Jenn and Mount Albert Edward
The way to Mount Albert Edward
The moderate snow-field didn't really necessitate the use of our ice axes, which we brought (I didn't have a good feel
for how much snow was up here, so better safe than sorry), but we used them anyway. The security is nice. At the
bottom of the snowfield, we got out the filter and filled our water-bladders with some gloriously cold snowmelt water.
yum!
Much to my delight, the early day's clouds had all evaporated away, and we now had a nearly completely clear, gorgeous
blue sky. The approaching unsettled weather obviously was being delayed, and I was not one to complain about it.
Mount Albert Edward Summit
The hike to the summit of Mt Albert Edward was straightforward: we climbed heather-covered ledges and ramps, angling
towards the clearly visible use path. Once on it, it was simply a matter of a simple bit of steep hiking to the
summit. Needless to say, the weather and the summit of Vancouver Island's 6th highest peak went well together. We
had an unobstructed panoramic view of just about all parts of Strathcona park, from Victoria peak far to the north down
to Mt Myra and Mariner Mountain in the south. We could even see distant Mount Arrowsmith way, way to the south.
The north west and north east sides of Albert Edward, like Castlecrag, fall away precipitously, though perhaps not as
steeply as the latter. The terrain falls much farther, though, down over 1,000m (3,200+ feet) to Gem and Pearl Lakes.
West from Mt Albert Edward's summit
After another call to update Jenn's dad, we braced ourselves for the long walk back. We were planning to be back on
Gabriola Island tonight; this meant we needed to hike all the way back to the join point of our loop, then hike
another 10 to 12 km over the Forbidden Plateau. This was going to be a long day! But first, it was time to soak in the views and examine all of the interesting-looking peaks to the northwest, west, southwest, and south. A wealth of unexplored (for us) mountain landscape!
Coastal Clouds Creeping in...
Mount Washington Ski Resort
