The Bushman Chronicles!

Discussion in 'Adventure, Hiking, Backpacking and Travel' started by Bushman5, Jan 8, 2017.

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  1. Packrat

    Packrat Member

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    beautiful pictures Bushman,I think the fish could see those knives and were hiding on you!:D
     
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  2. Se7eN

    Se7eN Member

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    What a cool post. The information about that dam sent chills down my spine. Very interesting read.

    There is so much history out that way with things like that eh?

    I got out for a bit yesterday too. Same type of weather. Sleet, rain, snow.

    Thanks for posting brother!
     
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  3. anrkst6973

    anrkst6973 Member

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    There's just something..."restful" about casting a line into water. Wonder why no bite's? Fish are exothermic (? I think that's the right word) Cold is not the issue, you can catch fish thru a hole in the ice. Wrong bait, wrong color for the season, the kind of thing that fishing fanatics will debate forever. ;). (Where's @Flex That sexy stropster will know why the fish ain't biting....)
     
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  4. IW17

    IW17 Member

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    Not sure if you mentioned this already but what wool sweater is that your wearing? Looks like a nice bit of gear.
     
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  5. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    Yea and yet they keep building thousands of new condos and townhomes in Squamish and all the way up to Culliton , before the Civil Defense Zone (uninhabitable area below The Barrier) .

    Should be interesting when (not if) The Barrier collapses. It has been under eroding for decades and there is videos of parts of the wall collapsing, filmed by hikers,



    Rubble Creek, which flows THRU the barrier at the base, blew out several decades ago.... taking out the highway all the way to other side of the valley.

    When.....The Barrier breaches......is the question. But in the meantime, let’s build massive communities and schools below the area. :confused: :D
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2019
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  6. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    Never had luck except for steelhead in the rivers when it’s cold up here.

    I find all the lakes that ice up here don’t start producing until well into late May , once it’s warmed up.
     
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  7. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    ArborWear......breathes VERY well, lets the sweat out. Can be chilly if your really sweating and the wind is blowing, but i'll take breath-ability and rapid dry over a slight loss in warmth. (its pretty toasty though)
     
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  8. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    going to head back up that way this weekend, get ya'll some pics of the rubble field from when Rubble Creek blew out, if i'm feeling ballsy I might just hit the base of The Barrier and get some insane photos.

    qoute: "In the spring of 1856 more than 25 million cubic metres of rock from The Barrier crashed down the valley of what is today called Rubble Creek. The incredible torrent of volcanic rock boulders crashed down the valley more than 6 kilometres at a speed of more than 30 metres per second. The vertical distance of the debris flow was over 1000 metres measured from the top of The Barrier to the end of the debris field where Rubble Creek meets Cheakamus River."





    Reno Lewis gets all my gear if The Barrier blows out while I'm there.


    Garibaldi lake from above

    Garibaldi-Lake---From-Panorama-Ridge.jpg


    The Barrier

    The-Barrier---Hike-in-Whistler-Glossary.jpg

    I get so stoked about this area.......the complete unknown of when The Barrier will collapse.......

    another local video, describing the area....Bob is fascinating to listen to.........he gave lectures at UBC , SFU, and other places.



    part 2


    part 3
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2019
  9. IW17

    IW17 Member

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    That's funny. Their shop/store is about 30 minutes away from me. I'm gonna check out their lineup.
     
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  10. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    i'm so stoked about getting photos under The Barrier dam wall.....I may have booked a few days off from work. Been going thru my mountaineering gear tonight, pulled out the Petzl Vertx helmet (the base of The Barrier is subject to frequent rockfall) , ordered a new USGS / BC Geological Survey map of the area, ordered 6 sky flares (orange), 1 x 100,000 cubic feet orange smoke bomb, called a buddy to borrow his 36" mountaineering pick/ax, very detailed topo maps of old and new "Garibaldi region"
     
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  11. Se7eN

    Se7eN Member

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    **impersonates joe rogan**. Aaaaannndd heeerrreeee weeee gooooo!!!!
     
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  12. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    Teaser pic before I go out of cell range at The Barrier. Bombing straight up Rubble Creek , shaving 6 hours off the hike and avoiding the long weekend crowds

    IMG_5303.JPG
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2019
  13. Se7eN

    Se7eN Member

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    Update:

    Bushman5 made communication with me at 1400 BC time. He hasn’t answered my texts so far. He sent me his general location, but no pin.

