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Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2009 : 10:35 PM
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Photoset here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/sets/72157618396306432/
We stopped perhaps 200m from the Golden Ears Emergency Shelter (due to sketchy traverse - see pics below).
Elevation Profile:
Google Earth Birdseye:
Google Earth 3D:
       
6:55 saw jd22 and I at the Golden Ears gate just after they had opened it for the day. We had brought along gear as if we were going to attempt the summit, but we both knew we would probably stop short somewhere. Still though, it's good to be prepared.
The trail to Alder Flats Wilderness Campground is actually quite flat and easy, with one or two caveats.
Only one viewpoint - Gold Creek viewpoint:
There is a creek about 1km or so from Alder Flats with a rather steep, loose washout. The only way down is by knotted rope:
The snow started soon after you swing into Alder Flats - elevation 320m or so. The snow is, of course, soft and wet. Postholing wasn't so much a problem as snow bridges: empty space underneath just waiting for you to break through down to your thigh. This made the going a little tricky, especially with the boardwalks.
A boardwalk:
The bridge before Alder Flats campground is indeed out. Hope you have good waterproofing on your boots:
And here is a video of Jon crossing on our way back... after the water level had risen 3-4" from the day's melt:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/3540734423/
The campground itself was packed with long weekend campers:
I have never seen so much beer and hard liquor in a backcountry campground before. I mean seriously. There was an impressive amount of beer up there. Cases worth. Like one case per person worth. We were both really impressed with the hikers that hauled all that beer up there! (You'd get much, much more bang for the weight with vodka ;-) ). Pretty much every brand of beer you can imagine as well.
Dude... what? Really?
As you can tell, the campground was completely snow bound. Probably about 1m on the ground. Once you start on the trail to Golden Ears though, it quickly disappears for perhaps 1.5 km.
First viewpoint:
Video from first viewpoint:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/3540763443/
Lots of hummingbirds up there too:
Soon after the viewpoint there is a massive blowdown that is a little tricky to get around - stay low.
After that, the trail becomes a stream. Hell, the trail *is* a stream. Once again, hope your boots have good waterproofing:
500-750m of stream later, you hit the snow again. Of course, there is still a stream under there, and you have to be extremely careful not to break through the snow bridges down to it.
The trail switchbacks up a bit on what could have been an old forestry road, but soon enough turns uphill and heads... well, we're not sure where it heads. There could stand to be more flagging up there, and in snow, it's impossible to follow the foot bed.
We ended up following the tracks of 3 people who looked like they knew what they were doing. From below they looked well equiped - ice axes and everything. We caught up to them just as they lead us up a steeper exposed slope to gain the top of the ridge (and joined up with the real trail, which had been following the ridge for quite some time.
It was only when we caught up with and passed them did we realize that their ice axes were really gardening implements of some type.
Nice views along the way:
We could spot the Emergency Shelter way up there:
We continued up the ridge to see how far we could get towards the Ears. Snow here was deep - probably a good 2m at least - but the snow conditions were great. Showshoes would have been a waste of time. The snow was soft and wet, but you only really went down 3" or so - just enough to make nice kicksteps on the steep parts (and great to run down on the way back).
Climbing higher on the ridge:
The Ears were actually quite cloudy, but there was sun in other directions and it was quite warm - 15C all along the ridge.
Mt. Baker:
Upper Pitt:
The ridge we had come up:
Video 360 Panorama - on the ridge walk up:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/3540647111/
We were following the tracks of a snowshoer we had run into early on on the ridge. He had come up from the other side of the Ears and was heading back down our way. Sounds like an insane trip.
We reached the last stretch before the Golden Ears Emergency Shelter - the part where you traverse around a little knoll to get to the shelter on the other side. We both took a look at the path, the slope (with cliffs down below) and the rapidly softening snow and quickly decided against it. So close - 200m from the shelter - yet so far. Better to live to hike another day though! We had been hearing occasional avys all day - probably just ice letting go or a small loose snow slide, but still.
Would you?
The Ears looked great in the snow and sun and clouds:
Dramatic lighting:
Video 360 Panorama - our high point:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/3541476890/
The clouds were blowing around and made for cool shadows on the snow:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/3541492526/
The party of three garden gnomes caught up to us as we were taking pics and decided to continue on. They wanted to make it to the summit. (It was nearing 2:00 by this time, and I'm pretty sure they had come from the parking lot and not the campground.)
It was like a car crash - you just couldn't help but look. Postholing up to their thighs, they made it safely across the slope and (by their shouts) to the Emergency Shelter. Jon and I were just thankfull we didn't have to call in SAR.
