2022 - A Hiking Year in Review

What a year! I figure a little introspection is in order so here is a look back on my 2022 in terms of my favorite thing to do (Hike and climb).

This all started in December of 2021 when I really got the bug to start hiking more and doing more obscure peaks (referred to as Peakbagging) which made 2022 my first full year with this as my primary hobby and interest. Initially I wanted to start small so I set myself a goal of climbing all the peaks in Mission that are on Peakbagger. This was a fun goal because it wasn't too challenging physically but it got me out of my comfort zone and in to exploring off the beaten path, learning about the local topography more and even bush whacking at the end.

Typical view of the Mission Peaks I started my year with

I started by bagging the easy peaks in January / February and left the ones I was more apprehensive about (bushwhacking) for last. In the meanwhile I also did some other climbs but nothing too big. I really started to learn more about navigation using GPS and Gaia became my favorite app. At first I experimented using Sams Garmin but it was too bulky and crude for me so a GPS watch became high on my wishlist. By the end of March I had completed my goal except for maybe one peak that I did shortly later and I was very happy, yay!

Sam, Jebby and I at the top of Gloria Peak in May

Having Mt. Baker as a long-time goal I finally bit the bullet and took a crevasse rescue and glacier travel course that others had reccomended me as a necessary pre-requisite in April. The course was great, not only for what I learned but also for the fact that it put me in contact with like-minded people. Two of these people, Gabby and Todd, I would actually end up climbing Mt. Baker with later in the year (yay!) as well as a number of other peaks and I believe that we will climb many more peaks together in the future.

In May the big adventure was that Sam, Coen, Jebby and I took on the Juan de Fuca trail. We didn't quite make it, owing to the nasty muddy conditions, but we had a great time and I know we will be back to finish it soon. We also did a number of other local novel peaks that I enjoyed like Mt. Sumas (in Washington) and Mt. St. Benedict.

Picture from the JDF in May

Todd invited me to do a big mountain in June. I wanted to do Baker (of course) but he convinced me to try to climb Wedge Mountain in Whistler and I agreed. It was intimidating because it looked difficult but looking back it was a great experience. It taught me a lot about preparation (I need a better bag, crampons) and I got to try my new boots! We didn't make it but we did climb Mt. Parkhurst and I know I will be back to finish the job.

Climbing up Wedge Mountain

Come July I finally badgered enough people in to climb Mt. Baker. Yippee! It was awesome. I can't say it was super physically or technically or mentally difficult but it was a long time coming and I was so happy to finally climb it. This wasn't my favorite climb of the year but in terms of tick-list it definitely was.

Group shot top of Mt. Baker

August I did a few solo climbs that were fun, including (apparently) my biggest physical exertion day of the year where I solo climbed Mt. MacDonald and Mt. Webb. This was a good experience for me as I'm usually very hesitant in going solo and I felt I got out of my comfort zone a fair bit here. On Mt. McGuire I ran in to my first bear on a hike solo ever, this was scary and I pushed on which may have been a bit risky but once again pushed through the fear.

Mt. Webb from Mt. MacDonald

With September I thought the fall would come but of course I was wrong. I ended up climbing up Mt. Rexford with Todd and Igor which was amazing. I would consider this my first real scramble and I got the idea after seeing a post on Facebook. I learned that I am a lot more confident than I give myself credit for, especially with other people as I easily soloed up and down terrain that I had seen and read people roped up for and wasn't in fear whatsoever. After this trip I figured this would be the highlight of my year but I didn't know what would follow.

Smokey top of Mt. Rexford

Climbing the South Twin Sister in Washington with Gabby and Phil in October was 100% my favorite climb of the year. It was a huge 12 hour day, involved sustained considerable exposure on solid rock and the weather was fantastic. Plus to top it off we had an awesome bike down in the fading sunlight. It was extremely memorable and I really got to know Phil quite well (who is a stand out guy!). I really hope to return here in the summer (maybe with Coen and Sam).

Gnarly terrain on South Twin Sister

Finally my last real big scramble was Sky Pilot at the end of October. I went solo as I had wanted to go for a long time and I did it with snow on the ground, even at the cruxes which felt to me that I knew what I was doing. I nearly chickened out but I was bolstered by some strangers and we made it up and down with the help of my rope. This was a great way to cap off my summer / fall adventures.

Scrambling up the crux pink slabs of Sky Pilot

In November and December I didn't do too much. Things got busy with work, buying a condo and preparing for Christmas and our Mexico trip but I still got out a bit. I even managed to make a splitboard and go out for some rips on Zoa peak. I also took my AST-1 course just before Christmas.

Looking back on it this year was amazing and in January I had no idea I would have done what I have done. Goes to show you that consistently plodding along achieves amazing things. Just keep your head down and don't think too far ahead and focus on the here and now, thats my motto at the moment.

I'm struggling to think of a goal for 2023. I don't want to rush and commit to something I really don't care too much for but I will write some down just to look back on in 2024. I want to stay away from quantity goals like distance covered, elevation gained, peaks bagged etc. because while I think they're important I don't want them to be my focus. With that said two arbitrary goals that I think are certainly achievable are 1) to climb Mt. Assiniboine and 2) bag all the Cheam range peaks in the CRV. I have a lot of other goals but I don't necessarily feel the need to write them down. I just hope that come 2024 I am as happy at my progress as I am now.