    Waiting on an update from him.

    @Reno Lewis did he send you his pin? Let me know if you heard from him. Tough country up there. @Bushman5
     
  14. Reno Lewis

    Reno Lewis Knot-A-Challenge Champion

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    He's all good, at home slamming cold ones. Been texting with him all day, he made it in before I did otherwise I would have seen this sooner.
     
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  15. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    Drinking post bushwacking ice cold reebs and cranking Skinny Puppy on the sound system at home Brother. All good on the Western Front.

    report after photos uploading/post editing.

    EPIC RECON TRIP! ! :cool:
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2019
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  16. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    If i did not have to deal with about 300,000+ Easter Long Weekend drivers coming back from Whistler on the Sea To Sky tomorrow (Sunday), I would head right back up to The Barrier, EARLY, like 0700 hours, with 10 rolls of flagging tape, the L.R.R.P.R. Scout Rig (light, sub 10 lbs) ) and I would mark the river and forest trail I bushwacked / cleared today, plus it would give me time to get right under The Barrier wall..............time was the issue today........the long weekend traffic on the Sea To Sky Hwy was BRUTAL. What should have been a 90 minute smooth drive took 4 hours.....so i did not START hiking until 1400 hours.

    Now that i have done recon trip and know the time frame it takes me from the trail head to the last point i reached today.......I can go hard and fast and get right into The Barrier / Rubble Creek egress much faster. I did not take chances today on going too light on the gear loadout - I prepped for a three day stay if need be, my webbing rig was pushing 30lbs.....

    this is brutal unforgiving terrain, complete with brown, black & grizzly bears, plus mountain lions and the odd wolf. Throw in BC back country unpredictable weather and you got a dangerous voyage.

    the terrain is killer. Ankle rolling/snapping steep hillside scrambles, rocks that just fall away from under you triggering more rocks to slide, 100 foot falls into deep swift glacial waters, dense dense thickets of unpassable alder and shrubs, dense minefields of Devils Club.......etc.

    Now that i have gone 75% of the way, the next time will be much easier and faster.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2019
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  17. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    I can frikking taste the goal of getting to that scree field and Rubble Creek outflow under The Barrier wall. I want to go back tonight!

    my pre hike research paid off....all the maps, SAT views, geology reports, topo maps, aerial photo reviewing, etc paid off today.........I literally knew where i was every step of the way, despite a constant lack of GPS or Cell coverage.

    I'm about 5 seconds from re-rucking the gear and throwing in all the spare batteries for the headlamp and searchlight for a wicked night hike, .........but i will GRUDGINGLY wait until next weekend.

    todays trip report in about an hour!

    right now its time to celebrate todays victory, with cold reebs, and local industrial music, cranked loud! got no neighbors this weekend on either side of me, or on the floor above.

    UP THE IRONS!
     
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  18. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    4/20 2019, 18 deg Celsius, sunny, clear skies (except Downtown Vancouver at the MEGA 4/20 party on English Bay - with CYPRESS HILL!!!!! - LOTSA CLOUDS OF SMOKE! ) ....."The Barrier Recon Hike, Rubble Creek Bush-Wack Hike, Epic Day In Brutal Terrain Tour"

    Trip report and photos loading, prolly Sunday, cuz I'm jumping on my longboard and skating down to see the Cypress Hill after party on the beach in Vancouver BC!

    :cool:

    some pics to start - will update with details/report in the AM

    Rubble Creek, below the parking area/trailhead

    IMG_5280.JPG

    icy cold former glacier water from Garibaldi and Lesser Garibaldi lakes, filtered thru 1/2km deep x 2km wide porous lava dam (The Barrier). This water (after treating) tastes amazing.

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    the 45 deg slope / dense forest to my left.

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    yes, this is the trail i took, pretty much a billy goat trail.

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    more forest above me. Take several paces, look up for cougars/bears, look behind to get an egress trail imprint on the brain.

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    1/2 a km in, about 45 minutes time elapsed due to terrain. Rubble creek center channel visible

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    cleared some branches and zoomed in a bit. Rubble creek averages 1/2 KM wide for most of its start below The Barrier, then tapers down to 1/4 KM wide.

