Submitted by Carlos Castillo on 7 August, 2005 - 13:20.
Just got back from Buntzen Lake after a very tough run.The run was billed as a 8K 15K 25K 35K trail run, and as it happened the longer one was extended to 43K after a lost trail! About 15 souls showed up at the parking lot of Buntzen Lake.The majority of runners ran the 15K and two of us set out for the longer run.The Event Host, Geoff Palmer, and I ran together so I didn't have to memorise the route, which was great! Unfortunately, the course was redirected the wrong way by a massive tree across a vital trail, so off we went 8K the wrong way up an adjoining peak (10,000 M) This run started with most of the tougher stuff of the Diez Vistas, followed by a 6K joining Rd. to the N End of Buntzen, at which point we took the Dilly Dally Trail topping out at 1275m Triangle Peak while we were going astray....I managed to slip and crack my head open with lots of blood! We had to double back from a wrong peak up a steep dead end trail only to have to double back and recrossing the boulder field again to find the right peak! all with a bloody face full of dust and sweat, it stopped bleeding after about 5 mins. so we just kept going, for another 5 hours! There were parts we had to climb almost vertically with hands feet and some strategically placed ropes! Still, we had seen a lot incredible view of Deep Cove, Indian Arm, and Burrard Inlet, views of far off downtown Vancouver along with a heck of a lot of rocks, trees, and boulders, bear scat and one set of cougar prints, one crazy but good hiker who was way out there, he told us we were on a wrong, longer trail, than the main one, he was dead right!
It was a real character builder, that one!
Stats of this Fat Ass Event will be posted soon, but my take on it was - 13 runners set off on the shorter courses, everybody got home within 5 hour except Geoff and I. We ran the whole run together, after our adventures with mud, blood, sweat, but no tears; joint 1st. of 2 on the 43K extended Bunny! (8:19:14.) Ouch!
Submitted by rob (not verified) on 8 August, 2005 - 06:48.
I believe I made the same mistake on Saturday. It sounds as though the trail you are describing is the Indian Arm trail. There is a junction up near the top of the Dilly Dally - go left and you start heading north thru a tough rock slide and rope obstacle course. I went quite far north with Coquitlam Lake on my right and Indian Arm on my left along a ridge line. This trail is rugged to say the least.
Wow, Carlos! Sounds like you had quite the adventure on the very Fluffy Bunny...And here I thought I would win the category for worst fall! Alas, I only bruised my hand and skinned my knee...and I didn't have to run 5h with it either. I fell close to the finish line after catching my shoe on the metal grate over the south side bridge over Buntzen Lake. Cheryl, Rhonda and Pat were on my heels and made sure I made it to the car. During our delay on the bridge, Cheryl spotted a Painted Water Turtle (I think that's what she called it). The Whoa Nellie was much tougher than I had anticipated and it took us (Rhonda, Cheryl, Pat and I stayed together the whole course) over 4h to complete what was supposed to be 15km. I don't think we got lost...but who knows. The magnificent vistas were worth it, though.
Comments
The Bunny
Dilly Dally
I believe I made the same mistake on Saturday. It sounds as though the trail you are describing is the Indian Arm trail. There is a junction up near the top of the Dilly Dally - go left and you start heading north thru a tough rock slide and rope obstacle course. I went quite far north with Coquitlam Lake on my right and Indian Arm on my left along a ridge line. This trail is rugged to say the least.
happy trails.
Congratulations, Geoff and Carlos
The Whoa Nellie was much tougher than I had anticipated and it took us (Rhonda, Cheryl, Pat and I stayed together the whole course) over 4h to complete what was supposed to be 15km. I don't think we got lost...but who knows. The magnificent vistas were worth it, though.