Quest for 10 (2021)
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Quest for 10 – Edition 2021 Information Package Hosted and sponsored by: Written by: Kenny Panza & Sam Waddington Welcome to you fellow hiker/runner to the 2021 edition of the Quest for 10. We are once again excited to introduce you to a whole new series of amazing hikes in our beautiful backcountry. This year’s Quest for 10 will be open from July 15th to October 17th. Your registration for this event is a donation to trail and climbing development initiatives in the region as well as for the afterparty at Tractor Grease Café in October. Our goal is to raise as much money as possible to give back to the trails, so please encourage friends to sign up, rather than giving them the trail details that you receive as part of your registration package. As a participant to the Quest for 10, you are also eligible for prizes under the following categories: ● Prize category #1 - Completed at least 1 hike ● Prize category #2 - Completed at least 5 hikes ● Prize category #3 - Completed all 10 hikes ● Prize category #4 - Completed all 10 hikes the fastest (time starts at the summit of your first peak, or landmark, and ends on the summit of your last) For those who are not familiar with the Quest for 10, Mt. Waddington’s Outdoors records the completion of each of your hikes when you send a selfie from each “photo location” as well as a perspective photo (regular view photo) from the “photo location”. These two photos should prove that you were 1) at the location and 2) that it was you who completed the hike. You can either email the photos to us at [email protected] or stop by our store and show the photos to our staff. We ask that you be diligent in the process and provide us with timing, dates, and exact locations. If you send us a selfie of your face without any detail in the email, we may not be able to know where the photo was taken and we won’t be able to record a successful completion of that trail. In previous years the fastest parties have completed the 10 hikes in a little as 70-100 consecutive hours! If you wish to enter this echelon of Quest for 10 legends, you will need to plan your hike order wisely and ensure that your linkups are as efficient as possible. Last year, local hiker David McBride completed all 10 hikes in just over 3 days while local legend and ex-Quest for 10 winner, Jeremey Sibley, followed in close second with a completion time of about a week! If you intend to compete for the fastest time, please let us know in advance so that our team can provide support with your planning and follow your progress. This year we have created a Closed Facebook Group “Quest For 10 – 2021” that you are now welcome to join by request! Feel free to share hike information and trip reports amongst fellow 2021 Quest For 10’ers, as well as coordinate group outings and carpooling using this forum. This is a great way to make friends and build a community if you are new to Chilliwack! Before we move on to the actual list, it is important to understand that some of these hikes will take you out of your comfort zone. While the list provides some information, please do your due diligence and research each of the trails and make sure you have the appropriate gear. In addition, note that some of the hikes do not have access to water so bringing more water can make the difference between a successful and a non-successful outing; hence the importance of doing your own research. Throughout the Quest for 10, some of you will be spending a considerable amount of time in the backcountry and don’t forget that there is always the option of taking your time, turning a day trip into a planned overnight trip, or simply turning around. Your safety is important to us and it should be your number one priority as well. Always have a check-in partner and let them know where you are going and when you plan to be back. If you are going out for the day, here is a quick list of basic items that we recommend bringing with you: Daypack or Running Vest 1L to 3L of water (a filter is good to bring if you want to carry less water) Electrolyte tablets Snacks Hiking shoes/boots or trail running shoes Trekking poles Sun protection such as hat, eyewear, sunscreen and UPF shirts Non-cotton clothing Rain jacket or windbreaker First aid kit Navigation tools including a map of the area where are going Emergency S.O.S. device such as Garmin inReach of Spot are recommended ***North Shore Rescue has a list of 10 essentials that you may consider during packing.