I am very lucky to have some amazing people I can consider family, and was thrilled to share an outstanding outdoor experience with one of them this weekend.

It was while hiking around Buntzen in August with Kim, that I heard that going backpacking was on her bucket list. Seeing as her B-day was coming up shortly, a plan quickly formed in my mind...,“Sure, I can make that happen.”

Mt. Cheam came up at the top of my list due to it's great pain to pay-off ratio, and our free schedules finally overlapped to get up there this past weekend.

An early afternoon start was in order, which allowed us a coveted parking spot, but also coincided with the changing of the weather from sun to cloud. Still, Kim was impressed with the locale and bounded merrily ahead on the trail, making me wish I'd put more in her pack. []
Fall was definitely advancing on the lower slopes- some of the blueberry bushes were already turning colour and looked as if they hadn't even had the chance to bear fruit this year.



As we headed up towards the saddle, people kept stopping us to ask if and where we were camping, then wishing us well. Looking west, I could see the rain clouds heading our way, so we quickly set up camp, being sure to stake out the tent well in the wind.

As we went up, Kim informed me that climbing a mountain was also on her bucket list- Woo Hoo, a two-for-one deal! Onwards and upwards we went, Kim persevering despite getting stung by a bee on the trail. The gusts got stronger as we pushed on, until we were standing on the summit, feeling like we'd be blown right off! The sweeping views were much appreciated: from the rosy hued horizon, to the fast-approaching showers in the middle, even two pockets of sun illuminating some lucky souls down in Chilliwack. Some photo-ops and we were on our way, playing Where's Waldo with our unobtrusive green tent.



As we neared our camp, a man wandered over to tell us that he and his party weren't sure if they should tell us- but they'd seen some bears nearby. I thanked him and reassured him that we had taken the necessary precautions. Kim added two checks to the bucket-list kept handy on her phone, then a hearty Sidekicks supper was prepared and consumed by the shallow, silty remains of the lake. Just as I was boiling the water for some much-deserved hot chocolate, the rain started in earnest and we sought refuge as we sequestered ourselves in the tent. Fortunately, I had brought cards and after relaxing a bit, we passed the time by playing every card game we could think of. Some probably didn't follow the actual rules too closely, but it didn't really matter to us. (btw, don't ever challenge Kim to a game of Concentration- that girl has a wicked working memory! [^] )



The rain had tapered off, but the wind remained, at times throughout the night sounding like a freight train and shaking the tent ferociously. I wondered if all those kindly folks we had talked to in the day were wondering how us girls were fairing in the storm. In the early morning the rain returned with a vengeance: it's sound more akin to the rinse-cycle in a car wash.

When it was time to get up, mist changed to cloud and we packed up and started the return journey to the truck. It was a bit chilly and Kim found her mitts useful to warm a cold nose. On the way we passed three boys and their dads, up for their first time. One dad was quite thrilled that he had gotten his Hummer off pavement for an adventure. After pointing them in the right direction, we enjoyed the bits of warmth that were burning through the mostly overcast skies.



We were greeted by an unusually empty parking lot, then bounced down the road, counting the waterbars for fun (82, in case you were wondering ) Lower down we came across many bits of alder that had broken off in the storm. Some blocked most of the road, but I could see that the Hummer guys had broken some branches off so you could sneak by in the ditch. Kim and I jumped out and cleaned it up a bit more before heading on. I'd noticed that someone had removed the rocks marking the one especially deep waterbar, # 53 from the bottom, by our calculations- too bad, because it's a doozy. [:0]



All too soon we were off the FSR and heading back towards home. What a great trip! You did awesome, Kim; I'd love to share another backpack with you some time!

Good for you both, to enjoy the mountain and the storm. An adventure no doubt you fondly recall latter times ahead.

K

Nice, glad it worked out for you. We were thinking about you as we were heading up to Yale for our paddle trip. Glad you didn't get blown off the mountain!

Cheers!

I think Kim gets bonus points for camping in a rainstorm.

[8D]trip.

Glad you guys managed to squeak this trip in this year!

I don't mind hiking in the rain but not camping.

Thanks everyone!
Kim says she wants to backpack again- just in the spring or summer next time.