Backpacking Garibaldi - July 2016

Thursday July 14 - Taylor Meadows camp and Panorama Ridge

Up at 5
Started hiking 8:45 Garibaldi
Taylor meadows @ 11:15
Set up camp
Noon headed out to Panorama Ridge
Lots of creaks to cross
Saw two marmots
 Last two km were up the ridge, slow go and lots of snow and rocks to cross but not icy
 Reached the summit at two. Got the view ! Lots of clouds rolling in and out. Lots of cold wind. A bit of hail on way up
 Started raining on the way back to Taylor meadows. Filtered water just before camp and had dinner right away.  Sent SPOT

 Was five when dinner ready. Waited in shelter while rained. Waited in tent while rained. Sun came out just before 7. Soaked up some sun and had chocolate and mocha. walked around. Bed at 9:30

Friday July 15th - Black Tusk

 Slept in as long as I could. Sleeping was on and off all night maybe 6 wake ups. Felt slightly cold once, just wrapped up more, snuggled down and then was fine.
Woke up mid sleep, still dark out, heard a noise! Grunting! Bear!!!!! In camp!!!!
Now I'm awake and listening intently. Agh it's someone snoring. I'm OK :)
Leisurely breakfast and organizing, then hit the trail to the mountain, Black Tusk . Beautiful sunny morning. Started maybe just before nine. Trail quiet. Birds singing and lots of creeks rushing through the meadows.
Easy ramble to the tusk turn off. Only three km remain until top. Up up up. Wonderful meadow laid out with lush green and yellow glacier lilies. Half way up hit rock scree and snowfields. Slow going. Tortoise mode. Tired and taking big breaths. Hit the solid base on the right of the mountain and wow! What a chasm! Super scary for me. Clung to a big rock so I could comfortably look around. Breathtaking. Trail heads left across loose rock scree and drop offs on one or both sides.   I scramble around the solid rock base to the left side for a spectacular view of whistler valley which I couldn't see before.  Lots of marmots on the trail today. They were running really close by too. End of walking trail,  now is the choice for real climbing, decided not to head up chimney. One I'm scared. Two I'm not sure which chimney to climb as is supposed to be marked. Three I think a helmet would be smart. Lots of loose rocks and steep incline. Happy at this point :)  Plus how is Dixie going to get up?  Only 100 meters from top.
Scramble back down trail. Strapped on mini crampons and had a wonderful romp back down the snowfields :)
Passed some confused up climbers. "Which way does the trail go" they say? See that dirty line? Follow. When in doubt "up"
And another, "am I almost there?" Ha ha ha NOPE!!!
Strolled all the way down to Garibaldi Lake. Feet in the chilly water. Relaxed and tended to sore feet with moleskin. Walked lakeside and explored the fifty campsites.
Looped back to Taylor meadows, water fill along the way.

From my campsite at Taylor Meadows - four hour round trips to Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge each
Lots of float planes and helicopters flying overhead all day long. 

Back at camp.  Sent SPOT
After hiking for the day the evenings are so long! Waiting for bed. Starting getting dinner ready at 4:30. Would love to do more hiking into the evening but I don't think my back and feet could handle it. 28km yesterday and 19km today. Airplane mode dramatically increases the life of my phone battery. Two days of use and still just over half life left.
 Garibaldi lake was super busy. It was like a day at the beach. People lining the shore, most snapping pictures tourist style.
Every night before sleep I look at my pictures from the day and then all my family pictures on my phone. Love you family xo

Saturday July 16th - Helm Creek Valley

First light at four thirty but decided to sleep more.

Second time awake at five thirty, lay in for five minutes, then got up with a goal to head out a six.

Organized day trip gear, food, and stuffed breakfast in my pocket to eat along the way.

decided to filter water from I creek I found mid hike since I still had three quarters of a liter left to drink.

Hit the trail at six to head to the helm creek valley.

Misty morning but I soon hiked above to a wonderful sunny sky

had the trail to myself and  was snapping flower pictures happily

after four and a half km I arrive at the junction to helm creek valley or panorama ridge.

hooping and hollering as I look up on the ridge and early morning summit completers of the ridge are sliding down snow fields on their buts having a great time.

I choose left and descend slightly into the valley and onto large snowfields to cross and lava pebble fields that look like a moonscape.

followed flagging, crossed a creek, and then to the end of the valley bottom for about two km.  then the trail descends to Helm lake and campground.  My feet did not like the way that felt, and we had a great morning adventure as is.  from there had a spectacular view of the Black tusk from a different angle.  Sent a SPOT

So sunny and hot on the way back to camp I had to roll up my pant legs into shorts.  Back at camp the mist was back.  Sent a SPOT.  Tried to grab a nap in my tent but couldn't.  Campground was near empty all my time there but now its filling up.  some even arrived after i went to bed last night.  Not hungry enough to make my evening meal so just snacked the rest of day with water.  packed up camp and felt refreshed putting on a lighter pack to head down the hill seven point two km at 12:45 in the afternoon.  Arrive car side 2:15.  Sent a SPOT -  27km today

Homeward bound

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