 
And in video:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/3541559090/
Jon and I descended rather quickly thanks to the soft snow. Looking back at the Ears before we left the end of the ridge, we could see the three of them indeed were making for the summit.
Look at the knoll right in the middle of the picture. Then see the dots in the middle of the snowfield directly to the left. Those are hikers:
You're not even going to be able to see them in this one without going to my flickr photo and looking at it high res, but they are just above the knoll to the left of center:
We hoped for the best for them and started our descent. This time, we stayed on the trail... for some of the way at least. Made it down to the stream course trail stream course without too many injuries, and set a good solid pace the rest of the way back.
All in all a great day, even though we came up a bit short. I'll be back as soon as the snow melts (August?).
-Ryan
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Edited by - Ryan.in.yaletown on 05/17/2009 10:39 PM
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Hope, B.C.
Canada
617 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2009 : 11:28 PM
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That mountain can definitely play hard to get this time of year. Good job you guys, plenty of snow up there yet.  |
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Maple Ridge, BC
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 09:39 AM
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| I like the way you captured the snow texture and the dramatic interplay of light sky and looming clouds. |
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Simpson quoting tree hunter and canyon rapping rockhound who longs for the return of his trapped Toyota
Salt Lake City, UT
USA
2268 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 10:34 AM
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Hmmm, curious about the snowshoer coming up from the other side. I was also coming up over the ridge from an odd direction-the north (checking out the access routes to Raven Peak). Seems that Golden Ears has everyone thinking of off-trail.
Looks like a good day out, with or without the summit. The ridgecrest gives out plenty of views well before you get to the shelter. |
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Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
1762 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 12:52 PM
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Excellent TR, Ryan. Good detail. You're right, watching those gnomes was like watching a darwin award in progress... Also, the ridiculous amounts of booze hauled in to Alder was mindblowing. I wouldn't be surprised to see some 80 pound bags going in. :/
Thanks for attempting the ears with me :)
I managed to stitch together this panorama shot of the summit after much trial and error:
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Sunnyvale Trailer Park
Canada
1086 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 1:29 PM
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| The conditions up there looked identical to those yesterday at Flora. Do you think those heavy rain-thunderstorms from last week added a couple feet of fresh snow? Making it that far up Golden Ears is tougher than completing most hikes, especially with snow. |
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Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
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Sunnyvale Trailer Park
Canada
1086 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 2:58 PM
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Just adding this pic from Flora to show how similar the conditions were. Beautiful clouds yesterday   |
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bandana wearin', pole huckin', view lovin', dog herdin', 4x4 navigatin', lake huntin', butt-slidin' bridge crosser, who enjoys postholing with an overnighter pack
Surrey, BC
Canada
4646 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 5:06 PM
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Great T/R Ryan . Some people just have to get there eh? I sure those backpackers are going to pack everything out  |
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Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
1762 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 5:49 PM
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| Ryan, I looked into autostitch but I didn't find a mac version. After I bit of research I attempted Hugin, which seems to be working well. |
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Too close to the city, BC
Canada
783 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 5:58 PM
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Great TR! You guys did a fantastic job. Shame you didn't bring your own liquor store with you though, seeing as it appears to be the 'in' thing to do 
So, would a partial Golden Ears TR be called a Golden Ear? |
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Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 5:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by icevixen
Great TR! You guys did a fantastic job. Shame you didn't bring your own liquor store with you though, seeing as it appears to be the 'in' thing to do
So, would a partial Golden Ears TR be called a Golden Ear?
A Picasso?
-Ryan |
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Richmond, B C
Canada
181 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2009 : 10:23 AM
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| The most recent snow up there would have fallen on the 11th. We were exploring around Alouette and Stave lakes from the 8th - 18th. From what I noticed the park was not very busy for the long weekend (compared to years past). Nice pics Ryan. |
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 | Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2009 : 11:27 AM
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| Looks like we got some more fresh overnight, at least near Chilliwack. |
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Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2009 : 6:02 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Dru
Looks like we got some more fresh overnight, at least near Chilliwack.
Whistler is reporting 7cm new, and from the look at the Brohm Ridge webcam, they got about that too. Not sure about StS or North Shore mountains though.
-Ryan |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6768 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2009 : 6:17 PM
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| Looks like a trip requiring some effort.Surprised how busy it is,with those trail conditions down lower.Good call on the slope,the summit will be there later too. |
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Partial Golden Ears - 2009-05-17
