Cirrus2000
04-08-2009, 11:25 PM
Left on Tuesday morning, and stopped off to buy a new camera on the way. Pentax Optio W60. Light, rugged-ish, waterproof, good zoom, good wide angle, not too expensive.
Stopped and took a couple of photos of Vancouver from Stanley Park:
Fireboat practicing, and on the far right an Otter floatplane about to touch down.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/UUtah/Chief/IMG_0003.jpg
Cruise ship terminal, convention centre, and the edge of downtown. Mid photo, just left of the freaky UFO building with big antenna, is an office building with what looks like an air traffic control tower plunked on top. That's an air traffic control tower for the floatplanes and helicopters. Worked there in '98 and '99. Nice view.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/Chief/img_0004.jpg
North Vancouver with Mount Seymour in the background:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/Chief/img_0012.jpg
Next I drove north on the Sea to Sky highway to the town of Squamish - "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada". From town I took a photo of the Stawamus Chief, my hiking destination du jour:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0001.jpg
The Chief is over 2000 feet tall, and has 3 distinct summits. The first is near the centre of the photo, second to the left, and third at far left. The angle of the photo is deceiving - the third summit is tallest at 2300 feet. Below and right of the first summit is the Grand Wall - about 1600 feet of free and aid climbing. Below the second summit is the Apron, lower angled climbing of 6 or 7 pitches.
I went and set up my tent at the base of the Chief, in the climber's campground - kind of a minimalist camp.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0005.jpg
Just before 5:00pm, I started up the trail.
Stairs:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0008.jpg
Followed by rocks:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0009.jpg
Followed by stairs and rocks:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0011.jpg
The trail split 2/3 of the way up, and I headed toward the second summit (my favourite of the three). Chains helped out on some of the steeper bits:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0014.jpg
Granitic ridges near the top of the second peak.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0024.jpg
Atop the second peak. Squamish below, and Mount Garibaldi in the background:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0047.jpg
View of the third peak, and beyond, from the second peak:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0048.jpg
Dropping into a gully on the way to the third peak:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0050.jpg
From near the top of the third peak, looking back south at the second and first, with Howe Sound (a fjord) in the background:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0058.jpg
Once again, on the second peak (had to cross it on the way back down) looking at Howe Sound:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0066.jpg
I dropped back down to the junction and headed back up onto the first peak, where I waited for full nightfall. The (almost) full moon rising in the east.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0072.jpg
Playing with my headlamp:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0077.jpg
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0078.jpg
Squamish at night. Mt. Garibaldi just visible on right:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0080.jpg
When it was finally dark, I started down by headlamp, and 40 minutes later was back in my tent:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0085.jpg
In the morning, packed up the tent, hit one of the local Starbucks, and then it was off to the Smoke Bluffs, a popular cragging area on the outskirts of town (in other words, 4 minutes from Starbucks.) I rapped down a 20m cliff, and practiced using my brand new ascenders to climb the fixed line. Exhilarating! No photos, unfortunately... Then it was off for home.
All in all, a good (though short) trip!
Stopped and took a couple of photos of Vancouver from Stanley Park:
Fireboat practicing, and on the far right an Otter floatplane about to touch down.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/UUtah/Chief/IMG_0003.jpg
Cruise ship terminal, convention centre, and the edge of downtown. Mid photo, just left of the freaky UFO building with big antenna, is an office building with what looks like an air traffic control tower plunked on top. That's an air traffic control tower for the floatplanes and helicopters. Worked there in '98 and '99. Nice view.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/Chief/img_0004.jpg
North Vancouver with Mount Seymour in the background:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/Chief/img_0012.jpg
Next I drove north on the Sea to Sky highway to the town of Squamish - "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada". From town I took a photo of the Stawamus Chief, my hiking destination du jour:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0001.jpg
The Chief is over 2000 feet tall, and has 3 distinct summits. The first is near the centre of the photo, second to the left, and third at far left. The angle of the photo is deceiving - the third summit is tallest at 2300 feet. Below and right of the first summit is the Grand Wall - about 1600 feet of free and aid climbing. Below the second summit is the Apron, lower angled climbing of 6 or 7 pitches.
I went and set up my tent at the base of the Chief, in the climber's campground - kind of a minimalist camp.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0005.jpg
Just before 5:00pm, I started up the trail.
Stairs:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0008.jpg
Followed by rocks:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0009.jpg
Followed by stairs and rocks:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0011.jpg
The trail split 2/3 of the way up, and I headed toward the second summit (my favourite of the three). Chains helped out on some of the steeper bits:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0014.jpg
Granitic ridges near the top of the second peak.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0024.jpg
Atop the second peak. Squamish below, and Mount Garibaldi in the background:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0047.jpg
View of the third peak, and beyond, from the second peak:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0048.jpg
Dropping into a gully on the way to the third peak:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0050.jpg
From near the top of the third peak, looking back south at the second and first, with Howe Sound (a fjord) in the background:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0058.jpg
Once again, on the second peak (had to cross it on the way back down) looking at Howe Sound:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0066.jpg
I dropped back down to the junction and headed back up onto the first peak, where I waited for full nightfall. The (almost) full moon rising in the east.
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0072.jpg
Playing with my headlamp:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0077.jpg
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0078.jpg
Squamish at night. Mt. Garibaldi just visible on right:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0080.jpg
When it was finally dark, I started down by headlamp, and 40 minutes later was back in my tent:
http://kev.cirruswebsolutions.ca/uutah/chief/imgp0085.jpg
In the morning, packed up the tent, hit one of the local Starbucks, and then it was off to the Smoke Bluffs, a popular cragging area on the outskirts of town (in other words, 4 minutes from Starbucks.) I rapped down a 20m cliff, and practiced using my brand new ascenders to climb the fixed line. Exhilarating! No photos, unfortunately... Then it was off for home.
All in all, a good (though short) trip!