Days 15 & 16 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!
8-13-22, after midnight, 5,300 foot base camp on Teresa Island – The light of a waning, still nearly full moon was shining on the back side of the tiny house. Looking out front, the sky was light to the N as well, the sun stealthily slinking around to the E not too far below the horizon. A few distant red lights were blinking a bit N of where Atlin had to be, but the little town itself wasn’t in sight.
Only the brightest stars were visible in the moonlit sky. Polaris and the Big Dipper stood out. Comfortably mild, the air was dead calm. The tiny house didn’t flap at all. Inside, Lupe was zonked.
Not SPHP! Stirred by this incredible scene, the awesome feeling of being so high and alone on Teresa Island, and the American Dingo’s fabulous prospects for actually getting to the summit of Birch Mountain (6,765 feet) today, SPHP couldn’t get back to sleep.
That was a problem. With cloudiness in the forecast, SPHP resolved to get up as soon as the sun did. Better minimize any chance Lupe would arrive at the summit too late, only to find the certain to be spectacular views lost in fog. Yet laying there thinking for hours, this worry seemed overblown. So far, not a cloud was to be seen in the beautiful night sky.
8-13-22, 7:53 AM, 5,300 foot base camp on Teresa Island – Suddenly, the sun was well above the horizon! A bit of a breeze stirred the air, and clouds were now visible in the distance, mostly to the S and E.
Loop, wake up!
Huh? What’s wrong, SPHP?
I overslept! We’ve got to get going! Here, have some Taste of the Wild while I get the pack ready.
A gorgeous morning! Conditions weren’t threatening at all, but SPHP hurried, anyway, unhappy at having slept in. Just dumb!
Emerging from the tiny house, about ready to take off, there was that stunning view of Atlin Lake to the N, with Mount Minto (6,913 ft.) and Mount Hitchcock (5,886 ft.) standing as sentinels near the far end, and Atlin Mountain (6,722 ft.) much closer to the NW.
Oh, SPHP! It isn’t a dream, we’re really here, way up on Teresa Island! This is going to be one of our most wonderful days ever!
Believe you’re right, Loopster! Let’s make sure of it. Onward! Puppy ho!
Turning S, Lupe scrambled up the 6 foot high escarpment sheltering the tiny house to the gently sloping plain covered with low bushes above. Birch Mountain’s true summit 2.2 miles SSW wasn’t in sight yet. To get there, the Carolina Dog was going to have to circle around the S end of the deep valley to the W.
Keep going S, SPHP?
Yup. We’ve got to go over HP6129, that big hill we saw yesterday, Loop.
HP6129 was a mile away, maybe more, and wasn’t in sight yet, either. This jaunt was uphill all the way, of course, but at an easy to moderate pace. Roaming the vast, gentle slope, Lupe was soon past the greenest regions of low bushes and wildflowers, and into rockier terrain.
Progress was excellent on this open ground. Both HP6129 and the top of Birch Mountain soon came into view. SPHP was surprised to see 2 tall, dark pylons up on HP6129.
Keep going S, Loop, but angle off toward the W a bit, too.
You mean over to the edge of the big valley, SPHP?
Yup! Let’s get a look at Birch Mountain (6,765 ft.) from there.
Reaching the edge of the canyon, Birch Mountain was fully on display.
Wow! Isn’t Birch Mountain beautiful, SPHP? An easy climb, too!
Absolutely stunning, Loop! Never thought we’d see this! Shouldn’t have any trouble getting over there, either. We did the hard part yesterday.
Clouds were now spreading across the sky, but they were thin and high. Everything was fine. The only worrisome sign was a little puff of fog hanging over HP6621 less than a km SE of Birch Mountain’s summit.
We better keep going, Loop!
The last part of the trek up to HP6129 was steeper and rockier. Not at all difficult, though. Lupe spotted a ptarmigan among the rocks. Reaching HP6129, the American Dingo found herself on a flat, open plain of sparse vegetation and modest-sized rocks.
