Trip report: West Lion attempt
Did the first... third or so of the Howe Sound Crest Trail yesterday and this morning. Conditions were lovely and hot yesterday, and the only downside was being on the snowfields without sunglasses (or sunscreen...). My boots held up well, but I made the poor decision to wear cotton socks (on account of having trouble finding my wool ones) and the tops of all my toes have paid for this. We made it to within about a kilometre of the west lion, and set up a bivy on a nice flatish piece of snow, with good wind protecting trees, this was when I realised my hiking partner didn't have a sleeping pad. (sleeping on snow, without a sleeping pad makes for a very, very cold night.) We watched the Northshore Search and Rescue guys pull a two separate injuries off the hill via helicopter, one by setting down on the north peak of Mt Unnecessary, and one via long-line off the west face of the ridge below the lions. I made a successful and terrifyingly important self-arrest after a small slip in a sketchy spot, and shortly after we set up camp and cooked. Our meal was delicious (a freeze dried meal entitled 'Himalayan Lentils' I honestly can't express to you how good it was, curry, and mango, and apples, and lentils and rice *drool*)
The night was windy, but my tent is pretty good in the wind, and fog rolled in pretty heavy. Unfortunately, we'd decided to use the fly as a makeshift mat for my buddy Jamie, so it got pretty damp inside the tent fairly quickly. Breakfast was less delicious (freeze dried potatoes never are...) but it was warm, and between it and the hot chocolate, we had a decent start. We abandoned our attempt at climbing the west lion pretty much as soon as we woke up, as the visibility sucked balls, and there seemed to be a storm rolling in. Sure enough, we were traveling between the north and south peak of Mt Unnecessary when the lightning started. We got chased down the side of the hill, and then hoped it would blow over while we went through the col between Unnecessary and St. Marks, but sadly it did not. We had the good fortune not to be killed by lightning as we dashed across the peak of St. Marks, though we were lit up pretty good a couple times by some fairly close strikes (closest bolt was a 6 count, which by my math is probably about 2k away). The rest of the trip down was very wet, but uneventful.
Lessons learned: Sunglasses!!! Ice axe = GOOOOD. it earned it's pay this trip. More carabiners, and slings, also, a personally sized sling for a diaper harness. Put all these things in a single bag, and call it the safety bag. shovels, even in the summer, for tent leveling purposes. maybe a leash for the ice axe. No Dried Food That Claims To Be Potato.
(oh, and no one leaves the house with out at least a sleeping pad. don't need a bag, but at least a pad.)
The night was windy, but my tent is pretty good in the wind, and fog rolled in pretty heavy. Unfortunately, we'd decided to use the fly as a makeshift mat for my buddy Jamie, so it got pretty damp inside the tent fairly quickly. Breakfast was less delicious (freeze dried potatoes never are...) but it was warm, and between it and the hot chocolate, we had a decent start. We abandoned our attempt at climbing the west lion pretty much as soon as we woke up, as the visibility sucked balls, and there seemed to be a storm rolling in. Sure enough, we were traveling between the north and south peak of Mt Unnecessary when the lightning started. We got chased down the side of the hill, and then hoped it would blow over while we went through the col between Unnecessary and St. Marks, but sadly it did not. We had the good fortune not to be killed by lightning as we dashed across the peak of St. Marks, though we were lit up pretty good a couple times by some fairly close strikes (closest bolt was a 6 count, which by my math is probably about 2k away). The rest of the trip down was very wet, but uneventful.
Lessons learned: Sunglasses!!! Ice axe = GOOOOD. it earned it's pay this trip. More carabiners, and slings, also, a personally sized sling for a diaper harness. Put all these things in a single bag, and call it the safety bag. shovels, even in the summer, for tent leveling purposes. maybe a leash for the ice axe. No Dried Food That Claims To Be Potato.
(oh, and no one leaves the house with out at least a sleeping pad. don't need a bag, but at least a pad.)