Manning Park - August 2016

Manning Park - Backpacking

Heather meadows sept 7/8
Up at 6 left at 6:30am
Decided against stopping for indulgences. 
Couldn't buy manning map as store wasn't open yet. Cold 7degree Celsius 
Left car at blackwall parking lot and started hiking at 8am. Drive up got me Above valley cloud and lots of sun :) 11 degree Celsius 
Flowers started timid them just kept getting better.  Meadow full of colour splashes of flowers. Hard to believe it's natural and not planted up there. So many flowers. Another vivid display around each corner or over a hill.  
Made good time. Hit buckhorn campsite quick (not my site) Lots of backpackers leaving today. Lots of birds to listen to and saw a couple of wild chickens. Maybe grouse?  Lots of little streams the whole way. Kicking horse camp took three and a half hours. 13.5 km
Set up camp in half an hour then headed out for nicomen ridge. Another 7.5km and two hours
Wanted to to stay at ridge and relax for an hour and eat but wasn't comfortable and it wasn't warm there. Had a snack then headed back to camp. Long slog back. Another two hours back.  Filled up three water bottles in creek. Had dinner right away a big serving of rice beans chicken and veg. Found out my apple cobbler is not an add water eat on the trail variety since you need to simmer and fry :/ I'm reading instruction from now on first. 
Eat dinner. Bored :/ needs books!
Tea and snack
Washed up then organized tent.
Just in time. Rain!!

On the first morning I Pre taped feet with first aid tape. 28.5 km 
and no bad feet :) or tape pealing. 
Also saw a deer. The kangaroo of Canada 
Some pikas
Rain and off during night. 
Had to open vestibule half way through the night because of so much condensation, even the sleeping bag was getting wet. One big drop on my face. 
By morning condensation cleared. 
Up just after six. Silly I phone reminder came on then loud talked was walking about at 6am :/ 
Pretty chilly. Hot tea helped :)
Packed up by seven thirty. 
Feet cleaned and newly patched. 
A nice mellow wander back.
Detoured along the way to hike up first brother mountain. Awesome ridge views of both valleys. No view at top as mist rolled in. Had to put hiking poles away for a while and clamber up some steepish rocks. 
Added an extra two km for that side trip.
A good number people out hiking today even though cloudy. Some backpackers. 
Teased some guy who was playing music by asking if he was playing Britney Spears ?

Got back to car at 12:30 and drove home and thought about what food to eat  :)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCT - Rainy pass to Stevens pass - Day 1 of 7

Image
PCT - Rainy pass to Stevens pass Saturday August 12th - Friday August 19th 2017 After weeks of debate on whether to do this hike or not, it came to be. I planned to hike north bound with all the other PCT hikers but that plan was changed days before since the logistics of melody picking me up at the north end of rainy pass was a challenge because there is nothing at that location other than a trail-head. A Stevens pass exit was easier since, if melody or I had to wait, there is at least a restaurant to hang out at, as well as cell reception and wifi. This complicated my Stehekin visit though since I was going to use that location as a respite near the journeys end. A visit at the beginning would possibly interfere with getting km traveled early on, so I decided not to go. On these at adventures I'm always rearing to go so of course I wanted to leave Friday after work so I could get on the trail asap. Denied. Crack of dawn Saturday? Denied. Day One Saturday 6am alarm go...
Read more

PCT - Rainy pass to Stevens pass - Day 6 of 7

Image
Day Six I can feel the end approaching and hike isnt so intense today with slight incline and declines compared to previous days. More time to think. Things that I note: Sleeping in on trail doesn't happen. The early morning light likes to wake me. The trail frequently is dusty and seems to have a layer of volcanic ash in places. Spots along the trail can be so magical. As I'm hiking up a mountain today there are tiny streams trickling down in places with abundant wild f lowers. Just like little mr and mrs gnome had planted their garden along this little stream and are very proud of its beauty. Friday is the goal so my weekend is reserved for family time  :)  I day dreamed about food lots while hiking. Burgers and onion rings. Chinese food, fried rice, chicken balls, egg rolls, and hot Chinese tea. Teriyaki chicken wings. I keep reading my book, ready player one, and get about 3/4 the way through by trail end. I see lots of grouse Grouse = which I call mountain chick...
Read more

West Coast Trail Adventure! 3 of 6

Image
Adventure Ollie Day THREE Friday July 7th I hate my boots Freaky Friday. Lots of scary stuff to deal with today. High logs bridges across muddy creeks, crazy high ladders up and down. I can't image how even more crazy this place would be on a huge downpour day. On rain days The ranger described it as boardwalks totally submerged in water pools, waterfalls pouring off the tops of the ladder platforms, and bum scootching across those high log creek crossovers. I had a Scary cable car ride for  one, then I went over the suspension bridge of doom! It was Rated for six people but no way in hell if ever want anybody else on there with me. Breath and survive was my cross over style. Today was Half forest/mud slog and half epic beach walking  :)  I ended at trail marker 46km with an epic beachside camp spot called carmanah creek  :) 16km completed today. I Ended early just before 2:00 since I started walking @ 6:30am. This site was rated excellent and I so stopped here ...
Read more