Augerpoint Trail Backpack

August 7th to 9th, 2011

I started up Jack’s Augerpoint Trail again and hope to spend more time in the alpine. The trail hardly sees any hikers since the route up is steep with considerable elevation gain. This time I was carrying 33.5 lbs of gear with enough food to last 3 to 4 days. I started my long ascent through the forest at 6 am and made it to the lake in 90 minutes. I hardly stopped for a rest break; just to drink then I was off again. I reached the dreaded rockslide with its unstable surface. The switchbacks are tight and very steep. Higher up, the rocks are gravel and loose which makes forward progress tough going. I managed to reach the alpine tarns and informal camping area in 3 hours. The sun was out but the breeze was a bit chilly. I noticed a thin layer of ice on the water and snow remains in the forest and on the slopes but is melting fast. I continued onward walking on snow but I found it very slippery and icy so I turned back and rested at the small lake until the sun swung around and warmed up the snow for better traction. There was no way I can make it up a steep snow slope without risk of slipping. Most people would camp here for the day and I even thought about it but I had enough energy to make it to the ridge top where the views would be better.

I ate my lunch and filtered some water. The MSR water filter which I had bought recently is not the greatest. I had a Katadyn Pro but somehow lost it. The MSR has a slower output and takes a lot more pumping to fill up a water bottle. Often times, the water flows to a trickle and it gets frustrating taking the filter apart and cleaning the ceramic element which looks clean already so I don’t know what the problem is.

Once the sun had worked on the hard snow surface I headed up the slope at 11 am. The snow is softer allowing me to dig my foot in for a better grip. I traversed across the avalanche slope as denoted by small trees snapped in half and branches strewn everywhere. The path I am taking is not the official trail as it is under a lot of snow and I am not familiar of its location since I have never hiked this trail when it is clear. So, I am making my own way to the ridge and basically following the same path as my last hike. Some snow has melted in places changing the appearance of the landscape and this I found somewhat confusing. Ahead, I had a steep snow slope to contend with; this goes up and around the lower part of the mountain then it is just a matter of contouring around it. There was another long steep snow slope ahead before I topped out onto the snow free ridge. The hike up from the roadway had taken 4 hours with an elevation gain of close to 4000 feet. I found only two flat level spots big enough to pitch a tent with the added bonus of a small tarn for drinking water 10 feet away.

 My camp on the ridge

There was a grove of trees at the head of the tarn but not suitable for hanging food. This would be a challenge as the trees are stunted and sparsely populated. I thought about dangling my food bag over the cliff but the approach made me a bit uncomfortable since it was downhill and rocky. The uneven ground had caused me to stumble a few times. The rocks here are jagged, rounded and sharp. It is easy to cut yourself.

My legs felt tired but I wasn’t exhausted. I spent the time clearing the ground of small sharp rocks before laying the plastic ground sheet then my tent. Since my tent is free standing it doesn’t require stakes but I always like a few pegs to secure the tent as a strong wind can blow it away. The ground was hard and rocky so I only got several stakes in. I improvised by using large rocks as anchors.

Clouds started drifting in from the southwest and I wasn’t sure it if was going to sprinkle. At least it provided relief from the blazing sun which made me seek shade behind the grove of small trees.

I headed down along the ridge to a small tarn being fed by a large snowfield. I filtered my water here because it was cold. The body of water near my camp gets warm from the sun and cold water is more refreshing. There wasn’t any shade here and the heat was stifling hot. I wished the clouds would cover the sun; it was becoming unbearable. The wind was cool but for the most part the day was calm. I kept my eye on the billowy clouds drifting by as I ate dinner. A few pesky mosquitoes and abundant blackflies were a nuisance.

I walked around looking for a place to secure my food bag and found a spot in a small shaded gully filled with snow. There was a branch sticking out at a good height so I tied up my food bag. The bonus is that the shade will keep my food cool. The only drawback is that the place is downhill from where I am camping.

 Hanging my food bag

The biting insects came out when the sun started going down and the air cooled. I stayed out till 9 pm waiting for a good sunset which didn’t come. There was too much cloud in the sky but I did manage to get some photos of mountain light.

 Landscape of colorful rocks

 Sunset over the mountains across Buttle Lake

 

When the sun went down it was chilly out but inside the tent was warmer even though I had the tent flaps open. The entrance to my tent was facing the mountains and I saw a bright half moon in the sky. It was so quiet here that the only sound I heard was water falling in the distance and my watch ticking.

I always find it hard to sleep without a good pillow and a restrictive sleeping bag. The only thing I hoped for was morning. It was a clear night with hundreds of stars. When morning came, the horizon in the distance overlooking the ocean was orange at 5 am. I got out at 5:30 am hoping for a good sunrise but unfortunately, the mountains in front is not in the right position for the sun to hit. 

 Sun turning the clouds pink

 

The blackflies were out as I was filtering water. Once that was done, I headed down the ridge to retrieve my food bag. A lot of snow has melted and left pools of water here and there and once in a while I come across a flat area which looks good to camp. I also find firepits made from stones by other hikers. These are illegal as backcountry fires are prohibited.

