable, in a slalomesque way.

As I emerged from the forest, as the twilight descended, I heard a 'whoosh' overhead as a large Barred Owl swooped overhead. A perfect moment. 

BAGGER CHALLENGE NOTES: although the Middle Needle is the true summit of the Needles mountain, it lacks a trail and is a little nastier than I want this contest to get. Therefore to bag NEE, I propose that the (shorter) peak of South Needle will count (although bravo to purists/masochists who ascend the Middle Needle summit).  As Ryan and I are the only two idiots so far to climb the true Needle Summit, I don't think that anyone will be put out by this magnanimity to other Baggers.

This started out as a recon mission to identify this trail which is about 9.5 km from the Gazebo at LSCR.  I'd like to conquer Cathedral one day but not via Lynn Headwaters so I can save some time.  I've heard someone doing this and bagging Coliseum, Burwell and Catherdal and back in 12.5 hrs, starting and finishing from the LSCR gate. 

I ended up summiting Piton Peak which is a lower shoulder of Coliseum.  Don't know if this qualifies as a Bagger Challenge mountain but it summits at 1057 m according to my GPS.  Show Piton Peak some love.  I started biking from my place near Kirkstone and Mtn Hwy at 5:15 pm this evening.  Ditched the Kona Dr. Dew 100 m into the trail and transitioned into my TNF trail runners and climbed Piton Peak.  This trail is fairly steep...duh...it's the North Shore and summited at 7:10 pm.  Took a few pictures with the cell phone and quickly ran down (when possible) because I new I only had about another 30 minutes of light.  I got back to the bike, setup my helmetlamp and hammered home by 8:20.  I almost bonked once I got into the house and the adrenaline wore off.  Note: there is a left fork that heads to Coliseum about 10 minutes from the summit of Piton.  These trails are well marked with taping.

Argh!  Monsoon season time

cold rain means Jackson no train

Bagger quaich slips from grasp

What's a haiku?

A warning to all mountain baggers to be especially cautious on the trails for seals: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Seal+drags+five+year+girl+into+water+Wes...

I had been communicating with Glenn Pace as to the possibility of joining forces later in the day and summitting Fromme with he and David.  Later in the day really didn't work for me so with good intentions I headed to Grouse to try and start at 9am.  Playing hookey, I discovered was not going to be easy and I spent too much time on my cell phone outside the chalet before finally heading trail bound at 10.45am.  I bagged Dam and Little Goat on the way to Crown (Bear sighting on Dam!).  Heading down to Crown Pass was dodgy to say the least.....the rocks were slick and my concentration was only broken by the thought of all the altitude I was loosing!  However, I was on top of Crown by 12.15 ish.  Pretty exposed up there, as they say, which certainly tightens the lug nuts....if you know what I mean!  Then, I headed down to find this spoken of trail to West Crown.  That was easy enough but the going wasn't and I really didn't feel that comfortable being in there trail finding and bushwacking blueberry bushes with the bear on Dam still fresh in my thoughts.  So I let judgement prevail and turned around at the Col and headed back.  The return seemed to go quickly and I had thoughts of bagging some more and making a great day of it!  I took the detour to Goat, stopped briefly to chat with some tourisimos and headed down.  As I approached Grouse, I heard running footsteps from behind.....it was Gary Robbins and Roxy coming out of the Hanes Valley!  We had a fine chat and I congratulated he and Tamsin for their stellar Trans Rockies performance.  Then it was off to the top of Grouse and before you ask, yes I did climb it!  I went up via the zip trek towers....not sure if you are supposed to but it brought me to where I needed to be!  At this point, I looked at my watch and thought.....mmmmmmm.......perhaps Fromme!?  Over the edge and down to the road.  Lost some good time here as I really had no idea where the trail was.  However, found a trail that took me up through thick forest.  Not much to see but it was in the bag and I had completed 6 peaks for a very satisfying Cirque de Grouse!

My thanks to Jackson for teaching me how to play hookey in the middle of the work week.  (don't tell!)  I didn't see any of David's chickens on Fromme but I did see lots of Grouse and Partridge.

So David, that is GRO, FRO, DAM, CRO, LIL and GOA to add to the tally!

Cheers from the couch,

Neil

Pace and Crerar stormed Mt. Fromme in a spectacular and surprisingly tough post-work run from Grouse Skyride to Thunderbird Ridge; down to Thasher Creek; and up the two peaks of Mt. Fromme. Clear skies. Unique views of the vista from Crown to Garibaldi to Cathedral to Golden Ears.  The route from Grouse to Fromme takes you to a little-visited land of the lost, a world of mist, huge trees, boulder fields, and some nifty technical single-track.

And we lived off the fat of the land: teeming bushes of the best-tasting black huckleberries and mountain blueberries you will encounter. Flocks and flocks of chickens of the woods and lemon boletes: I will spend like a pauper and eat like a king tonight. Got us contemplating a new Fat Ass event for next summer: The Hunter & Gatherer 50K, with a mountain run followed by a runner-gathered feast of grouse and venison roasted in a blueberry demi-glace and served with wild mushroom risotto (I hope that neither Repta brother is reading this).

The descent to the Baden Powell Trail, via Per Gynt, has been recently cleared and spruced up: an exhilarating slalom down Fromme's southern slope. Highly recommended.

So I did it again yesterday:  Packed for a 3-4 hour jaunt.  No preparation in case something happened.  Came home 7 hours later... tired, partially covered in mud, hungry, thirsty and smelling like a bear turd.

Time to get a safety kit.  But what to pack?  Link to initial thoughts and a place for your comments.

And will my ankle return to its original size before the competition is over?

Bagger haiku:

Summer approaches

its end: the seven weekend

countdown commences.

