Having left the Bugaboos early due to bad weather, Nick seemed to have a hole in his heart where the summit of South Howser Tower should have been. It was unsurprising that his unfaltering summit lust was replaced by another massive objective on our way South: The North Ridge of Mount Stuart, in Washington State.
And thus began the Choss Boys biggest epic to date.
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On their way South from Canada, the Choss Boys stopped in Washington to sample the granite wonders around Leavenworth. Below are photos from three days of fun climbing in the craggy hillsides.
4 AM again. True to the Chossboys style, Daniel and I (Nick) had attempted to climb the Northeast ridge of Bugaboo Spire the previous Wednesday, but instead got hopelessly lost. After four hours of scrambling up steep, dangerously loose choss in complete darkness, the sunrise revealed how far we were from the climb. Using bail gear left by equally disoriented climbers, we retreated back to camp and made damn sure to scout the proper way for next time.
So there we were, this time following the true approach. The night was quiet and still. A clear sky and soft breeze filtered in from the North and kept us shivering well into our hike. As if to spite our reconnaissance efforts, cosmic forces cast our approach in the beautiful, bright light of a full moon. In the dead of night, Daniel and I were preceded by our shadows all the way to the start of the climb: a softly illuminated right-facing slab. The very first people we met in the Bugaboos were two robust older men named Pat and Paul. Pat is 70 years old and Paul is 77. They started the long, grueling approach from the Bugaboo parking lot ahead of us and were resting 100 meters from the campground. Nick and I (Daniel), eager to arrive at the campsite, briefly and politely stopped to chat with the two obviously seasoned mountaineers. Although evidently winded by the steep hike, their beaming grins, deep satisfying breaths, and willing conversation revealed authentic appreciation for the scenery and tranquility of the mountains. Later that evening, they recounted stories of their rich climbing and mountaineering history. We became friends quickly.
Tuesday, August 16th, 2016Having considered an alpine start to the famously long Northeast Ridge of Bugaboo Spire, Daniel and I (Nick) were instead tempted by new friends into taking on a shorter and more leisurely objective: The West Ridge of Pigeon Spire.
Fully stocked up on non-perishables, Nick and Daniel have done all they can to prepare for the mountains Sunday, August 15, 2016From the Okanagan, we drove North-East through the mountain towns of Revelstoke, and Golden. Before making one final stock-up on gas and supplies, we finally arrived in Brisco, the turn off into the back-country.
Bugaboo Creek road is a 50km stretch of dirt leading through the valleys to the South-Eastern boundary of Bugaboo Provincial Park. Aside from simple descriptions online of the campgrounds and the climbs, neither Daniel, nor I (Nick) knew what to expect once we got there; it was a completely novel environment. Accordingly, excitement was heavily present during the drive in. Nick & Daniel's ExperienceJust as Squamish started to feel like home, time was nearing for Daniel and I (Nick) to leave. Our pals from Newfoundland had arrived a week prior, and the campground was full of familiar, smiling faces. Alas, we felt the mountains calling, so we planned one final big day on the Chief: The Grand Wall, the hardest climb we have attempted together thus far. July 28th, 2016
The trip is off to a great start - our first week in Squamish has been a blast. Here's what we've been up to.
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