    IMG_5303.JPG

    long fall down into deep fast glacial cold water. I treaded carefully on this section, one step at a time, leaning into the steep embankment. A backpack would have been deadly here (top heavy). This is where low slung weight in the webbing rig really shines, to lower the center of gravity.

    IMG_5308.JPG

    almost 60 degree slope, clad with towering giant douglas firs and cedars

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    a controlled slide down a steep dirt/forest duff covered massive boulder.

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    little side channel, this would be the first creek crossing of many, zig-zagging back and forth between the NE side of Rubble Creek and the forest when the alder thickets got too dense to go thru on the river bed.

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    little waterfalls on the side channel

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    into the forest now(basically a massive deep rubble zone, nothing but boulders and lava pieces and soil from when Rubble Creek blew out in the 1880's. Now its forest and moss and Devils Club. Found a little well made stone campfire ring, complete with a perfect flat rock for pots and pans. I might make a stealth camp here.

    IMG_5319.JPG

    too much Devils Club to safely hike thru, so back down to the river bed. Tons of alders all competing for the light and water. This would be my trail for a bit, picking my way over the rocks and thru the creek and trees as Rubble Creek doglegged for a bit.

    IMG_5321.JPG

    butt selfie :D

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    Last edited: Apr 21, 2019
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  19. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    cascading miniwaterfall over a downed tree


    IMG_5333.JPG

    starting to get a good pace going, but i'm still only 1.5 KM in.

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    nasties! hard as nails spiky barbs.

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    looking back towards the mountains on the other side of the valley.

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    fiddleheads springing up by the creeks edge./

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    my path along the river got chocked up with dense brush, so back into the forest, thru Devils Club and along yet another little channel of the creek, meandering thru the mossy rocks and trees.

    IMG_5343.JPG

    sunlight coming thru the trees, peaceful babbling brook and mossy rocks and logs. This section was easy walking.

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    stopped to hydrate, eat some GORP and nom on a organic black liquorice stick. These are just bursting with flavour and make the crap from the gas station or grocery store taste like garbage. They are also $2 each.....but worth it

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    running into snow now, about 1 - 2 feet deep in sections. Particularly dangerous to hike on.....due to the boulder rubble field beneath the snow......lots of DEEP gaps to slam a foot into unseen and snap an ankle.

    IMG_5351.JPG
    There it is....The Barrier...still 1 KM away.

    IMG_5353.JPG

    but now i gotta find a way around this dense thicket. I'm glad i did this hike now, instead of a few weeks when all the leaves would completely choke out the river sides. IMG_5356.JPG

    better shot of The Barrier......2km wide x 1/2 KM deep, porous lava/basalt/etc. Lesser Garibaldi Lake and Garibaldi lake are trapped behind it. Rubble Creek flows out thru the porous lava dam at the BASE of the dam. Its a bit nerve wracking knowing the tire thing could breach at anytime and blow out in a 120 meter high , multi trillion liters wall of water and rock and tree flow at about 30 - 100 meters a second.

    (little movie fact for you - the ice wall in Game Of Thrones, was inspired by The Barrier....one fo the producers is an avid hiker of this region and saw The Barrier and had the idea for the ice wall in GOT)



    IMG_5358.JPG
    time to stop for lunch and take stock of the trail situation, and the time <<<<<<time being the more important issue right now......


    MKettle boiling some water for coffee. (yes its lit and burning hot - Stealth Fuel (Methyl Hydrate)

    Black Rifle Coffee in the screw top container, MSR Titan Kettle cup
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    nice to drop the webbing for a bit. I had a full loadout, was geared for 3 days plus if need be.

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    The Barrier and Rubble Creek (thundering away at this section)

    IMG_5365.JPG
    Italian Penne, ready to eat (sorta) These are microwavable retort pouches, but i have a hiking hack for them.......Cut off a two inch corner, fill with boiling water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Pour out the water and add your sauce (in this case dried pesto with lots of garlic in it) Shake the pouch well and squeeze out the pasta like Squeezy Cheese. No utensils required.

    IMG_5368.JPG
    filled with boiling water

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    I cut too much of the pouch off (damn sharp knives...lol) but still ate with zero mess. A fine meal.

