Nov. 29, 2023 - our backyard
Stats: 17.75 km / 847m gain / 618m high / 6 hours MT
This is a traditional hike that we host bi-annually, starting from our very own backyard.
The trails are on private property but the FSRs are not.
We now own four parcels of land here, totalling 75 acres of which 50 are up on the mountain itself.
The first hour we crossed the back fields and then climbed up the Lucky trail (named after our neighbour who created it). From there it was FSR walking to what we call, "Old Baldy". This stretch of road till the upper junction, is blocked off from Majuba Hill. The damage done by the atmospheric rivers two years prior, remains untouched.
After a junction to the road coming up from the Cultus Lake side, we stayed right and turned right again at this farm that is privately owned.
Columbia Valley with International Ridge & Mt. Amadis and Mt. Baker.
An easy to miss moss covered rocky hump on the left side of the overgrown-by-alders FSR, gave us good views of Columbia Valley. If you dropped down a little farther on the open mossy area, you'd get this view of the Cheam Range to the east and the north end of Cultus Lake.
Group shot left to right, back row: Denise D, Gary B, Paul L, Peter F, Case T, Bote M, Ingrid F, Annette Weber (newbie)
Front: Irene H, Terry B, Brigette G, Leora Polsom, Sue Hay, Susan V, Cathy U & Ziff.
At our destination, overlooking Sumas Prairie -- west to north.
You could see the ocean in the distance and low lying fog above Matsqui & Mission.
Headed back.
Back at the junction, we turned right for a quick look at the two frozen ponds.
Ziff found two pigs in a pen in the ol' barn. They were quite eager to see us, poking their snouts through the wire and making loud piggy noises.
The habit is that almost every Sunday members of our family either hike or 4x4 up here, make a fire, have a social and then head back. Helgi used to live there. Now he lives on our property, as age has crept up on him and accessability in the winter can be hampered by snow.
Back on the Lucky Trail.
Pic 2) The steepest part of the Lucky Trail.
Instead of turning right onto the trail that we'd come up on, we stayed left and then left again on the old wagon road. Our son built this swing.
We hiked to the remains of the tree fort, the crazy-high swing and the shelter, built by our son, Corwin. He had to dismantle the swing when our neighbor stated that it was on his property. They'd spent over a hundred hours trimming trees and setting up cables from about 100' up three trees. Then you'd put a harness on, attached to a very long rope on a pulley, with another rope attached to the harness with a carabiner and they'd crank you up there. When you detached the carabiner, you'd go flying!
Our landscaper and arborist son says this is the largest Douglas Fir in the Fraser Valley. He says its 245' (74.7m) high and 8.23m in diameter. How does he know? He climbed the tree, of course.
You had put some "umph" into it, to bushwack to the Big One. But it was short-lived, and worth it.
To return via the fastest route, we walked the train tracks back to my house (3:00ish). Three concerned voices piped up from behind me, asking when the train came. I reassured them that it was, "Only twice a day. At 5:00pm & 11:00pm."
Most of the hikers stayed afterwards for coffee, tea and pumpkin-pecan or carrot cake.
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