2004-09-25-Russet_Lake

For the second year in a row, Katie decided to pack a group of her friends up to Russet Lake. Once again, Zaven did not join us; we don't know what his excuse is this time.

2004-09-25

In a move that shocked the world, our car managed to leave only an hour later than planned, and still arrive at the trailhead before anyone else. In fact, we were starting to wonder where everyone else was before Lisa and Markus caught up to us at the fork to the Musical Bumps. Unlike the previous year, this time we took the Singing Creek trail.

Setting out	To Singing Pass	Steep and loose	Singing ass (old parking lot)
Old mine	Rail to nowhere	Creek	Michael and Deb
Cyn	View from the pass	Break time	Pika
Checking out Markus' stick	Lisa, Markus, Deb	No-noise makers	Downcreek
Upcreek	"Just like Markus"	Pond	Cyn
Shiny	Thistle Peak in shadow	Cyn and Russet Lake	Russet Lake and Thistle Peak
André and Russet Lake	Markus not making noise

Nobody else had caught up to us by the time we reached the lake, so we dropped off our stuff and wandered northward, along the contour around the other side of the peak that we had partly ascended. We saw the other hikers arrive at the campsite partway our walk, but we continued on to Adit Lake before turning around.

Chicken Cyn	Glacial foot through half a pair of binoculars	Cyn, Lisa, Deb	Deb
Lonely outhouse	Michael sneaking up on Lisa	Glacier	Adit Lake

Upon returning, we discovered that Dusit did not in fact make it to the lake, having succumed to illness early on the trail and opted to drive home to recover. The campers we did find were Katie, Brenda, Darko, Greg, Taryn, Tudor, and Emily.

Markus and Lisa

Deb

Tudor and Brenda

2004-09-26

Instead of a night hike in the dark, Katie decided that she would go see the sunrise this year. So early in the morning, she quietly collected the vaguely awake and active while leaving the others to rest. Although I was awake during the collection, my warm sleeping bag was a monolithic barrier that I could not overcome. Not long after they had left, of course, I mustered up the courage to wiggle out of my bundle of warmth and step outside. Instead of attempting to track the pack, I ventured across the creek and up the little bump next to Thistle and gained myself a spectacular view of the peaks to the north slowly shedding the shadows of dawn.

Tents and shelter	Looking down the valley	Sunrise	Different view of Thistle
Tarn 3s in the morning	Outhouse with a view	Birthday girl	Reflective

After some breakfast, we packed up and were on our way. Greg and the occupants of his car had come via the gondola and the Musical Bumps and returned down Singing Creek, but the rest of us had come up the creek trail and took the Musical Bumps route on the way back.

Looking back at the campsite in the morning	Black Tusk	Glacier	Darko and bugs
The hills are alive with the sound of Lisa	Debra	Peaky horizon	Ski poles on Flute

We stopped for lunch atop Flute Summit, where we ran into Lee, Sharon, and Emma who were out for a day hike and turned around there after lunch. The rocks provided a perfect perch to meal while looking down on Cheakamus Lake.

Cheakamus Lake	Lisa looking down on Cheakamus Lake	Katie	Lisa, Deb, Michael
Deb and Lisa	Cloudy shadow on Blackcomb	Cloud and shadow	Cyn and Deb
There's a marmot in there!	Creeky	Green Lake	Markus, Deb, Lisa
Snow machines	Almost there	Cyn	Deb and Michael in gondola
Colourful

We caught up with them again at the Roundhouse, and stayed for dinner in town before heading home. There were a couple of bears visible on the hill during dinner, and Katie, Brenda, and Cyn saw one from the gondola, but their efforts at conveying the message to our gondola were met by clueless people.