Day 2 - Welcome back!

Start Time: 7:30 am
End Time: 6:15 pm
Start Mileage: 2473 (Lake Valhalla)
End Mileage: 2485.80
Distance Walked: 12.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 3117 feet
Descent: 3110 feet

We were up at around 5:45 am but by the time we broke camp and hit the trail it was already 7:30 am. The weather forecast was favourable and called for a mix of cloud and sun, so we were quite pleased there was no rain in the forecast. We set off and enjoyed a pleasurable stroll uphill, but it was nothing strenuous and we were moving along at a decent pace. Before leaving, we only had time for coffee and decided to try and get a couple of miles in before breakfast. We really didn’t fancy hanging around to get eaten by the mosquitoes that had returned with a vengeance.

By 9:00 am we found a good breakfast spot and noticed we had already walked just under 2 miles, most of it uphill. So we were quite pleased with our progress. We only stopped for 30 minutes or so, as we had a lot of miles we needed to walk.

Eventually our uphill trail turned into a downhill trek and we soon encountered the first of several blowdowns that we had to get by. Earlier, during breakfast, several hikers came by and, as is the custom, you chat for several minutes and try and get intel on the trail conditions you are likely to encounter. One of the guys said that one fellow had to get helicoptered out as he had a nasty gash in his thigh that occurred as he was trying to navigate a blowdown. Apparently it was quite deep and I’m hoping he’s ok and makes a full recovery.

After getting past our third or fourth blowdown we came across a couple of technicians who were out trying to make the trail more manageable. We all thanked them for the great work they do and then carried on our way. The trail was becoming more gnarly, and very difficult to manoeuvre, but at least we were moving up. As we still hadn’t reached the halfway point of today’s walk, we decided to aim for a campground that was 4 miles away and put us on track.

We were aiming for Grizzly Mountain and after lunch we had a big climb ahead. It was a gruelling afternoon and we hadn’t acquired our climbing legs as yet. Up and up the trail went, but we stuck to the task and eventually reached the summit and started the climb down. Sometimes going down can be just as difficult as going up, but we stuck at it and our next goal came into view, which was Pear Lake. We had a very interesting dilemma as the climb down was matched by a climb up of equal distance, which was 1.2 miles. As is always the case, the last climb of the day is very much the hardest, as you are tired and just want to get into camp and get your tents set up and dinner on the go.

My meal tonight, courtesy of Briden Solutions, was Refuel Chicken Teriyaki and Rice, which called for 1 3/4 cups of water. After last night's debacle, when I used too much water, tonight’s dinner was perfect. I used just the one cup of water and the result was delicious and one I would highly recommend. The tastes and textures were superb.

Well, it’s coming up for 9:30 pm, and we have a big day coming up tomorrow when we are going to attempt a 14 miler. So it’s time for bed. Good night.