The dark green pylons were just off to the E now, but with a line of little puffs of gray forming between HP6621 and Birch Mountain’s summit, SPHP thought it unwise to spend any time checking them out. Ignoring the pylons, Lupe continued S across the plateau.
From the S edge of the HP6129 plateau, Lupe began a gradual descent SSW toward the saddle leading to HP6621. A long line of of rocky hills sporting snowfields was now in sight extending SE from HP6621.
Wow, look at how much territory there is to explore, SPHP!
We’ve seen it from afar many times, Loopster. Birch Mountain is huge, and Teresa Island is even larger. No telling how many days we could spend exploring the whole thing, if we had a way to resupply.
That would be a blast, SPHP!
Sure would, Looper! Let’s concentrate on our objective, though. These clouds are starting to worry me.
The string of clouds between HP6621 and Birch Mountain’s summit was becoming more persistent. Now and then, it all sailed off to the NE, and both peaks were in sunshine. Yet the clouds kept reforming, as though the mountain itself was remanufacturing them.
Speed might be important! Happily, this was super easy terrain all the way down to the low point of the saddle leading to HP6621. Traveling along the edge of the enormous canyon NE of Birch Mountain’s summit, Lupe paused occasionally to take in the incredible views.
The top of HP6621 was at least temporarily in sight, as Lupe started for it. The ground was rockier now, and became increasingly so. Except for the black lichens of the far N, vegetation vanished completely during the scramble up to HP6621‘s N ridge.
Once up on the ridgeline, unexpected patches of dirt and tundra formed a lane leading higher. As Lupe approached the top of HP6621, the sky cleared to a brilliant blue.
8-13-22, 9:55 AM – Unprotected up here from a chilly 20 mph SW wind, moments later, Lupe reached HP6621 in a dense fog. Couldn’t see a darn thing except the ground at her paws! Expecting it to clear again almost instantly, a 5 minute wait produced no change. SPHP was dismayed!
Oh, my gosh, Lupe! We’re 2 minutes too late? Criminy! We should have been here hours ago. How could I have slept in like that, knowing it was supposed to cloud up today?
So, why did you sleep in, SPHP? The plan was to get up at first light!
I was so excited about Birch Mountain, I was awake half the night, Loop. Then like an idiot, I pass out at the end! Next thing I know, it’s 8:00 AM, and you’re still dead to the world!
I was just getting my beauty rest, SPHP! Besides, it was a long way up to base camp yesterday. I was tired. Weren’t you supposed to wake me up? Anyway, you’re overly excited. It was sunny less than 10 minutes ago, let’s wait a little longer. It’ll clear off again.
Oh, no we don’t! We’re not waiting here! Conditions have deteriorated all morning. Might easily keep getting worse. I sure hope not! If we do get a break, we want to be on top of Birch Mountain when it happens. Onward! Puppy, ho!
Visibility had already improved to a few hundred feet as Lupe started down HP6621‘s W ridge. Vegetation faded and rocks grew in size. Loop was soon scrambling among talus. The ridge narrowed. Progress was much slower here, but there wasn’t any great rush in these conditions.
As Lupe approached the big curve where the ridge swept around to the N toward Birch Mountain’s hidden summit, a huge snowfield came into view nestled on the sheltered NE side of the ridge. A little turquoise blue tarn was visible at its base.
The snow came right up close to the top of the ridge, curving right along with it, but didn’t extend onto or over the ridge at any point. The steep, slippery edge was incredibly dangerous, but even though the ridge got pretty skinny, it remained wide enough to avoid having to venture out onto the snow at all.
Fog streamed by as Lupe continued her scramble among the talus. She hadn’t lost much elevation, when suddenly glimpses of Atlin Lake and the S end of Teresa Island began appearing.
For 15 minutes, the views came and went, but showed improvement each time. The whole S end of Teresa Island appeared, surrounded by Atlin Lake. Many much smaller islands could be seen, and eventually the Llewellyn Glacier was in sight, too, beyond the S end of the lake.
A moment of exquisite beauty and clarity arrived, then vanished like a dream, as fog reformed and swept in again.
