Here’s a picture of Marian, Jan, my wife Karalee and I which I published on my own web site:
 
http://www.davidgreer.ca/family/pictures/2008blackmountain/
 
Cheers,
 
David

Jan Rea, (Razzu knows Jan from our Annapurna trek), David Greer (who I sailed from Turkey to Spain with on David’s boat in 2004) and his wife and youngest son Allen and I hiked up Black Moutain early today well before the weekend crowds and were rewarded with spectacular views of the Coast Mountain Range as well as Vancouver Island and the city itself.  Jan was our leader and got us onto a little used winter trail which we had to bushwhack to get onto but once on it we were pretty much on our own as it appears that few people know about the route. Cypress Bowl where we started from, is one of the 2008 Winter Olympic ski sites and there is much construction going on. Once on Black Mountain, we hiked a few more minutes to Cabin lake where we shared our lunch with two large and rather majestic ravens. Jan had brought a couple of travel towels but said that since she and Mary had swum in the alpine lake on our last hike there 3 weeks ago that it was my turn. I found a  secluded spot around a corner and made the decision to go for it. I dived in rather than prolong the agony and have to say that ït quite literally took my breath away. I did a quick swim out into the lake to make sure that my companions knew that I really had got in but was soon out drying off and warming up. I was numb! We had a good hike down though this time we used the much travelled summer trail and were happy to see that we had beat the crowds as there were proably hundreds heading up as we hit the parking lot. What a great day with wonderful companions and it inspired me to think positive thoughts about the upcoming trek in Nepal. in just a little over 2 weeks we will start that amazing journey. I hope you are all as excited as I am!      

Carol and Duffy Russell traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado on August 8-11 to make a dress rehearsal with their new equipment.  Looking at all the possibilities, the best test for the Everest Base Camp trek was to cash in some frequent flyer miles and head for America’s Mountain – Pike’s Peak.  Pioneers made Pike’s Peak the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush to Colorado with the slogan “Pike’s Peak or Bust.”  Read the rest of this entry »