*** This year’s list is written in order of difficulty (based on our perspective). Please note that there are multiple factors that increase the difficulty level of a hike: distance, trip duration, elevation gain, potential route finding, and weather. Poor preparation can also hinder your ability to complete a hike so make sure you get yourself organized. Starting the hydration process 48 hours before a long hike is a good recipe for success! Hike #1 - Dragon’s Back Trail Dragon’s Back Trail is located near Hope, BC, off of the Silver Skagit road. Your quest: ● Photo location: from the summit view point, looking North over the Fraser River. ● Distance: 5km round trip ● Elevation gain: 500m ● References: Map provided (below) from the Hope Mountain Center, AllTrails website or mobile app, and MWO Staff. Vehicle Directions (2WD): 1. From Chilliwack, navigate towards Hope via Trans Canada highway 1. 2. Take exit 168 towards and then take a right onto Flood Hope road. 3. Then turn right onto Silver Skagit road. 4. Travel along Silver Skagit road for 1.8km then turn right onto a gravel access road. 5. The trailhead will be located approximately 250m up the access road. Trail Directions: ● The trail is well marked with signage throughout. Special notes: This is a new trail established by the Hope Mountain Center within the Cascade Lower Canyon Community Forest this past year. This is a very short warm up hike on this year’s Quest for 10 and should give you a great excuse to check out a new area and visit the town of Hope. Hike #2 - Spencer Peak Spencer Peak is located along Spencer’s Ridge halfway between Mt. McGuire and Canadian Border Peak. This trail affords beautiful views over Tomyhoi Peak in the USA. Your quest: ● Photo location: from the summit of Spencer Peak looking South at Tomyhoi Peak and it’s impressive glacier. ● Distance: 12km ● Elevation gain: 900m ● References: AllTrails website or mobile app, and MWO Staff. Vehicle Directions (2WD works but 4WD is recommended): 1. From Chilliwack, drive up Chilliwack Lake Road for 10 kms and cross the Chilliwack river at Tamihi rapids. 2. Past the bridge, Turn right onto Tamihi Liumchen Creek FSR. 3. Within 250m take a sharp left onto Chilliwack Tamihi Creek FSR (reset odometer here). 4. There will be multiple junctions along this FSR, however, stay on the main road and follow signs for Chilliwack Tamihi Creek FSR. 5. Continue on Chilliwack Tamihi Creek FSR for 15kms until you cannot drive any further. 6. There is no trailhead marking but you can park 500m before a series of sharp switchbacks at the end of Chilliwack Tamihi Creek FSR. 7. Many people park before the final two water bars as they are the deepest along this entire access. Trail Directions: 1. The hike starts at roughly 900m of elevation and you should be within 200m of the Canada USA border. 2. Begin the hike by hiking the FSR to the East. This road eventually turns into a single track trail on the old forestry road bed and will gain elevation over a series of old switchbacks. 3. Continue until you reach the height of land. 4. Once you gain the ridge, hike on the open ridgeline and head West towards the summit. Special notes: The most prominent features of this hike are the unparalleled vistas of Tomyhoi Peak located just south of the Canada USA border. Tomyhoi Glacier is the headwater of Tomyhoi Creek which turns into Tamihi Creek when it crosses the border. The discrepancy in names came from translation errors when the border was being surveyed for the laying out of the 49th parallel between Canada and the USA. Hike #3 - Slollicum Peak Slollicum Peak trail transitions between a variety of climate zones and terrain types making it a fun exploration of the Harrison Area. This is one of the few trails in the East Harrison region and provides great views over Harrison Lake and the surrounding peaks. Your quest: ● Photo locations: from Slollicum Peak, looking East at Slollicum Lake ● Distance: 13km round trip ● Elevation gain: 1150m ● References: AllTrails website or mobile app, and MWO Staff. Vehicle Directions (2WD. 4WD optional): 1. From Chilliwack, navigate towards Harrison Hot Springs. 2. Head North along the East side of the lake until you reach a fork in the road about 1km past the Sasquatch Provincial Park entrance. Take the left fork onto Harrison - East FSR. 3. Drive 4.8km then turn right onto Slollicum FSR 4. 4WD may be able to drive further onto this FSR, however, starting the hike here, you can follow the Slollicum Peak FSR until the path transitions from road to a signed single track trail on the right side of the road (roughly 1.2km from Harrison - East FSR).