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Mountain hiking not always sunshine and lollipops
I often catch myself daydreaming about future trips into the mountains here on Vancouver Island. Thoughts of perfect snow, blue skies and views that go on forever pop into my head all the time. These daydreams remind me why I love the outdoors and why Vancouver Island is the perfect home for outdoor enthusiasts.
But as I learned from a recent adventure, it's not always sunshine and lollipops on multi-day hikes in the mountains.
When I think of all the effort that goes into preparing for each trip, it's a wonder that I ever get out there at all. You have to plan all the logistics concerning timing, distance, gear, food and so on before setting off. The biggest question of all is one you can't even truly answer until the trip is over: "Can I do it?"
So, how do you know if you can successfully complete a trip? Unfortunately, success relies on many different factors and some are out of our control. Weather, for instance, is a force for which you can prepare, but sometimes no degree of planning can totally prevent challenges and dangers. Good weather may come in too early or too late or just not arrive at all. Snow, ice and avalanches can be big factors when adventuring in the mountains. Warm weather? You may not be able to pass through terrain as easy as you thought as the snow melts.
Then there are the personal factors. Are you up for the challenge of a multi-day hike? Can your body handle climbing with a 50-pound pack? Does your mind quit after a couple hours or can you keep pushing yourself until you reach the summit, camp or some other goal?
Positive thinking and encouraging friends can be a big help in these trying circumstances. They can mean the difference between giving up and pushing on. Some days, all the factors mix with a bit of luck and you have a great trip. Other times, it feels like the universe is conspiring against you. There are those trips where nothing goes right. You'll look back on them fondly and laugh because they make for a great story, but your spirits will take a beating at the time.
Recently, I was on a multi-day hike to Marble Meadows in Strathcona Park. We kayaked across Buttle Lake, stashed our boats at Philips Creek Campsite on the other side, and headed up into the mountains. The hike up was an endless series of switchbacks winding back and forth until I didn't know which direction was which. All I knew was we were still going up – and moving up was a lot of work. I had massive blisters by the time we made it to the meadows at the top. Part of me didn't care -- I could just push through it. Another part of me wanted to take off my boots and sit put.
My group climbed two mountains in the area over the next two days. The climbs were very doable in my eyes; however, not being able to walk without wincing made the attempts much more difficult than I anticipated. Most of the group summited on both attempts while I held back, resting my poor feet so I'd actually make the trip back to camp. There's no point in summiting if it means you won't make it back. It was hard on the ol' ego to make it that far into the mountains and not be able to summit because of something as seemingly trivial as blisters. I hate making excuses as to why I couldn't do it but sometimes it's just not your day.
The biggest thing to remember is that there will always be a next time. The attempts at our two summits might not have gone as planned but I still got out into the mountains. I still had three days off work with beautiful weather, hung out with great friends, and slept in a cozy campsite in the mountains. One of my main goals these days is to get outside as much as possible. So, all I have to do it adjust my focus to realize the trip was a success.
Text and photos by Ross Collicutt ©
