Finally
Julie Andrews messed up! In her Sound of Music song, she forgot the line that included 'snow-covered trees' as one of her favourite things.
I've been dreaming, planning, drooling, thinking, wishing, dreaming, wanting, hoping to walk among them for quite some time. Sunday morning I did.
It didn't just fall into my lap. It had rained a few days before, washing off the snow on the North Shore mountains. So I questioned whether the trees above Red Heather Hut would have suffered the same fate.
Sunday forecast was clear and cold. 3 am in the morning I get up. It's cloudy. I fiddle around. Still cloudy. Internal battle, followed by me leaving the house at 4. Drive to the gas station for a hot chocolate and some fuel. At this hour they only have the clerk's window access open, so I don't bother and carry on. About 1/2 hour later I accept the obvious and have to turn back for gas - I don't have enough to make the mountain. Find a different gas station that's open, shortly followed by the discovery of my coat being left at home. Inside that coat is my wallet. And it's still cloudy.
I was able to put enough gas in after going through the car in search of loose bills and change. Back on the highway just before 5. If there are no clouds sunrise is shortly after 7:30 so time is getting short. Up to Squamish, turn right and head up Diamond Head access road. Pretty much snow free and very foggy. Park at 6, put on my headlamp and start walking. The higher and further I went, the more snow started to appear on trees and the clouds/fog disappeared. My happier steps also became quicker as colour started to appear in the sky.
Though wishing I had a zoom lens, I still very much enjoyed watching alpenglow on both the Tantalus Group across the valley, and Garibaldi.The pink colour painting from the summit downwards. By now I had rounded Paul's Ridge and decided to head up to the top where the tips of trees were turning golden.
I spent the next hour or so just wandering within their company. Surrounding me. Sure I noticed the far away peaks on all four sides of me but I was captured by the shadows and shapes. Big or small, I like them all. Welcome to my dream world.
Finally
Julie Andrews messed up! In her Sound of Music song, she forgot the line that included 'snow-covered trees' as one of her favourite things.
I've been dreaming, planning, drooling, thinking, wishing, dreaming, wanting, hoping to walk among them for quite some time. Sunday morning I did.
It didn't just fall into my lap. It had rained a few days before, washing off the snow on the North Shore mountains. So I questioned whether the trees above Red Heather Hut would have suffered the same fate.
Sunday forecast was clear and cold. 3 am in the morning I get up. It's cloudy. I fiddle around. Still cloudy. Internal battle, followed by me leaving the house at 4. Drive to the gas station for a hot chocolate and some fuel. At this hour they only have the clerk's window access open, so I don't bother and carry on. About 1/2 hour later I accept the obvious and have to turn back for gas - I don't have enough to make the mountain. Find a different gas station that's open, shortly followed by the discovery of my coat being left at home. Inside that coat is my wallet. And it's still cloudy.
I was able to put enough gas in after going through the car in search of loose bills and change. Back on the highway just before 5. If there are no clouds sunrise is shortly after 7:30 so time is getting short. Up to Squamish, turn right and head up Diamond Head access road. Pretty much snow free and very foggy. Park at 6, put on my headlamp and start walking. The higher and further I went, the more snow started to appear on trees and the clouds/fog disappeared. My happier steps also became quicker as colour started to appear in the sky.
Though wishing I had a zoom lens, I still very much enjoyed watching alpenglow on both the Tantalus Group across the valley, and Garibaldi.The pink colour painting from the summit downwards. By now I had rounded Paul's Ridge and decided to head up to the top where the tips of trees were turning golden.
I spent the next hour or so just wandering within their company. Surrounding me. Sure I noticed the far away peaks on all four sides of me but I was captured by the shadows and shapes. Big or small, I like them all. Welcome to my dream world.