Part I - Black Tusk

Three Iconic Hikes - One Day.... Part I - Black Tusk

• Black Tusk - 7,608 ft
• Distance Covered: ~30km
• Elevation Gain: approx. 5,000 ft
• Our Time: 5:13:00

Keith and I arrived in the Rubble Creek parking lot at about 6:15am... it was pitch black while we loaded our packs and got our headlamps adjusted. It was cold so we both opted for a light jackets/layers... (those stayed on for about 15 minutes then became extra, unnecessary weight... awesome.)

The hike starts out with a heavily forested section with switchbacks... the pitch doesn't look that steep but it all depends on your pace and ours felt fast to begin. (Thanks Keith!)

5 minutes in I was hurting... heart pounding, breathing heavy. I was worried that this "three peaks" idea was one of the worst I had ever come up with. Fortunately, my body settled in to the work and I started to feel much better before long... maybe just needed to wake up.

The sun was up at about the same time as we emerged from the forest onto a beautiful alpine meadow... things got flatter for a few kms and we were making great time. It was at about that time that we started to encounter snow and ice on the trail. It wasn't a big deal but we still had a long way to go and the presence of the white stuff was bound to slow us down a lot.

The snow was not part of our plan, but we handled it. It got a lot deeper as we climbed and became very challenging at times with my running leg which is the exact opposite of a snowshoe - it dives deep in the snow. It also has little to offer in the way of surface area so traction is sketchy on snow and ice.

For a while I was concerned the snow would make it impossible to reach the top, but once I realized we would get there I began to enjoy it... sure it was tough, but it made the last few sections so much more exciting. Looking back on the day and all three peaks, this was one of my very favourite parts.

Some video to give you an idea of the last few sections....

Our pace was WAY slower with the snow and therefore it felt pretty cold up near the top... by the time we got there we only wanted to stay long enough to snap a picture or two and head right back down.

The view of the lake and the surrounding mountains is pretty incredible. The pictures do a better job of depicting the alpine drama than my words.

Coming down was a blast! We started by snow running/skiing/slipping/falling down the top section. Then we ran the flat meadow section and almost all of the forest section. I'm not sure but we probably ran 12km or so on the way down to the parking lot.

This is an awesome day hike and I definitely want to go back and take it a little slower... enjoy the scenery and spend some time. I think allowing 7 or 8 hours would make a pretty great day with time to explore... we were rushing, and with the snow it took us 5:13. That put us ahead of our schedule by 45 minutes... that advantage would come in very handy by the time we found ourselves on The Lions watching the sun set!

Highlights: The peak in the snow - probably -3°c but sunny. Using Sharman's shirt to protect my bare leg and cut through the snow. Running down... we were fresh, feeling great and making good time.

More Photos:

Keith - and the other side of the Tusk

Myself - Tusk right behind me...

Keith - and the side we came up...

Video of us completing the Tusk...

TOMORROW: Part II - The Chief

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Black Tusk, The Chief, The Lions - Prologue

Sorry for the delay... It's been a busy week and I've been hurtin...

I've broken the report up so that each post remains brief-ish... Each post will profile one of the climbs as well as show some video and pictures. I hope you enjoy this mini-series. It was an awesome experience and a real test that I won't soon forget. I'll set the stage with today's post and deliver the goods next week. Cheers!

I am still coming down from the highs of Sunday...

It's true that my body is still in rough shape five days later - one leg sports nasty blisters that until today prevented me from wearing my prosthesis, the other a quadricep that has yet to let go of its grudge. It's ok, they'll come around and it was so very worth it.

The last time I was remotely this sore and damaged I had just finished my first marathon in Honolulu. On that occasion I cried when I crossed the line - tears of accomplishment - which are by far the best kind. I'm not a big crier, and I don't spend an inordinate amount of time reflecting on the loss of my leg, but finishing a marathon was a pretty symbolic moment for me, one I couldn't get through without a tear or two.

That feeling - when you know you have challenged yourself, truly risked failure, and have been forced to fight through difficult mental and physical obstacles to set a new mark for yourself - is why I wanted to do this.

Once I came up with the idea there were other motivators though... ego, for one.

To be the first.

Lord knows there are many who could do it faster, but maybe I could be the first! I realize some may find this a little unsavoury, but ultimately I'm human.... ok?

I needed a partner. Attributes I was looking for:

- more fit than me

- experience with all three peaks

- good planner

- not irritating

Keith Sharman fit the bill admirably and fortunately seemed as motivated by the challenge as I was. After several beers one night we set the date and "committed".

Throughout our planning I was never 100% sure I could complete the challenge. That was one of the most compelling parts. Considering the speed required, the technical aspects of the terrain with my leg, the distance, the elevation gain/loss... I truly wasn't sure I could do this and it made the plan VERY exciting. It is so rewarding to reach for the limits and find out they aren't as close as you might think... or maybe I'd find it and be humbled. Either way I would learn something about myself.

October is late in the year for an itinerary like this one. We were only blessed with 11.5 hours of daylight and Keith had predicted (quite accurately) that we would need to move fast AND start / finish in the dark.

We convened at my house at 5am on Sunday, loaded the van and headed north. The Rubble Creek parking lot and the trailhead for Black Tusk were a little over an hour away.

In the van:

- Meyrick

- Keith

- Cooler/Ice

- Sandwiches - 8

- Fruit

- Granola bars

- Lots more food - we didn't eat nearly all of it.

- Water (Tons)

- CarboPro 1200 (4 bottles)

- Gu gels (24)

- Coke (two half cans)

- Pedialyte (in case of severe dehydration)

- GPS

- Headlamps

- Hiking Poles

- Clothes - enough to change for each mountain (we didn't)

- Shoes - extras (neither of us changed)

- Socks - we both changed each time...

- Duct Tape, Vaseline and other necessities to keep my leg in one piece

- and a partridge in a pear tree...

Black Tusk, The Chief, The Lions ALL the video, ALL the pictures next week.

To be continued...

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Black Tusk, The Chief, The Lions - 14.5 hours

Last Sunday a friend and I climbed Black Tusk, The Chief and The Lions in one day. 50km and over 12,000 ft of elevation gain.

The idea came to me about a year ago and never really left... not like some of the other crazy ideas I have had.

The 14.5 hour odyssey was BY FAR the hardest thing I have ever done. I am trying to put it into words for you all but it is taking longer than I expected - partially because I am still recovering.

There will be a full report with tons of pictures and video very soon!

Here is a shot of Keith and I on top of The Lions - our third peak of the day. We still had to descend and 2 hours of that descent would take place in the dark.

Can't wait to tell you all about it.... sorry for the teaser!

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