Will anyone bag all of the peaks? Will Pace hold on to his place at the top of the heap? Will rapidly-ascending Monty Watts send him hurling off into the abyss? Does Ken Legg have an epic bagathon up his sleeve?  Will Jackson take it all with a sweep of Howe Sound? The suspense is palatable.

Note: these mossy granite mountains get slippery when wet. Use grave caution when the inevitable rains return.

This morning at 9:15 am, Wendy Montgomery and Ean Jackson left Grouse parking lot with full water bladders, a couple of gels and some chocolate cookies.  Given that top bagger, Glenn Pace, claimed to have bagged Crown and surrounding peaks one evening after work, we budgeted about 4 hours for our run.

Almost 7 hours later, they boarded the Grouse Skyride with hands full of coca cola and ice cream bars.  The last of our water was consumed, oh, somewhere around Crown.  Could have easily taken a lot longer.  We were spent, but happy.  What views!  (See the Bagger Flickr feed for photos.)

Wendy Montgomery comes out of nowhere to bag DAM, LIL, CRO and WCR.  Watch out, boys.  Wendy is cooking up some routes that will shake your world... and she's got the motor to follow-thorough!

Jackson adds LIL, CRO and WCR to his bag of baggage.  (Lookout, Crerar and Pace... I got your numbers.  The distance is shrinking and I have a few routes of my own in mind...)

Pace, how did you do all of that in an evening?  The weather was perfect for us.  We were not lolly-gagging.  If we'd have gone after work, we'd have ended up as statistics!

Note to those who plan on bagging WCR:  The trail is sketchy in places, but it's there if you look hard enough.  I've wanted to bag that particular peak for about 10 years.  Thank you, Wendy, for kicking my fat ass and thank you, Glenn, for confirming that there was a trail!

In Formula 1 races, there is the poll position for first out of the gate.  In running races, 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions are acknowledged as being the fastest.

In the Bagger Challenge, how about  recognition for the person who gets the most runners to participate?  Maybe that person gets a sip of the good stuff out of the winner's Quaich?

"Hey Dude, why don't you blow off the Tunnel of Love run and bag Colosseum and Mount Burwell with me tomorrow", says Pace on Saturday evening when he brings my chain saw back. 

"Hummmm," I think out loud.  "Nobody has signed-up for the Tunnel of Love run and I don't even know if the freaking tunnel exists, let alone how to get there.  Sounds like a plan.  See you at 7:00 in the am."

So I call Neil and tell them there's been a change in plans.  "We're going to bag 2 different peaks.  Supposed to be about 4 hours at a slow run pace.  And, by the way, we're going at 7:00 instead of 9:00."  Easy for me to say.  Neil lives in Maple Ridge, so he has to drive an hour to get to my place.

We set off at about 7:15.  For the 3rd time in a week, I run on the trail to NorVan Falls.  This time we turn right and head straight uphill just before the suspension bridge.

"Did you know it's been 7 years since we last ran up here", say Glenn.  Goodness, how time flies.  It was foggy and you couldn't see Jack the last time.  When we get to the rocky place that is Colosseum peak, it's cloudless skies and a vista that goes forever this time.  Smells like smoke, though... and the vistas are a bit fuzzy due to fires near Lytton.

We climb on the rock with the GPS tag and take a bagger shot just in case there is any question when it comes time to count the baggage, then head off over the rocks to neighboring Mount Burwell for more awesome views.

There was talk of bagging even more remote peaks (hey... we're this far already!), but those plans were shot down given we were by now 4 hours into our 3-4 hour out-and-back run.  The Moms would not be pleased, and of course, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy... so we headed back.

Of course, running downhill is faster than running up.  Total elapsed time:  6:30. 

Nothing too gnarly... just bring plenty of water.  We all ran out near NorVan on the home-come trail.

Had an epic day today.  Bagging Brunswick Mountain and then Mount Harvey.  We summited in 2:50.  The last 100 m of Brunswick is a bit of a scramble and there are some dicey spots navigating the first two subpeaks to get to the summit.  Descended back down to the Howe Sound Crest trail and ran over to Magnesia meadows and saw a bear at the Magnesia hut.  Scrambled up the north side of Mount Harvey.  This is very steep but there are lots of easy hand holds and the prominence of Harvey is only 200 m from the col below.  Just don't look down.  We ran the entire descent back down to Lions Bay total round trip was 7:02 which included about 35 minutes of stops for food and pictures.  Highly recommend this especially in good weather.

A question for the esteemed judges...

According to "Vancouver's North Shore Hiking Trails" by International Travel Maps (1:40,000 scale), there is only one peak for Mount Strachan.

This is hooey.  I was just there and Mount Strachan has two (2) very distinct peaks separated by a fairly deep valley.  (One peak is close the to ski lift, while the other take some time to get to.)

If we ascended both peaks, can we claim 2 peaks?

Another bagger joins the challenge:  Curb Ivanic.  

He and I did a 3 hour run from Cypress parking lot up to Hollyburn, down the back side and up to Strachan via the plane wreak.  We did *both* peaks of Strachan and then took a steep trail down the back side of Strachan to the Howe Sound Crest Trail.  Curb had cash, so we blew it all on cool coronas with lime at the new Cypress Mountain chalet.

Curb ran the Knee Knacker, so he should debut with at least 3 peaks in the bag

Discovered (on bivouac.com) and added these two obscure peaks in the Deeks Lake area.

Scope out the great write-up of the Baggers' Challenge and Club Fat Ass in today's North Shore News (although too bad about the ugly photo and incoherent quotations):

http://www2.canada.com/northshorenews/news/sports/story.html?id=25acc20b-48a7-43c0-a458-90d113bc6569