Jun 29, 2020
Tiny bit of Type II fun sprinkled on tons of Type I...
Random Trivia: Mt. Foley and its neighbours get their names from the turn-of-the-century engineering firm Foley, Welch & Stewart who, among other things, were the contractors in the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. - Bivouac.com
Some quick notes/suggestions in no particular order...
- Cost of entry is a high clearance 4x4:
- Foley FSR is a water filled bomb-cratered pothole disaster - substantially worse than last year
- Williamson Lake (Creek) FSR has some serious potholes, water bars, narrow rock strewn sections and sketchy, eroded hump you need to navigate that will make you clench and cringe
- Don't go if you care about your paint job - I certainly improved on my BC Pin-striping
- Williamson Lake is still covered in ice but melting out fast - won't be swimming in that for at least another month if you can handle the freezing temps
- Crampons and ice ax required to peak Foley - four consolidated snow fields to cross/climb at this time - that should diminish to two once things thaw out into August
- Poles recommended and micro-spikes are helpful on the muddy slippery steep forest switchbacks - those should dry out more over the course of the summer
- Forest section is littered with dead fall and blowdown - reminded me of Pickup Sticks (Mikado) from my younger years - if anyone has half a day and a chainsaw it would be a good way to collect some karma
- Traversing the slope after exiting the steep forest section is substantially worse now that there has been a number of cement like debris slides wiping out the old (already crappy imho) trail - not a family hike anymore
- Ladybugs (Ladybirds) bite... cute little f*@#!rs - peak was rife with them
- Scrambling Foley was a blast, but I would say subjectively a solid class 3 and if you get into hard class 4 you need to backtrack and look again, it's a choose your own adventure in a number of areas as you ascend to the peak. You also need to wrap around to the other side of the ridge about 3/4 of the way up
- Lots of loose rock on the scramble, make sure whatever you are grabbing/standing on is solid! I peeled off a couple flakes very easily
- Mandatory to wear a helmet on this one - I had the place to myself, but I found I was still raining rocks down as I climbed... and I was being ultra careful... anyone above creates objective hazards as would you to anyone below
Moving Time: 5 hrs
Total Time: 10 hrs (took 500+ photos)
Cumulative Gain: 1550 m
Distance: 11.5 km
Be safe and have fun!
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