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September 2017
Black Tusk (from Rubble Creek Parking Lot)
Sep 20, 2017
The idea for this hike started after a friend of mine (pictured) ordered a pitcher of Whistler Brewing Black Tusk Lager from a pub in Vancouver the weekend prior. As soon as the pitcher hit the table, I floated the idea: "Why don't we do Black Tusk next weekend?" We immediately clinked our glasses- "TUUSSSSKKK!" And so the story began.
Black Tusk had been on my list for a long time. Ever since first seeing the prominent, volcanic arrow projecting southward along the beautiful Sea-to-Sky skyline, I knew I wanted to stand on it one day. We started our hike from the regular Garibaldi Lake launch point- Rubble Creek parking lot. I've hiked to Garibaldi Lake twice before (I feel as though it would be redundant to post write-ups on those trips here), and the Rubble Creek turnoff always catches me off guard, without fail- eyes on the road, people!
Our group of 3 started on the trailhead at 9:50am and there were already swarms of Garibaldi Lake-ers trudging their way up the never-ending switchbacks. After a summer of hiking, we were in great shape to make our way up to Taylor Meadows in good time. We headed past the G. Lake turnoff to the right, and followed the boardwalk straight towards the Black Tusk Junction (2.0km from Taylor Meadows). Just after passing the camp area, we were informed by some hikers that there was a bear off to the right of the trail minding his own business, lunching on the bountiful blueberries that remained. Sure enough, a few steps later, the rump of the black bear was spotted! We estimated it to be about 3-4 years old, given its smallish size. Black Bears typically leave their mothers after 4 years of age, and this one was clearly old enough to be on its own. We hesitated only a moment to take in a glance, then carried on, as all wildlife must be respected and with a 2-300lb. animal only 40 yards away, things can change pretty quickly.
We enjoyed the rest of the walk to the approach of the Tusk through the meadows, marvelling at the wispy cirrus clouds that whirred slowly through the blue sky. We couldn't have asked for better weather this day- a light breeze wiped away any excess sweat-inducing heat. The crowds we snaked through along the trail dissipated rapidly past Taylor Meadows, since the majority were headed to the lake. We then began our ascent up the trail, marking the beginning of the final 569m climb to the summit.
The trail was easy to follow and offered a couple reliable water sources along the way. We were hoping for this, as the dusty switchbacks for the first 6km almost sucked our camelbacks dry. Once we emerged from the sub-alpine onto the rocky bowl beneath the charred beast, we realized how large the Tusk actually was. It only grew in size with every step upwards. We were about to climb this thing…or were we? We knew it involved a 'three-point' scramble, but we wanted to assess it for ourselves. If we opted out, it wouldn't have been a day lost at all- plenty of mesmerizing views offered sound consolation.
Most hikers who reached the base of the Tusk didn't even appear to consider the summit push, as even the last 75m to the chimney is precarious enough. Loose rock yields to the slightest mis-step, and the consequences at this point weren't necessarily fatal, but a fall would definitely accelerate to a fast, bumpy, bone-breaking roll.
The 2nd "chimney" you walk to is by far the more safe route- we didn't even consider the 1st. There were 2 hikers nervously questioning the chimney climb (a chimney is a crack between two rock walls, usually the easiest and/or only route to the summit, when present) when we arrived. We looked up the vertical shaft to see that there was one person on their way down, with a line of roughly 5-6 people behind him. From our observation, it seemed that it would be necessary to take the down climb slowly and methodically, as loose rock remained the greatest omnipresent risk, ahead of falling. We waited for our turn on the narrow ledge at the base, considering climbing it for ourselves. There were obvious risks, but we just saw a few people make it down safely with no glitches. We could do this. Once it was our turn, we didn't hesitate to go up. My friend Ryan went first. Seeing the crumbling rock, it was agreed that we would each wait for the person ahead to complete the steepest visible section (about 30 meters) before the next person would go. This fact would later become even more obvious during our descent.
I was the 2nd to go up. I gave my partner a kiss, as if I was a soldier heading to war. I didn't know if she was going up herself, and I didn't want to influence her decision to go or not. When she asked for my opinion, I simply said, "It's your call." It sounded cold even to me at the time, but I was so in the moment and mentally prepared for the task at hand that I didn't want to second-guess my own decision- I grabbed the first rock and started up.
Being my girlfriend's and my first real scramble, we didn't know what to expect other than what we had just witnessed from the other climbers. The Tusk is rated a difficult Class III scramble- refer to the Yosemite Decimal System for a description. On the way up, I made it my sole purpose to focus on which rocks to grab and where to place my boots. With every meter gained, I gained more confidence. About 2/3 the way up the chute I noticed my girlfriend preparing to climb. My friend looked down from above and shouted, "Is she coming?" I quietly nodded, refusing to break concentration. I made it to the top of the chute and turned around to see her already 2/3 the way up- what speed, what grace! The hardest part was over, and we were literally ON the Black Tusk.
The next phase of the summit push involved a narrow squeeze to the other side- my friend opted for the vertical choice (see photo). After this, it was a simple walk up to the summit. Rejoice!! We made it!! The limitless Coast Mountains filled the frame with beauty, and the Pacific Ocean seemed only a stone's throw away. After a sandwich, we started our down climb.
This part felt easier for me, although many will tell you the descent is typically more difficult. Subjective, I guess. I was down first. Remember the importance of the loose rock? As I was gazing upward watching my partner make her way down, a fist-size hunk of basalt kicked right at head height. I dodged right and avoided a potential bad headache (likely, worse). Helmets are greatly recommended for this scramble!
We all made it down safely and high-fived once we got back onto the wider part of the ridge. Some more photos later, we made our way back to Rubble Creek lot after a 9 hour, 30 minute journey. One for the books! Would recommend for those without a fear of heights, some adequate level of climbing ability, and a strong respect for the mountains. Thank you, Tusk!Reads:176 Likes:3
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