Mt. Strachan, South Peak

Richard had wanted to do Strachan for some time so it was decided that we'd finally tackle one, maybe two peaks. The day started out with decent weather. Some cloud with routine sunny breaks. This would change later in our hike, but at the start, it felt like a great day for a hike.

From 2011-11-13 - Mt. Strachan South

The trail starts at the Cypress Ski Park parking lot. A quick check of the trails map board led us to the trail head on the Howe Sound Crest Trail which eventually leads to a ravine that is the work of the ascent. There was a lot of snow this time of year and the ravine was packed with ice and snow, broken up by streaming water and shallow crevices. The trail meandered through the tree line just on either side of the ravine.

From 2011-11-13 - Mt. Strachan South

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The freshly fallen snow was light and deep which made it difficult to trudge along in. We decided that it would be easier to follow the ravine straight up instead of following the trail. It was against our better judgement, not certain if the ravine acted as a funnel or an avalanche chute. Pictures don't do justice as the climb is very steep and quite a challenge. It was fun as we trudged along, stopping every now and again to catch our breath and appreciate the view that was to our backs for the majority of the ascent.

From 2011-11-13 - Mt. Strachan South

As we neared the pass between the two peaks, the snow started to fall and wind was quickly picking up. We decided to go to the South Peak first and then gauge our time and the conditions. As it happened, the weather got progressively worse and we weren't prepared for more than an afternoon in the mountains so we decided to cut our losses and head back early to avoid any unpleasant situations.

From 2011-11-13 - Mt. Strachan South

On the way down, we followed the same route straight down the ravine, carefully placing our feet as to not fall into any deep cracks in the snow and ice. It surely would be a make for a most unpleasant return while hobbling on a sprained ankle. The view that was to our backs on the ascent was now covered by clouds and snow. Still, it was a fun trip down, jumping from side to side and eventually getting back to the trail that returned to the parking lot.

From 2011-11-13 - Mt. Strachan South

It was disappointing to have missed out on the panoramic view from the North Peak but the weather would have made it all but impossible to see anything anyhow. In some ways, I'm glad to have a reason to go back, as I'm sure the scenery will be even more beautiful when we head back in the warmer months.