Twelve Miles of Tetrahedron | Sunshine Coast #2

Having had a successful first day on the Sunshine Coast, we hoped our second day would be one of the most dramatic - at least, from a view perspective - given the effort that was going to be necessary over the next several hours.

With the amount of dew on the alders, the Tacoma started out the day with an organic carwash.

Arrival at the trailhead.

Our plan - a hike to the summit of Mt. Steele in Tetrahedron Provincial Park - entailed a 12+ mile (20km) hike along long-lost mining roads, through temperate rain forest, past a series of lakes and wetlands, culminating in a 3-mile climb at nearly 45 degrees, steeper than most stairways (which average 32.5 degrees)!

The things we will do for views.

The first mile or so - along an old mining road - was quickly behind us.

Hope those clouds clear.

As we entered the temperate rainforest, @mrs.turbodb once again reminded me how much she loved this type of environment. The soft green moss on the ground, the dappled light through the trees, wild huckleberries - unfortunately past their prime when we visited - as far as the eye could see. I had to admit that with temperatures in the low 60s °F and relatively clear skies overhead, it was certainly a perfect day for a hike.

Almost immediately, the mushroom mania that'd begun on our previous day's hikes, resumed.

Mushroom warts.

Fins.

With no tent camping allowed in the park's boundaries - this park is located within the traditional territories of the Sechelt and Squamish First Nations - Tetrahedron Provincial Park doesn't see much traffic. A rolling subalpine plateau with pockets of old growth hemlock, Pacific silver fir, and yellow-cedar, it is dotted with lakes and criss-crossed by trails - some of which can only be enjoyed in the winter, shortcutting their way across the frozen lakes. We made good time - stopping mostly to admire the mushrooms - to the Edwards Cabin.

There were several bridges and boardwalks - over lazy creeks and soggy wetlands - to keep our feet dry.

Donut on a stick. Who's ready mushroom roulette?

The clouds were playing especially nice as we arrived at - and eventually skirted - Edwards Lake.

Four backcountry log cabins - built in 1987 - have been maintained ever since by the volunteer-run Tetrahedron Outdoor Club. Used by hikers in the summer - and cross-country (XC) skiers in the winter - the inability to tent camp means they are the only way to spend the night in the park. Depending on your luck and/or disposition, they are sometimes a great way to meet fellow adventurers who have nowhere else to stay!

Edwards Cabin got a new deck and set of stairs only a couple weeks before our arrival. Unfortunately, a distinct lack of toilet paper made it a tough place to stay for an extended period of time.

Downstairs, the main room was a great place to eat lunch, and the dozen mattresses upstairs meant there was plenty of room for "new friends."

The trail from Edwards Cabin to the summit - with Mt. Steele Cabin along the way - is where things really got serious. Here, what was a reasonably low-key trail, turned it up a notch or two, and did so quickly. After crossing Steele Creek - completely dry when we visited, but often swollen and fast moving as snow melts in the winter - tree roots become steps, and horizontal progress slows dramatically. Vertical progress through this section is not slow, a foot forward also tends to correspond to a foot up. We each took it at our own pace, neither of which I would consider "fast."

Without this bridge, we'd have been forced to ford a dry creek bed.

In several places, the trail headed straight up the mountain. Canadians, apparently, don't believe in switchbacks.

Eventually we reached Steele Cabin.

As we climbed the stairs to this second refuge, we could hear the banging of pots and chatter of voices inside. Another couple - Michael and Rika - were warming a cup of soup, having arrived only shortly before us, after staying the previous night at Edwards Cabin. Filling them in on our plans - and seeing a bit of relief on their faces that we were just up for the day - they wandered off to enjoy the expansive views from the shores of a nearby tarn as we looked around the cabin for a few minutes.

Having grown up with an uncle who made them for a living, I am always fascinated to see the wood stoves that are used in cabins we find on our adventures.

No complaints about the view to the summit from the living room at Mt. Steele Cabin.

A little quality time together.

While not quite as steep as the climb we'd just completed, reaching the summit half-a-mile and 500 feet higher felt just as difficult for me, though I noticed that @mrs.turbodb seemed to have no trouble at all. We were starting to get hints - and even peeks - at what we could expect from the top, and already the geologist of our party was pointing to peaks and sharing their names.

Calm and clouds.

Up we go.

Looking back down toward Steele Cabin and the glacial tarn.

And then, almost without warning, a final push brought us to the crest of the ridge and the summit of Mt. Steele. This, however, was not the prize. Instead, a few miles away, Tetrahedron Peak rose up to our east, its form stunning against the surroundings. We each saw it nearly simultaneously, and suddenly we were each on our own, vying for the best view.

Tetrahedron Peak.

Nearby, Panther Peak reminded us both of Yosemite's Half Dome.

Tetrahedron, Mobius, and Panther Peaks.

With low clouds and fog constantly creeping amongst the folds of the highest peaks, and the sun dodging in-and-out of the clouds to our west, we enjoyed the view from Mt. Steele for 15 minutes or so before gathering up our things for the long trek back to the Tacoma. It'd taken us a little more than six hours to cover the distance to the top and we had just more than three before sunset would spread across the forest, necessitating the use of our headlamps for light.

Quick, a splash of sunlight!

Like the trek up, the hike down was beautiful. Unlike the trek up, our speed was significantly faster. During the descent, we passed two other pairs of hikers - both on their way up to Steele Cabin - letting them know that they were going to be company to the good folks who were already there.

"Are we close?" one of the groups asked.

"Closer than you were," I smiled.

Surprising - to us - sharing a cabin didn't seem to bother either pair in the least, and as we bid them each a nice evening, we wondered between ourselves about how the whole cabin-sharing situation would work out.

We'd passed the second pair only a few hundred feet beyond Edwards Lake, and were surprised they didn't stay at the cabin there, having the place to themselves.

We arrived back at camp - the tent conveniently deployed when we'd arrived earlier that morning in order to dry it out - in just under three hours, and 15 minutes before sunset. It'd been another long day, but - save for slightly clearer skies along the horizon - one that had exceeded our expectations.

But more than anything, we continued to be surprised by the sheer quantity and variety of fungi we saw along the way!