AFTER 16 YEARS WE FINALLY GET ON THE CHAIRLIFT – MT. WASHINGTON, VAN ISLE
One bright Saturday morning , as I was minding my own business, Ol’ Bubbaloo says, “come on you old fool, put your boots on, we are going to the top of Mt. Washington. I can see that mountain from our patio and what appears to be some “white” stuff up there. There and then I decide, there is no way in hell I’m climbing that or anything else the has Mt. in from of the name. Right then I decide to plant my spear in the ground and tell Bubbaloo just what, I will and will not, climb. I pump myself up and in a firm, forceful voice say, “you listen here, there is no way in hell that I’m climbing up there”! Now, having established who is boss; the following are some pictures we took after we got there.
I HAD MY HIKING BOOTS ON, BUT AFTER I SAW THIS BADBOY, THERE WAS NO WAY THAT I WAS WALKING. ALL ABOARD AND UP WE GO. AAAAAHHHH, THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. WE SAILED OVER WILDFLOWERS OF ALL COLOURS. IT WAS UTTERLY STUNNING. THIS SKI PERSON DID A FACE-PLANT INTO A TREE LAST WINTER. THIS IS ALL THAT REMAINS HALFWAY UP I MANAGED TO GET THIS SHOT. DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE CHAIR, IN THE BACKGROUND, ACROSS THE VALLEY IS WHERE WE LIVE. THIS LOOKING SW FROM MT. WASHINGTON TO THE WEST COAST OF THE ISLAND. THERE ARE NO ROADS THRU HERE. REACHING THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. I MUST SAY THE LIFT WAS FAR, FAR BETTER THAN WALKING. SCOTTISH HEATHER COVERS THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. LOOKING BACK DOWN TOWARDS THE LODGE WHERE WE STARTED THIS HIKE, TEN MINUTES EARLIER. OFF ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION, TOWARDS COMOX GLACIER. THERE ARE HIKING TRAILS ALL THE WAY FROM THE BOTTOM FOR THE FIT AND YOUNG. THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AND MAIN PLATFORM FOR THE CHAIRLIFT. THE COST IS $18 AND YOU CAN RIDE ALL DAY. OL’ BUBBALOO AT ONE WITH NATURE. FEEDING THEM CHEEZIES, A STAPLE OF CANADIAN WILDLIFE. THE SKI CHALETS AND CONDO’S AT THE BOTTOM I GUESS IF YOU WALKED AROUND UP HERE, THIS WOULD COME IN HANDY? IT WAS MID JULY AND HOT, BUT WE MANAGED TO FIND A DEW PATCHES OF SNOW TO SKI ON. ACROSS STRATHCONA PARK, AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN. NO ROADS, BUT LOTS OF HIKING TRAILS. THERE WERE TWO CHAIRLIFTS OPERATING, THIS ONE AND ANOTHER FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS LOOKING TO BREAK AN ARM OF SOMETHING, CRASHING DOWN THRU THE BUSH. WE SPENT AN HOUR WALKING AROUND AND LOOKING AT THE SITES. IT WAS MAGNIFICENT. THE CHEEZIES WORKED, THIS ONE DID A BIG YELLOW CRAP IN HER HAND. LOOK CLOSELY! MORE OF THE WHITE STUFF. NOT YET ENOUGH FOR THE SKIERS, BUT GIVE IT A MONTH OR TWO! THERE I GO DOWN THE ZIP-LINE AT 100 MILES AN HOUR, SCREAMING MY LITTLE HEART OUT. NOT! THIS WAS THE FIRST OF 3 OR 4 STAGES THAT TAKE YOU ON A HAIR RAISING RIDE BACK TO THE LODGE. HERE SHE IS CHECKING OUT A TRAIL TO SEE IF SHE CAN MAKE ME HIKE BACK TO THE BOTTOM. ON OUR WAY BACK, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE. I’M HAPPY I CAME WITHOUT PROTEST! CLOSER TO THE BOTTOM, I CAN SMELL AN ALLURING AROMA OF THE MOUNTAINS. AAAAHHHH, I THINK I FOUND IT, HEAVEN AWAITS ME AT THE BOTTOM AFTER A LONG HIKE. THE MIDDLE SIGH IS POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. NOW HOME FOR A REST, GET THESE BOOTS OFF!
4 Comments
Angela
We live in a beautiful place!
Jimbo Red
I agree, it would be hard to find a more beautiful, peaceful place, anywhere. Your mom had her heart set on us moving here from the time of her first visit in 1996.
JMW
Beautiful, can’t wait to see it soon!!
Jimbo Red
We are waiting for you. Maybe you can go for a ski when you come? I will watch from the chalet.