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Add Elfin Lakes trop report

Joseph Weston authored on 31/07/2021 22:50:13
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+---
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+title: Elfin Lakes (Gargoyles + Opal Cone)
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+date: 2021-07-26
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+tags:
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+  - mountains
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+  - hiking
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+featuredImage: gallery/10-opal-cone-2-cropped.jpg
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+---
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+
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+Recently Carolina and I spent a couple of nights at Elfin Lakes campground doing some of the local (half) day hikes.
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+My start at Microsoft had been delayed and Carolina had taken a week of work, so we wanted to profit from the fantastic weather.
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+
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+Our journey started off with a bit of excitement: negotiating 16km of unsurfaced logging road in our Mazda 3!
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+I had initially thought we could average about 30 km/h on this road, but in the end we managed less than 20 km/h
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+on account of the potholes and loose surface.
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+
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+{{<figure src=gallery/01-ready-to-go.jpg caption="Mazda after the logging road">}}
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+
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+We hiked up to the campground early in the afternoon and set up the tent, intending to continue on to Diamond Head afterwards.
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+In the end we only left the trailhead at midday, and started off towards Diamond Head from Elfin Lakes at around 15h30, so were
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+already not optimistic about our ability to get back to camp in good time before sunset.
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+
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+{{<figure src=gallery/03-elfin-lakes.jpg caption="Arriving at Elfin Lakes">}}
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+
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+Arriving at the col below the Gargoyles we saw a good 1h30 - 2h of trail sweeping away before us up to Diamond Head,
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+and the impressive mass of Atwell peak rearing up behind (a future project perhaps?).
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+Given the late hour we decided to shift our objective and finish up the last 200m to the summit of the Gargoyles instead
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+of continuing on.
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+
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+{{<figure src=gallery/04-atwell-peak.jpg caption="Atwell peak from the summit of the Gargoyles, Diamond Head in front.">}}
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+
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+After a few photos at the top we were soon on our way back down the trail in the late afternoon sun.
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+After a dinner of couscous and lentils accompanied with cheese, crackers, and salami we headed for bed at around 22h.
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+
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+The objective for the next day was the Opal Cone, an extinct volcano with fantastic views over the neighboring ranges and an azure blue lake.
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+We decided to leave in good time in order to complete the majority of the hike before the sun was beating down too hard.
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+The first section was straightforward, although the second third (after crossing Ring Creek) was a slog up scree that required neogiating a section of trail that had been washed out due to rockfall.
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+
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+{{<figure src=gallery/07-towards-opal-cone.jpg caption="Just after crossing Ring Creek, before the scree">}}
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+
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+The online topos (as well as our paper copy of the 92 G/15 map sheet) indicated that the trail to the top of the cone was up the SW slope,
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+however when we arrived at this point we could see only grass slopes and no obvious trail.
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+A person returning from Mamquam Lakes had told us that there was a post further along the trail marking an ascent (at around 1550m, seen easily on the GPX trace), so we carried on round and attacked via the SE slope.
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+We started along a well-marked trail along a narrow ridge with great views on lakes under the Lava Glacier.
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+At around 1600m there is a technical step up steep terrain (easily viewable on the GPX trace) that can be most easily passed to
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+climber's left where the shrubs form natural steps up the slope.
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+The path to the right is more eroded (and much more exposed).
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+The trail once again becomes clear after this step and continues on through the boulder fields on the crater rim.
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+
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+The views from the top were quite phenomenal (see below), and after enjoying a sandwich lunch we were ready for the descent.
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+
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+{{<figure src=gallery/10-opal-cone-2.jpg caption="View from the top of the Opal Cone, azure lakes visible below the Lava Glacier">}}
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+
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+The descent passed uneventfully, and we spent the afternoon sunning ourselves at the Elfin Lakes before enjoying a dinner of mashed potato and sausages.
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+
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+The final day, all that remained was to hike back to the car and steel ourselves for the descent on the logging road.
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+
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+All in all this was a very pleasant trip; I am looking forward to coming back here on skis in the winter, and checking out some topos for tackling Atwell peak someday.
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