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    orange and yellow small helicopter suddenly came zooming out from the NE side, from near The Barrier hiking trail Lookout (the main hiking trail, not the bushwack one). It hovered for almost 20 minutes just beyond the trees , quite low,and then took off like a bat out a hell. SAR? (@Reno Lewis - you hear of anything up this way?)

    IMG_5374.JPG
    packed up the gear, rinsed out the food pouches with boiling water to kill food odors and bagged them up in scent blocking plastic bags. not taking chances with the bears out here.


    really it the squirrels you need to worry about.....I hiked back into the forest to bypass the dense thickets and snow and trod over a squirrel midden......little bugger in the trees started shrieking and chattering at me. LOL

    IMG_5375.JPG more soon
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2019
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  20. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    due to the late trailhead start (due to long weekend traffic volume), I was running out of time. Still had 1 KM to go (about another hour plus due to terrain). I knew the return slog would be fast, it was a gentle grade downhill, and I had blazed my route in the alders all the way up. But if I proceeded to The Barrier base.....it would add on 3 hours approx from my current location. This put me well outside my designated return time to the Truck as planned (plus a planned extra hour and a half for contingencies). So as much as i wanted to keep going to the base, I decided to go a little further ahead for a better view, then turn back.

    plus the physical exertion......although my route was only 2.5 kms long, compared to the steep 7km long main marked hiking trail (easy path, flat, like a sidewalk, but steep) I was pushing maximum physical exertion, clambering over downed trees, boulders, steep embankments, plus heavy load out) thru the woods and rubble fields, plus mental exertion constantly scanning the ground and terrain before each step. (careful foot placement to avoid snapped or rolled ankle)

    so I hiked back into the forest, went ahead another 200 feet or so, and found a opening in the dense brush on the river.

    you really have to be there in person to see the sheer scale of The Barrier. Its massive.

    some more specs:

    The Barrier
    [​IMG]
    The rock fall area and the edge of The Barrier
    Official name The Barrier
    Location British Columbia, Canada
    Coordinates [​IMG]49.9349°N 123.0800°WCoordinates: [​IMG]49.9349°N 123.0800°W
    Dam and spillways
    Type of dam
    Lava dam
    Impounds Rubble Creek
    Height 243 m (800 ft)
    Length 2.4 km (1.5 mi)
    Spillways 1
    Spillway type Uncontrolled
    Reservoir
    Creates
    Garibaldi Lake
    Surface area 9.94 km2 (3.84 sq mi)
    Maximum water depth 258.7 m (849 ft)
    Normal elevation 1,484 m (4,869 ft)




    IMG_5376.JPG

    the fresh brown dirt scar is a spot on The Barrier that is constantly raining down rocks and dirt below (see the Youtube Video). On the snow, you can see fresh dirt / soil debris paths, these happened while I was up there. You can hear falling rocks over the roar of the river as they crash down the cliffs....The Barrier is constantly eroding and cracking.

    IMG_5377.JPG

    pano shot of my last location before turning back


    IMG_5379.JPG IMG_5380.JPG
    looking down Rubble Creek as Sun slowly dropped down behind the mountain


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    selfie!


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    I turned back, downed some water, ate some trail mix and liqourice and started the gradual descent. Found another bear den, this one was naturally formed by the boulders. The moss at the entrance was packed down smooth and there was packed down dirt inside. I did not get too close. Snapped the pic and carried on.

    IMG_5406.JPG
    one of many Devils Club minefields i had to cross. Nasty stuff (yet a great plant used by First Nations and traditional medicine users)


    IMG_5408.JPG



    made excellent time back to the truck, just under 90 minutes. I was dripping sweat as I rolled up to the truck. Unloaded the gear, downed some water, fired the truck up and cranked up Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden)

    love the spoken intro right before the song kicks in

    "Woe to you, oh Earth and sea, for the Devil sends the Beast with wrath
    Because he knows the time is short
    Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the Beast
    For it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty six"


    Right about when the music starts, I rolled out down the service road, pumped by the hike and the music.

    Got home and grabbed a case of ice cold reebs , cranked some industrial music and did some post hike photo editing.

    Thats it, epic day, heading back EARLY next weekend with a light load out and flagging tape, and I'm hammering to the base of The Barrier.

    Another selfie (unedited) , not as much sky ,

    9B8E877C-D659-4D93-899A-E0B5D3422744.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2019
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