Cheam Hike anyone??

[Deleted]

Just wondering, Dave -- if we can't find another vehicle for Labour Day and only half of us can go, is there a chance you might be able to go again on Saturday Sept 9 and take the others? I'll check with my list and see how many of them could go then if necessary.

What about Thor, Brent, Carolynn, Jeff -- can any of you go on the 9th as an alternative?

I would want to give people priority in the order they posted,/replied, I think, all else being equal, but with flexibility too.

I'm just trying to explore all possibilities here. The long range weather forecast seems okay through the next 14 days.

Stan

[b1schmor]

Hi Stan, if there isn't enough room Carolynn and I will back out. I threw our names out just in case there was room. It doesn't look like it, so it is not a problem. I don't think my 93 Mazda 323 will make it up the road. I was up a few years ago with my brother and we shredded two tires getting up with his truck.

Anyway, if there is more than one vehicle going, and there is room, Carolynn and I would be interested.

Thanks,
Brent Schmor
Abbotsford

[Dave]

Okay, I'll save the day! ;D

I found another truck and driver (Jack) so we have room for max 11 people (Jack's truck fits 5 and I can squeeze in 6). The issue is Jack and a buddy plan to come so with me that is 3 in the trucks already.

now, 8 more.

Stan
Buddy 1
Buddy 2
Buddy 3
Buddy 4
Thor
Brent
Carolynn
Jeff
Koos

I definitely think it is best for someone to drive part of the way, and we can pile in together in two vehicles when the need arises. Perhaps Stan's friend can drive the vehicle he was talking about earlier?

The 9th does not work for me.

Dave

[Deleted]

Great!!

I will contact those of my group that said they wanted to go and confirm as soon as I can how many are on board.

Do we have a firm (if tentative) departure time and location in Chilliwack that I can give them, so they know what the expectations are? Glen is coming from Surrey and picking up Ted in Langley. Ken is coming from Aldergrove and Brian from Abbotsford. I am also coming from Abbotsford.

Ken has the small truck and I will see if he wants to take it up Chipmunk Creek as far as the bowl area where the Cheam branch of the road branches off. Perhaps he could take Brian and me up with him.

The last time I went up, two or three years ago, I took a Toyota Tercel wagon with 4-wheel drive right up to the parking lot. It has only the clearance of a regular car, although I had to do a bit of creative driving with it in spots. The road must have washed out a lot worse since then if even a Pathfinder would have trouble now.

Thanks, Dave, for your willingness to help us all out with this. I have your email address from Gord and I hope you got mine from him too.

Stan

[Dave]

Hear ye, Hear ye!

Attn: Stan, Glen, Ted, Ken, Brian, Thor, Brian, Carolynn, Koos, Jeff, Jack, and Jim

Here is the important info.

We plan to meet at FRED"S CUSTOM TACKLE parking lot at 1-5580 Vedder Road (on the left hand side shortly before Vedder meets Chilliwack River Road). We plan to leave in the trucks from the parking lot @ 5:30AM. Try to be there before that time.

If possible, try to car-pool a bit, so that we take up as little of Fred's parking lot as possible. (His store is open on Monday). Thor is meeting at my house, perhaps Jeff can hitch a ride with Jack and Jim, and "Abbotsford and west" can ride in a couple of vehicles.

That is all for now

Dave
If for some reason you cannot join us on Monday, please let me know by Sunday PM via this website, email, phone, etc. If you can get Motorola walkie-talkies, bring them along.

[Deleted]

Good news, all Ptarmigan seekers!

Thanks, Dave, for the information.

I have a response from John, the final member of my list, and he also can bring his 4x4 Blazer, with room for himself plus three others, so it looks like there should be room for all of us. He has a friend Ed who may also want to come. They are both birders and mountaineers, so they will be good additions to the group.

That makes my list look like this:

Three drivers of 4x4 vehicles:
Dave, Jack, John

Twelve riders:
Stan, Brian, Ted, Glen, Ken - Stan's original group
Thor, Brent, Carolynn - other local birders
Koos, Jeff - Dave's group
Jim - Jack's friend
Ed - John's friend (possibly coming)

Total persons = 14 (or possibly 15 if Ed comes with John)
Total maxed out places available in 4x4's = (6+5+4) = 15

Coming from the west:
Surrey - Glen
Langley - Ted (Glen is picking Ted up)
Aldergrove - Ken
Abbotsford - Stan, Brian, John, Ed, Brent &Carolynn

I'm going to suggest that depending on whether Ed comes or not there are two possible options.