The ridge narrowed. Lupe faced some minor ups and downs. The low point came at a notch where the rocks were quite large, but still easily maneuvered among with a bit of caution. Regaining a little elevation, tundra reappeared as the ridge turned N and broadened out again.
Conditions were far from pleasant in the cold fog and wind sweeping over the ridge, but the American Dingo pressed on. Somewhere not too far ahead now, Birch Mountain’s summit was hidden in the clouds.
The wind increased as Lupe started up the dark, rocky slope leading to the summit. Staying a little below the ridgeline along the protected E side, conditions were better. Where possible, Lupe followed a lane of dirt and tundra.
8-13-22, 11:13 AM, 48ºF, Birch Mountain (6,765 ft.) – Fog streaming by on a 25 mph wind out of the SW, Lupe stood on a low wall of rock.
Congratulations, Loopster! This is it, the true summit of Birch Mountain! May I shake your paw?
Yes, but be quick about it, SPHP, then let’s get out of this gale!
SPHP shook the graciously offered paw, a moment filled with both joy and remorse. Lupe was really here! She’d made it to Teresa Island, and all the way to Birch Mountain’s summit. However, socked-in with fog, the summit hadn’t been visible from a distance for over an hour. It had vanished even before the American Dingo reached HP6621. Tragic, and such a stupid waste, not to have arrived a couple of hours earlier!
Magnificent job, Loopster! Can I interest you in a hard-earned chocolate coconut bar?
Thought you’d never ask, SPHP! Can I get on your lap, though? There’s nothing but rocks to lay down on up here.
Sitting below the wall of rock, which greatly reduced exposure to the wind, SPHP faced E. Curling up on SPHP’s lap, Lupe made short work of her share of the chocolate coconut bar, plus some Taste of the Wild. The whole world was a chilly, soft gray as an endless stream of fog flew by. Whether or not the sky would clear, revealing the splendid views Lupe had come all this way to see, was a complete unknown.
What now, SPHP? Just sit here and wait?
All we can do, Looper. Sit here and hope for the best! Fortunately, we’ve got all day, provided conditions don’t get too extreme.
Maybe Lupe would get lucky?
For 20 minutes, nothing changed. SPHP’s legs were starting to go numb under the Carolina Dog’s weight. Gloomy thoughts of how foolish it had been not to have gotten here much earlier were as thick as the fog.
Stroking Lupe’s soft ears, suddenly SPHP’s brooding was interrupted by a dream-like vision. Glancing back to the SW through wisps of fog, a line of mountains was visible beyond the Torres Channel! The S end of Atlin Lake was in sight, too.
The fog reformed within seconds and the dream vanished, but the brief break was greatly encouraging. More breaks began appearing every few minutes. The sun was gradually gaining strength, slightly warming the air, lifting the clouds, and reducing fog formation.
For a while it was frustrating. Views often disappeared within seconds. Before Lupe could even get into position for a photo, the opportunity was lost. A major relapse occurred. Everything vanished completely, and did not reappear for a while.
For a long time, Lupe and SPHP alternated between sitting together in the cool breeze, or leaping up to admire fleeting glimpses of grandeur. Eventually, Birch Mountain no longer produced a steady stream of fog. Tremendous views were revealed in all directions, including some of the most beautiful Lupe had ever seen.
Mount Minto (6,913 ft.), and Mount Hitchcock (5,886 ft.) were far to the N on opposite sides of Atlin Lake. Atlin Mountain (6,722 ft.) was much closer. The town of Atlin was visible NNE.
Monarch Mountain (4,728 ft.) looked small to the NE. HP6129 with its two pylons, and much of the territory Lupe had journeyed through to get here, were in sight in the same direction. Sentinel Mountain (6,316 ft.) and West Sentinel Mountain (6,316 ft.) were almost directly E.
Often in the shadow of the last lingering cloud formations, HP6619 was SE. Lupe could see its W ridge, the curve N toward Birch Mountain’s summit, and the huge snowfield nestled just below the rim.
The Torres Channel was to the W, separating Teresa Island from a sea of peaks beyond. Mountains extended in all directions until they blended in, becoming indistinguishable from the clouds sailing over them.
