I have stopped counting the number of times I have been turned around on the trail or in the mountains because of unstable weather this year.
Weather changes so quickly in the mountains so being prepared and flexible are important attributes to have when hiking or running. This past Monday, I had planned to do the Mount Glasgow – Mount Cornwall –Bandit Peak – Outlaw Peak traverse.
A friend of a friend had done it a couple of years ago so I wasn’t alone for the day’s challenge. Early Monday morning, we parked at an unpaved parking lot in the Little Elbow Provincial Reception Area. We headed across the pink Harold Chapman bridge and took a left to find the trail that would lead us to the first summit – Mount Glasgow.
We hiked about 4.5 kilometres before we turned into the Elbow Valley riverbed. Maybe I was still half asleep but I found the hike along the riverbed tedious and uninspiring. For the most of the way, there was not much to see but eventually when the riverbed opened up to the views, it was magical.
I tried unsuccessfully to keep my feet dry and avoid any new scrapes and bruises. There were areas where we had to bushwhack through the trees to avoid the slippery rocks and sketchy conditions.
Eventually we reached the giant scree slope. My hiking partner that this was the most challenging part of the traverse. We navigated the scree at a steady, snail’s pace. I was glad to be out of the riverbed but the scree was doing a number on my forefeet. When we reached the col, we took a short break to regroup and to give our feet a little reprieve.
The initial views were well worth the slog. We could see Banded Peak from the col. I couldn’t wait to reach the first summit. We scrambled around a rock cliff just before the summit when we noticed the dark clouds heading our way.
It was a tough call. The clouds were moving quickly but we could see some blue sky in the distance. We were quickly pelted by rain and hail. We decided to wait it out for a few minutes before dropping our packs for a quick ascent to the peak.
Then the winds kicked it up a notch. I thought I was going to be blown off the mountain. They were that strong. Thunderstorms were in the forecast for later that afternoon. So we weren’t sure this would blow over, and the last thing we wanted to do was be on top of a mountain – with no shelter – during a thunder and lightning storm.
Sadly we decided to turn around and go down. We reasoned it wasn’t a smart move to head up another peak at this point and the safest move was to go down the way we came up.
The wind gave us a good push for a few minutes. I held onto my partner’s backpack for extra security. The wind was so strong. Then it stopped. We looked back a few times to see if the weather was clearing but it was hard to tell. Heading down was really the only safe move.
However I was not looking forward to navigating around wet rocks and waterfalls for the second time that day. The whole way up I kept thinking at least we do not have to go back this way. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t completely awful but there were sketchy bits that took a lot of careful consideration and navigation.
My hiking partner kept repeating “it was dry last year and I climbed over this and that.” Not dry this year so we had to be flexible which entailed some route finding. We climbed up and over one large waterfall to avoid climbing down over slippery rocks.
I might have walked through a handful of water pools because it was a lot easier than trying to walk around it to avoid wet feet. When the sun came out between short down pours, it was very hot so I was dry in no time. The second time around I saw the riverbed with new eyes. Lovely.
Disappointed but in good spirits, we made it back to the parking lot in one piece and before dark. While I half-heartedly grumbled about the riverbed – I think I needed more coffee – it turned out to be a good day in the mountains. (Distance: 26.7 kilometres and 1,153 metres elevation)
Have you been turned around by Mother Nature? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.