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David¹
Token Canadian



Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 3040 | TRs | Pics
Location: The Great White North
David¹
Token Canadian
PostThu Aug 29, 2002 7:13 pm 
We had company on this hike, my mother & her husband, so we needed to hike somewhere that had spectacular scenery but wasn’t so challenging that it detracted from your enjoyment of it. In choosing this hike I had a few concerns, the first being the weather. My mother could bring relief to drought stricken farmers and when I saw a forecast for showers on Saturday I thought she had worked her magic again. Fortunately we had perfectly sunny skies. Next I was concerned about the swarms of biting insects that had tormented previous hikers. However we hit the trail before 8am and made it to the ridge virtually unmolested. Lastly I had feared that we would not encounter a marmot, a request I had promised to fulfill but considering that my mother has the same effect on wildlife as the Tasmanian Devil I wasn’t sure that I could deliver. Luckily the meadows near the ridge were bristling with marmots when we arrived. What didn’t concern me however were the many creek crossings. I had heard about them but didn’t consider them a problem since we were traveling late in the summer and at the earliest past of the day. This was indeed the case with many of them as careful route selection could get you across without so much as getting your boots wet. There was however one creek, just past the fork where you head to the glacier overlook, that is, unless your name is Carl Lewis, impossible to leap across. We followed it quite a ways upstream and kept searching for an easier way farther downstream but to no avail. You must ford this creek. What makes matters worse is the fact that it’s frothy and you have no idea of how deep it is. We made it across, as did many others, but a flagged fording site would have been ideal. The Roosevelt Glacier is spectacular, where else can you find so much bare ice readily on display? We hiked all the way to the end of the moraine to get a close up look at the many seracs and crevasses. We had crampons and ice axes but were smart enough to keep our distance from these often-deadly wonders. We were however joined by four brave/foolish young boys who had little more than sneakers. Our only regret was being here so early in the day because the sun was directly over the summit of Mt. Baker. That however didn’t bother our two companions so in their minds the day was a complete success and that was the most important thing of all. Photos now on: http://groups.msn.com/davidkarenshikingpage

Warning! Posts may contain traces of sarcasm. Hiking Website: http://members.shaw.ca/karenanddavid/Index.htm
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