The most splendid scenes of all, though, were toward the S and SSW where the S end of Atlin Lake and Teresa Island were in sight. The lake was an intricate pattern of bays, coves, points, islands, channels, and a big expanse of open water. A line of the highest, snowiest mountains formed a wall beyond it, unbroken except by the distant Llewellyn Glacier glistening among them.
Near the S end of the Torres Channel, the mighty Cathedral (6,965 ft.) stood guard over the region of the First and Second Narrows connecting Torres Bay to the rest of Atlin Lake.
Many times, Lupe and SPHP roamed back and forth along the summit ridge. Knowing that the American Dingo would never be here again, it was hard to tear away from the splendors Birch Mountain had to offer.
8-13-22, 2:25 PM – Luck of the Dingo! Birch Mountain was now a huge, complete success! More than 3 hours after arriving, Lupe stood once again in the cool SW wind on the very highest rocks for the last time.
Birch Mountain has been magnificent, SPHP! One of our best adventures ever!
Can’t begin to tell you what a pleasure it’s been to make this journey with you, Loopster! I’m overjoyed it’s turned out the way it did.
Well, there was plenty more adventure to come! Lupe still had to find her way back to Sandy Beach for the water taxi ride back across Atlin Lake, but that wasn’t until tomorrow. Tonight, she’d still be Empress of Teresa Island back at base camp. While SPHP started down, the Carolina Dog waited for the signal to begin her descent, too.
With the sky so clear now, it was possible to see parts of the journey that hadn’t been visible during the ascent. It all seemed far less daunting and mysterious.
Once over HP6619 again, and down off the rockiest part, the rest of the trek back to base camp was absolute cake. Grandeur all around, and so much fun! A joyful, but wistful time.
8-13-22, 5:18 PM, 5,300 foot base camp on Teresa Island – Lupe and SPHP arrived tired and happy back at the tiny house waiting in the sheltered nook. The American Dingo still had her grand view to the N, but was anxious to get inside, enjoy a meal and a good snooze. SPHP joined her.
8-13-22, 9:47 PM, 5,300 foot base camp on Teresa Island –
Looper, you awake?
I am now! What is it, SPHP?
Just woke up. You’ve got to see this! Birch Mountain is putting on quite a display! There’s a terrific sunset.
Lupe emerged from the tiny house in time to enjoy the fading glory of what had been a most memorable day.
8-14-22, 8:26 AM, 5,300 foot base camp on Teresa Island – Lupe sat staring N, hoping in vain for the return of 3 caribou that had been grazing way down the slope. Prior to the American Dingo’s journey to Teresa Island, SPHP had greatly wondered how much and what types of wildlife she might encounter here?
The answer, virtually none. Other than a few small birds, Lupe hadn’t seen any wildlife during the past 2 days. The 3 caribou were a complete surprise this morning, but had vanished as soon as they’d seen her.
The tiny house disassembled and strapped to the pack, SPHP hoisted it all once more.
It’s that time, Looper! Onward! Puppy, ho!
Returning to the 5,200+ foot plateau at the N end of Birch Mountain, SPHP called a brief halt to peer down on the island near Sandy Beach where Lupe needed to get back to.
Bearings set, the steepest part of the descent down Birch Mountain’s N slope began. Staying a little farther W than during her ascent, Lupe was able to follow the edge of rock slides much farther down the mountain before they finally ended, forcing her into the forest.
Almost immediately upon entering the forest, Loop came across a couple of small, flat areas of bare dirt that were close together. Discovering a clear trail, she followed it NNE. This trail greatly aided SPHP in getting down the steepest part of the mountain without all the bushwhacking required among stunted evergreens encountered during Lupe’s ascent 2 days ago.
After 0.3 mile, the trail faded away. About time to turn E, anyway! The long descent continued, although not as steeply, through heavily forested terrain. Nothing looked at all familiar until Lupe reached the bog again.
