Oct 5th and 6th, 2019
Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8KLnhDh6YA63m9Ru5
On Oct 5th a group of 20 VOCers headed up to Manning Park in search of golden larches. After a few hours of hiking up to Frosty Camp and setting up camp in the snow, we set off with daypacks to find the larches. Just above camp there were meadows of beautiful trees. After strolling through the larches for about an hour admiring their colour, we realized that we were fairly close to the summit of Mount Frosty. After some debate we decided to head up the peak. Although views were somewhat obscured by the clouds we could still see gorgeous mountains freshly covered in snow all around us. In camp we met up with a number of older VOC members who had also come up in search of the larches. The evening was fairly cold with temperatures getting down to -5 Celsius. The next morning we got up slowly and began the hike down. Many still had the energy for a quick hike around Lightning Lakes before driving back to Vancouver.
Here are some thoughts/memories from people on the trip (for 13 of the 20 people on the trip it was their first VOC trip ever):
“This was my first backpacking trip with the VOC and it didn’t disappoint! It was definitely more winter camping than expected but we survived the cold temperatures doing the can can, debating about hand clapping games and for 1 special individual pretending to be a larch…with some success!
“My first trip with the VOC, but what an amazing one! I really enjoyed the vibe of the group and how everyone stood together to make the experience as wonderful as it was. The stunning views and the great people I’ve met made definitely up for the freezing night.” – Robert Spiess
“ This was my first VOC trip after getting knee surgery back in March and I could not have imagined a better group of people or a more beautiful location. I had not been to Mount Frosty before but was pleasantly surprised by how majestic it looked covered in a light dusting of snow. The larches were spectacularly golden!” – Cassandra Elphinstone
Thanks, Cassandra, for making this trip happen. It sounds like what we used to do, lots of beginner friendly stuff, people learning things, and not just one carload of friends.