Location of the Golden Ears
Proper names for the various peaks of Mt. Blanchard
My Flickr site for more pictures -
My dad had looked up at the Golden Ears ever since he was a child growing up at Webster's Corner during the years of the great depression. I had climbed the mountain a number of times before and circumstances finally allowed us to try to get up it together. Dad was born in 1918 so this made him 58 years old, but dad worked in the woods behind our home chopping wood and he was strong.
We camped on one of the roads above the alder flats and the next morning made our way up the snow.
Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate fully. I knew the way up very well, so in spite of the mist, we made the top.
This picture shows dad fulfilling a life long dream.
I was pleased I helped to make it possible and proud of my father making it all the way in good style.
We descended into clear air and made our way home tired but fulfilled.
North Ridge of Wedge Mountain - Garibaldi Park
Location of Mt. Wedge
Garvin Morris, Ken Stewart, Ken Willis, Alan Lizee, and I headed for the north ridge of Wedge.
The hike up to the hut is always steep but when you get to it the view makes it all worth while. I have always thought the view towards the north ridge of Wedge seemed a bit Himalayan, with its elegant snowy north ridge sweeping down from its summit. Even after getting back from Nepal, I still felt a bit of the same way.
The ridge wasn't that technically difficult, and when we went up we were surrounded in mist and a bit of snow so we weren't able to enjoy the views on the last part of the ridge, but we enjoyed it never the less.
Later, Alan and Ken went up a gully on the north face of Parkhurst to be humbled by avalanches but they got to the top and returned safely.
The Egyptian cotton anoraks sure does date us.
Squamish Chief - Exasperator
Location of the Squamish Chief
During the 70s we did a lot of crack cleaning, moss throwing and exploring, but there was still a lot of clean rock. Here Garvin Morris leads a pitch on wonderful Squamish granite low on the Chief. No lycra, no chalk.
Note his hair style ;-)
This picture is taken on the Apron going above the usual end of Banana Peel and Slab Alley.
Oh yes, this was the age of EBs and painter's pants. Lycra? What's that?
Squamish Little Smoke Bluffs
Location of the Little Smoke Bluffs
We spent many weekends in the bluffs just north of the hospital cleaning cracks and learning how to place protection. Here Nick Didlick is aiding one of the many small bluffs. If you look closely, you can pick out his trademark railway engineers hat.
For those of us who have not kept up with Nick, check out his web site:
http://www.nickdidlick.com/
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