I picked up parts of the trail/path as more snow has melted but a lot of it is still under a blanket of snow the further I trudged closer to the snowy mountains. 

 I am heading across the ridge and down to the base of the mountain peaks poking above

 

After heading up an icy snow covered slope, I got views of the land below the base of the mountain peaks. I was kind of hesitant to continue as it was downhill which meant I would later be heading back uphill and my legs already feel tired but I would take it slowly. I chose the path of least resistance and avoided the bush and trees. There was a bit of minor scrambling down the rocky slope and in places I stuck to the snow patches for easier walking. Once I was down I peered over the cliff and saw Shark Lake below with a thin layer of melting ice. 

 (Jack) Shark Lake below

 

I wanted to see if I can get down there so I scrambled down the rocks until I came to a steep snow slope. It appears as if someone had been here as I see footsteps in the snow but when I reached the prints, I saw they were elk. The way down looked a bit risky so I decided against it. I spent the time wandering around and headed over to a half frozen tarn where I filtered more water and had my lunch. Clouds were forming again and drifting in which seems to be the pattern during the day. At least it provided some interesting lighting.

 It looks like winter up here

 

When it came time to head back up the slope, I took it easy but I explored around here and there finding many size pools of water and possible camping areas. When the clouds covered the sun the breeze was a bit chilly but when the sun was out, the heat was unbearable. I headed back to the tarn where I had cooked dinner. 

 All that walking makes me hungry

 

The freeze dried vegetables soften in water without cooking but the Uncle Ben’s pre-cooked rice does take some heat to soften therefore I end up eating hot food under a hot sun.

Once again, I waited around for a chance to photograph sunset but there was too much clouds. The lighting on the mountains was nice with the sun peeking through the clouds. 

 Evening light on the mountains

 

The blackflies were out again so I went inside the tent at 9 pm but then I heard something outside vocalizing. I wasn’t sure what it was so I peeked out the side window of the tent and saw the shape of a ptarmigan about 20 feet away. This was very surprising since the white-tailed ptarmigan are very few in numbers and are on the “blue list” of species. This means that they are at risk and vulnerable to decline. I got out and saw a baby chick and mother. 

 Can you spot the two ptarmigans?

 

When I approached they started scurrying away. Although they can fly, they seem to run instead. I followed for a few minutes taking photos. Their plumage blended in well with the rocky landscape. I left them alone and headed back to my tent.

It was another restless night with clear sky and a bit chilly but not freezing. There was a lot of condensation on the tent walls which caused water to drip down inside the tent.

I got out at 5:30 am again. A few blackflies came around. I headed down the slope to get my food bag and explored around again. Some of the small tarns had a thin layer of ice on them but there was no frost anywhere. I managed to get some pretty decent photos before the sun came up too high and caused a lot of contrast. Buttle Lake below had a thick layer of cloud covering the entire lake from north to south. It felt nice to be above the clouds and in the sun. 

 Alpine tarn and morning sun

 I am camped 1/2 way up the mountain

 

I hung around close to 12 noon before making my way back to my tent. The sun had dried the tent so I was ready to pack up. It was hard to tell if my pack was lighter as it didn’t feel like it although my food bag was smaller. It was so nice here that it was hard to leave. There was no one around except for the ptarmigans I only saw deer and elk prints in the snow. I didn’t see any cougar prints and I think the bears are all in the forest and valley below.

I had to survey the scene and plan out my route back around the mountain. I was off a bit and too high up the slope. I did come across a nice waterfall and creek where I cooled down before continuing on. I headed down a bit before continuing north and came across my flagging tape. It was time to head down the steep snow slope but it looked steeper than a couple days ago. The sun had melted the snow and caused it to form a steep angle which looked to be about 50 to 60 degrees. It was too steep so I looked for a way to bypass this by down climbing the jagged rocks beside the snow slope. With a heavy pack and tired legs this is not easy but I managed to slowly make my way down until I was past the worst of the steep snow slope then it was an easy walk down to the alpine lake. I had some time to pass still so I headed over to the other lake that I saw from high above. There is a nice creek with views over Buttle Lake. I filtered water here and cooled down in the cold water before heading back down the trail. For some reason, going down seems longer than heading up. I just kept wondering when it will end. My legs were tired and knees aching. I stopped several times to rest. It seemed to take forever and I was getting bored and impatient. Two hours heading down doesn’t seem long but when you’re tired, it’s an eternity.

Back down at the trailhead, there are ‘sighting’ cards for ‘Alpine Hikers Only’. This card entitled “Where are the White Tailed Ptarmigan on Vancouver Island?” allows you to record your sighting and mail it in to the researcher at the University of BC as they depend on hikers to study their population. 

 Taking life easy. Evening shot.

 

With the forecast of bad weather approaching this weekend, I rested for 1 day then headed out to Forbidden Plateau for a 16 km hike. Right now I don’t have much time to type a report.