Hiking with Dan and Phil

Last Tuesday I took a wonderful hike on Mount Baker with my good friend Dan. It has actually become a tradition with us -- each year we take a hike together for two or three days. This was our third year and certainly one of our best hikes.

I have known Dan since we were 18. We were hippies in Vancouver for a year, and then our paths parted for about 30 years. Sadly, Dan became an alcoholic for many years and suffered a lot. But then he became a Christian and stopped drinking and went back to school and earned a Masters degree! Pretty smart guy.

Now he is married and has a daughter and lives in Vancouver, where he is an addictions counsellor -- he helps people who have problems with drugs and alcohol. He has a lot of empathy -- a big heart -- because he has experienced those problems himself.

Anyway, Dan and I both like to hike, so each year we go somewhere different. We enjoy the peace of the mountains, far away from our busy modern lives. No computers, no pollution, and no cell phones.

In 2006 we hiked up into Garibaldi Park, on the way to Whistler. We camped there overnight and then spent the next day hiking up a mountain overlooking Garibaldi Lake. Wow! Double wow! That is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen.

Some of the Alpine meadows in beautiful Garibaldi Provincial Park

We climbed to the top of a mountain overlooking Garibaldi Lake. Isn't it gorgeous? Mount Garibaldi is behind the lake, covered in snow.

I am standing in front of the Black Tusk, a famous mountain in Garibaldi Park. It is very difficult to climb.

On the way down the mountain, we skied on our boots on this snowfield. We went down the mountain very quickly!

In 2007 we went to Cathedral Provincial Park, on the U.S. - Canada border near the Okanagen. We camped for two nights in a campground that was quite high in the mountains -- about 2,000 metres. We spent the days taking some wonderful hikes and climbs.

Cathedral Provincial Park is about 2,000 metres high, so we got a ride up the mountain in this van thing. It was bumpy and dusty, and the narrow road was very windy and always up up up! But it was easier than climbing up!

One of the beautiful lakes we hiked around. Later in the day we climbed to the top of the mountain behind the lake

Dan hiking across the alpine meadow. There are no trees because we are above the tree line.

We met a friendly mountain goat. We were very polite!

Dan enjoying the beautiful view. We could see almost 100 kilometers.

We are looking down on the lake that we passed earlier

At our campsite, Dan made friends with a bird by feeding it.

One morning I got up at sunrise -- it was very cold -- to take a photograph of the lake as the sun came up.

Last week we took our 2008 hike. We decided to climb part way up Mount Baker, the big volcano just across the border. We were both quite busy, so we decided to only do a day hike -- no camping. Dan stayed the night at my apartment and the next day we left early. By 8 a.m. we were hiking and we climbed up the trail until about 10.30 a.m., when we reached the ice (glacier) and snowfields.

We are just getting to the beginning of the glacier and snowfields.

Stopping for a rest on the snowfield. Behind Dan you can see the top (summit) of Mount Baker

Dan is looking at the glacier, which is very dangerous to hike on.

The glaciers are dangerous, as they have crevasses (deep holes). The snowfields are safer, and so for the next three hours we climbed up the snowfields until we could go no further. Then we sat on some rocks and ate lunch and took photographs.

Dan seems to be thinking about something very serious!

Everything was beautiful! The wealther was sunny and warm, without a cloud in the sky. Actually, we were above the clouds! We could see a long way in every direction. Mount Baker is very majestic when you are close to it.

Dan is a small speck in this photo, which shows the glaciers and the summit of Mount Baker. What a glorious day!

Coming down the snowfields was fun, as we could almost ski on our boots. But it always hurts my knees! My knees hurt SO much, but I had to keep walking down down down the mountain to the car. I was VERY happy when I saw the car!

The next day my legs were sore and stiff, but I was already planning our hike for next year! Meanwhile I have to go to the gym and stay in good shape!