Archive:3Aug2013 alcoholic

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Alcoholic Traverse

Synopsis

You can find the message board Here

This trip can be found on the Trip Agenda Here

Note: some parts are copied from the 2009 Veenstra Traverse

Motivation

I did the Semi Alcoholic Traverse 2 years ago, and now I want to do the full one. It will be a 3 days traverse. So basically we will start at Brandywine meadows and summit Brandywine if the weather is good (where (legend has it, some railroad workers bet a bottle of Brandy against a bottle of Wine over the height of the nearby Brandywine Falls), then go around and sleep at the bottom of Mt Fee, and reach Brew Hut for the second night. So we need to bring tent for the first night (maybe for the second night as well if we somehow don't reach the hut). We need at least 2 cars since it is a traverse.

This trip is beginner friendly. However, you have to be reasonably fit (fit doesn't mean fast, I am myself not particularly fast... but you have to be able to hike for 10-12 hours a day), and previous backpacking/camping experience is highly desired. I don't have a lot of experience in navigation, so the route might be a bit longer than expected.

Other than normal gear for a hiking trip, we will need to bring an ice axe and a helmet. If you never used an ice axe, it is fine, I will teach you how to use it.

The first day should be around 1500m elevation gain and 10-15km of hiking. The second day will have around 500m of elevation gain (we will go up and down all day) and 10-15km of hiking. We have 2 choices for the third day (we can talk about it at the pre-trip meeting or decide on the day itself): or we simply go down from Brew hut, in which case it would be only 5km of hiking and elevation loss, or we go back on our feet and we summit Cypress, in which case it would be about 10-15km of hiking and about 1000m of elevation gain, so quite a long day (plus 2.6km of hiking on the logging road).

This google map is the route we will try to do (with the two options for the third day). Here is the Google map link where you can find the description of the trails/placemarks. <googlemap version="0.9" lat="50.072566" lon="-123.157082" width="700" height="500" scale="yes"> https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?authuser=0&vps=2&ie=UTF8&msa=0&output=nl&msid=217092430426380071756.0004e0bf0cc52ace18db3 </googlemap>

Dates

Trip: August 3-5th Early Saturday morning to Monday night, weather dependant.

Pre-trip meeting: Tuesday July 30st in the clubroom at 6pm. If you can't make it to the meeting let me know, and let me know if you have tent/stove, etc or get somebody to represent you at the meeting.

Getting There

All drivers please be heading over the Lions Gate Bridge with all passengers picked up at 6 am. Most cars will rendezvous at the Squamish Tim Hortons.

From there we'll drive together to the Brandywine Trailhead, to avoid getting lost. Note that we are not going to Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, although it is close by. From Squamish drive north on highway 99. Turn left off highway 99 at the Callaghan Valley road (exit should have big "snowmobile" sign, as well as signs for Whistler Olympic Park). From the Callaghan road take the first left, less than 1 kilometre up the road, past the Whistler recycling facility, continue past huge snowmobile parking lot and on to the old Brandywine main (you are now following the winter snowmobile trail). After about 4.5km ignore the Brandywine Meadows spur on the right (it is 4wd) then ignore the Brew spur on the left (775m elevation). At 920m elevation is a wide parking area (with toilet and info board) The last hill before the trailhead is reportedly a little bit rough, but still 2wd - you may need to lose some weight by making passengers walk a short distance, or park early. If parking early don't block the road. In case you were wondering, the trail intersects with the 4wd spur road higher up but it's not worth shuttling.

From there, people will be dropped off and 2 drivers will go at the Brew Hut trailhead for the car shuttle (find direction Here). Come back on highway 99. Turn right off highway 99 at the Chance Creek Forest Service Rd. Stay left at the first junction (you can't really turn right anyways since there is a barrier), and right at the second one. A bit after 6km there will be another junction (you can visualize it using google maps satellite) where you turn right (instead of going straight). The trailhead is about 1km from there. Apparently 2wd cars should stop and park there, but recently we were able to go further with such cars. There are a lot of new logging road everywhere, but from what I remember you stay left at the first junction (the right part goes down), and at some point you will go down and then up (the trailhead is right after). The last uphill part is very steep, we might want to park before it (of course if the 2wd can reach it).

Gear

Note: There will still be snow in the mountains.

Essentials

You might not survive without them!

• sunscreen
• sun glasses
• something to protect you from mosquitoes
• water bottle(s) (at least 2L, unless you know yourself)
• headlamp and batteries
• sun hat
• backpack
• whistle
• Toilet Paper
• Poo bags (freezer ziplocs are usually fine)
• Slightly tougher bag/container to put your full poo bags in

Probably worth it

• map
• compass
• pocket knife
• lighter and/or waterproof matches
• first aid kit
• bear spray

Clothing

• waterproof boots (stiff sole prefered)
• gaiters
• warm jacket (fleece or down)
• long underwear (top and bottom)
• toque, mitts/gloves
• weatherproof jacket (goretex or coated nylon or softshell/wool if sunny)
• weatherproof pants (goretex or coated nylon or softshell/wool if sunny)

Food

Don't bring really smelly food in the summer, it attracts bears. The general rule is 1kg of dry food per day is plenty (usually this is 200g breakfast, 500g lunch, 300g dinner. If you're food comes with water-weight included [it's not dehydrated] then you'll need more).

• Lunch and snacks x3
• Breakfast x2
• Dinner x2 (shared with your food group)

Sleeping

• sleeping bag (somewhere around -3C to 0C bag should do)
• sleeping pad (we might tent on snow)
• ear plugs, because somebody will snore (optional)

Shared stuff:

• tent (or space in someone else's!)

Cooking and Eating

You need these all to yourself:

• Toothbrush
• bowl, spoon

These things you can share with a friend:

• stove + fuel + fire
• pot and matching pot gripper
• somewhere bear-proof to store your food
• water treatment

Other

The clubroom has all this stuff, you can borrow it!

• Helmets (there are a lot of us, and we'll really try not to hit each other with rocks, but with a group this size helmets are a good idea)
• Ice Axe
• Ski poles (when walking on snow they are really useful for keeping your balance)

On the trip

Coming people

1. Marie-Eve
2. Amir
3. Ross
4. Babak
5. Levi
6. Ben
7. Henry
8. Sam
9. Magda
10. Giulia
11. Sherry
12. Cora
13. Lia
14. Daan

Tent/stove/food groups

Group 1

1. Marie-Eve (2-person tent, stove)
2. Amir

Group 2

1. Cora (2-person tent, stove)
2. Sherry

Group 3

1. Ross (2-person tent, stove)
2. Babak

Group 4

1. Ben(2-person tent , stove)
2. Levi

Group 5

1. Henry (2-person tent , stove)
2. Daan

Group 6

1. Magda (2-person tent , stove)
2. Giulia

Group 7

1. Sam (2-person tent)
2. Lia (stove)

Cars

Skaienmobile (can drive 5)

1. Cora
2. Ross
3. Daan
4. Babak
5. Giulia

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (can drive 4 (or 5 if we swap gears in Cora's car))

1. Levi
2. Marie-Eve
3. Amir
4. Magda

henrys (can drive 5 (or 7 if we swap gears in Cora's car))

1. Henry
2. Ben
3. Sam
4. Sherry
5. Lia