27 August 2024
Blackcomb Gondola to Blackcomb Col
(5 miles, +1,800/-1,800 feet).

I’m visiting Whistler again for the first time in 6 years. And once again I am staying with my good friend Dan. But last time was winter, and this time it’s summer!

Or so I thought!

Dan, my good friend Chris, and I boarded the gondola this morning and almost immediately saw some wildlife.

When we got off the gondola, Dan and Chris went for a run and I started my hike.

And then it started to snow!

The snow was light and stopped pretty soon, but I was chilly and hiked in my raingear.

I took the Overlord Trail until an intersection that headed towards Blackcomb Lake.

I took a good break to think about what I wanted to do next. I originally thought I would just do the Overlord Trail today given the conditions. But it’s pretty manicured on these trails near the gondola, and I was itching for a bit of an adventure. So I decided to try for Blackcomb Peak via the Col on its eastern side.

At first I was able to find easy cross country on green ridges that led away from the lake.

But it eventually transitioned to a big field of talus.

I was encouraged by a break in the weather. The forecast called for clearing down below, so maybe here too?

But soon the mountain reclaimed the skies, sending another wave of snow.

I found some use trails on the high western side of the Col.

But soon the trails petered out and it was just endless talus that got larger and steeper as I neared the top of the Col.

It started snowing in earnest, making all the rocks slippery as it started to accumulate. When he terrain started to really get steep, I found a cairn that reassured me that I was on what at least one person thought was the best route.

I crossed paths with a pair of hikers who also had tried to climb Blackcomb Peak. The weather turned them back and they were headed down. We compared notes for a moment, and I decided to press on to the top of the Col and probably turn around there.

I was happy to head back down, but the continued snow worried me a bit. I tried to take my time, but I did take a pretty good spill once, bruising my shoulder and my ego at the same time.

I passed the other two hikers about half an hour later. They were in the low point of the Col, apparently unaware of the use trails up higher. I shouted down to let them know, and they climbed up behind me. But I got ahead of them and never saw them again after another 10 minutes or so.

Another half hour later and I was back at Blackcomb Lake.

The snow stayed with me about half of the way back to the gondola, but I was on very manicured trail at that point so it was easy walking.

Even though it was a short hike today I felt exhausted by the time I took my seat on the gondola. I decided to take the Peak to Peak Gondola over to Whistler Mountain to enjoy the scenery.

And then I took the Whistler Gondola back to town, where I joined Chris and Dan at The Fairmont Chateau for a well-earned round of beer and nachos!