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Terrace, BC
957 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 07:53 AM
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A bit of an extreme day on Sunday to mark my 51st birthday.
The Gunsight Lake Trail starts at the Hatchery Creek bridge on Hwy 37 just up from Furlong Bay campsite
It follows the north bank of the creek inland for about 3 kilometres and is an easy hike to a bridge. After crossing over to the south side its a steep trail to the lake at 1094 m. The peak is further on to the east and up about another 500m at 1619m or so.
 
For some reason I ended up getting my bike and I dropped off at the TH for Gunsight with a bravado plan to ride in as far as I could get, hit the peak and then ride 20+ k back home.
 
And it worked! The bike cut out a lot of the flat walking and I locked it when there was more pushing than riding.
Steady going after the bridge knocked off the steepest part of the trail in about an hour and then an additional 45 minutes on the shoulder got me to the lake.
There is still an awful lot of snow in the alpine for this time of year which is fine I think.  Today was very hot and hazy so it was also melting out quite well.
 Run off from the lake
The little bowl that Gunsight Lake nestles in was alive with the sound of water coming of its steep south slopes.  
My route to the peak was up this wide gully at the east end of the lake. Is there a term for this? 
It was quite debris laden with the winters shalling of rock and dust. This little thing was trying desperately to get back to its home cliff but was stuck. 
I left it to its Sisyphusian fate.
Up to the ridge and looking back. 
  The approach to the peak.
Got to the top at 1:15 and had a great view of everything.
The secondary peak of Gunsight. 
Thornhill ridge with three interesting peaks you never see from the valley.
 
Gunsight ridge and Mt. De Boer hanging out in the background. 
 
Terrace in the haze from the peak. 
So thats that. Ran off the mountain,  ,
hopped on my bike, rode home, went to BBQ and forgot to replace the 4.5 lbs of water lost with more water.
 Used that brown fizzy stuff instead. Not Recommended. |
Edited by - MJB on 07/16/2009 07:55 AM
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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 - 07/16/2009 : 08:46 AM
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| Happy 51! |
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Too close to the city, BC
Canada
795 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 10:59 AM
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Nice job! Happy birthday  |
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463 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 11:54 AM
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A fine way to spend a birthday, Mr. MJB. Way more snow still in the "northwest" (or "West-central" as a journalist acquaintance of ours always insisted) mountains this year, than down here. Well done.
Coincidentally, same acquaintance also said horrible things about the Gunsight Lake trail. Once you're up top, it's quite the opposite!  |
Edited by - keefer on 07/16/2009 11:58 AM |
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Abbotsford, BC
Canada
725 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 1:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by MJB
Used that brown fizzy stuff instead. Not Recommended.
My kind of beverage ... brown (or golden), hoppy, malty - much preferred over colourless, tasteless blah! 4.5 litres, though, that is a bit extreme and perhaps not recommended as you state. Happy birthday! |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5902 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 9:12 PM
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Happy Bithday MJB, are you like a good cup of coffee? (just had to say it ) It's good you learned at 51 years old that beer doesn't really replenish your fluids, especially after a day of hiking ! May the power be with you (water power that is) hehe |
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Terrace, BC
957 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 10:04 PM
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Actually 4.5 lbs converts to about 2 kg / litres so I didn't drink as much as it may have looked.
Anyway, I'm on holidays and I deny that I'm in denial. For that matter I'm not on denali either. (but I'd like to be) |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
2664 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2009 : 10:25 PM
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| Happy birthday! I enjoy reading your trip reports |
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Gunsight IV, Summit Success