If Ed comes:
John pick up Ed, and Brent & Carolynn. (4 people)
Ken come to my place and pick up me as well as Brian, Ted and Glen, who can also meet at my place. (5 people)

If Ed doesn't come:
John pick up Brian (lives near you - Horn just off MacLure) and Brent & Carolynn. (4 people)
Ken come to my place and pick up me, Ted and Glen. (4 people)

Either way, we would not be leaving any vehicles at Fred's Tackle parking lot, and if necessary we have Ken's 2wd pickup to take some of us part way up the logging road so we don't all have to crowd into the three 4x4's until the last rough part.

If Ed does come and 5 in Ken's truck is too much, maybe Glen and Ted can drive straight to Chilliwack in Glen's car. That would mean we would leave only one vehicle parked at the meeting place from our end.

If Ed doesn't come, I think you could bring Mike with you if he's interested, Ken. I'll try to find out from John if Ed is coming or not and let you know.

Ted has a pair of FRS radios, with the usual birders channel 11, subchannel 22 available on them, if I have the numbers correct. I already asked him to bring them. Do yours work with this, Dave?

Brent, I don't know where you live, but John lives near Rotary Stadium. I can connect you to John if necessary. You've both been on the Abby/Mission CBC so maybe you do know each other.

Brent, please email me at [e-mail] if you need John's contact information.

I think this is enough for now. I'll email those on this end who don't follow Fraser Valley Birding and give them the info.

I just checked several web weather forecasts and it looks like it will be sunny and warm.

Should be a great day!

Stan

[Dave]

Wow, Stan, that sounds like one of those complex Grade 4 Math Problem Solving Questions. If A picks up B, but not C, and maybe D, then......

(Good thing there is just two of us east of Vedder Road (Thor and I)!!

I don't know if my Motorola 2-ways work with others...we will soon find out.

See you all 5:30 Monday morning!

Dave

[Deleted]

You all might remember that what started this thread, after Dave posted results of the Aug 23 group's search, was my asking where you had found the ptarmigan, because a couple of us had the possibility of a 4x4 to go. Dave then offered his vehicle for last Saturday. So I contacted a few fellow birders for a Labour Day trip, and the list grew.

Well, yesterday my birding friend Lynn's new son-in-law did take his Tracker, with his new wife and father-in-law, plus me, up to Cheam. The previous times I've gone, there was active logging on the east side of Mt. Mercer, so the main Chipmunk Creek road was in good shape (for a logging road). It's not now. I'm wondering if Ken's 2wd pickup should stay at the bottom, or if it could even stay in Chilliwack. Ed is not coming, so the list stands at 14.

So, Dave, is it reasonable for you and Jack to take 5 each, and John 4, from Chilliwack on? If so we could leave whatever vehicle comes from Abbotsford in Chilliwack. Whatever you think.

We arrived at the parking lot about 7:30 and worked our way up to the top, checking for the birds from the saddle between Cheam and Lady on up. We then scoured the area below the peak and off down the ridge to the west, but found no ptarmigan. Then as we began to head down again, a few hundred feet below the peak, just above where the trail goes through a tiny sort of gully, we found a female and two chicks. We got nice close looks and a few photos. This was a life bird for Lynn, so he suddenly felt it was worth all the sweat.

My knee (ACL ligament -- the one that gets the hockey players) isn't at all happy after coming down the mountain, and I very much doubt I'm going to go all the way up again on Monday, because coming back down would be torture. Maybe I'll bring my butterfly net and try to identify some of the many butterflies we saw along the lower parts of the trail. I can trade that for a Rock Ptarmigan.

Besides, my brother from Kamloops just called and he may be coming on Monday, so I might have to back out entirely.

Will see you Monday, I hope, and if not, good luck to you all on the ptarmigan.

Stan

[Dave]

5 in each truck is no problem at all.

Hope you can make it,

DB