8-14-22, 1:50 PM – Somehow, Lupe had made it over to the NW end of Sandy Beach, a cause for concern, since the blackwater lagoon was now between her and SPHP. Afraid she might try to swim across the lagoon, SPHP thrashed SE through the forest trying to get past it. As if by some Dingo magic, Lupe suddenly reappeared nearby.
The sky was mostly overcast, the day pleasantly warm, when Lupe and SPHP reached Sandy Beach together. To SPHP’s surprise, a white cabin cruiser was pulled up onto the sand, its occupants about ready to cast off. Local residents, they expressed surprise, almost disbelief, upon learning Lupe had climbed Birch Mountain.
The visitors left, and Sandy Beach was the epitome of solitude again.
Hungry, Looper? We might as well have something to eat.
Bobby Smallwood isn’t coming back to get us until an hour before sunset, right, SPHP?
That’s the plan, Loop. We’ve got a long wait, but that’s OK. Love it here!
The afternoon was sublime! Nothing to do, but relax in glorious total isolation on Teresa Island, listening to the waves lapping into shore, all while enjoying the sweet success of having been to Birch Mountain. Lupe snoozed, or barked at a squirrel that came specifically to provide entertainment. SPHP slept on the sand, and waded in the cold, clear shallows along shore.
Waking from a nap, a small flotilla of birds paddled by, often ducking under the waves only to resurface somewhere else. They eventually vanished over by the island off the point.
As evening came on, the sky darkened. SPHP cleaned out the campfire ring, then took several strolls with Lupe while gathering driftwood to stack up for whoever might want to use it next.
Hours drifted by. The wait continued. Neither Lupe nor SPHP cared.
You know, Loop. If the boat doesn’t show up until tomorrow, I would be completely fine with that! How awesome is this?
8-14-22, 8:11 PM, Sandy Beach on Teresa Island – Suddenly, tranquility was broken by a faint distant roar. A dot racing across the waves grew in size. The boat was coming! Within minutes, the engine throttled down, and the vessel drifted into shore.
Grabbing the pack, SPHP boosted Lupe up onto the boat as soon as it slid into the sand, then climbed aboard after her. Bobby Smallwood wasn’t captain this time, having sent Kenny, his daughter’s boyfriend, instead. Just as good! Two minutes later, the Carolina Dog was bouncing across the waves, Teresa Island rapidly receding behind her.
As the boat sped on, more of Birch Mountain (6,765 ft.) came into view. The summit was hidden in the clouds, the sky looking almost stormy. What fabulous luck to have been up there yesterday!
8-14-22, 8:35 PM, Atlin – Definitely some weather moving in! Lupe stood on the docks looking back at Birch Mountain. SPHP had already settled up with Bobby Smallwood’s wife, Jodie, at their cabin office.
So, how much did it all come to, SPHP?
$392.00 CAN, taxes included, Loopster. Right about what I expected. Our single most expensive adventure ever!
Worth every penny, SPHP! Birch Mountain was awesome start to finish!
Oh, yeah! Couldn’t agree more, Looper! One of our very best adventures ever, if you ask me. So glad Edith Sidler put us onto Bobby Smallwood!
I’m just glad you didn’t chicken out because of the weather forecast, SPHP! After all these years, this really was our golden opportunity, and you made the right choice.
Every once in a while, we do the right thing, Loop.
Well, the whole glorious Birch Mountain adventure was over. Sad that it was in the rearview mirror now, but that’s the nature of things.
Onward! Puppy, ho!
8-14-22, the favorite ridge off Hwy 7 overlooking the N end of Atlin Lake – A cool breeze was blowing, when Lupe arrived at dusk. She stayed on her pink blanket in the RAV4, while SPHP heated up a can of chili for dinner. Feasting on chili and Ritz crackers, the American Dingo watched as darkness fell over Mount Minto, Atlin Lake, and on the far S horizon, oh-so-fabulous Birch Mountain, too!
Links & Contact Information:
Next Adventure Prior Adventure
Bobby Smallwood (water taxi) – Phone: (250) 651-2488
Glacier View Cabins (Peter & Edith Sidler owners)
Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacations to Wyoming, Canada & Alaska Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.
