Scrambling Up Black Tusk in Garibaldi
Summer 2023 has accidentally become the season I finally crossed off a few classic hikes I hadn’t done yet. Back in June, I finally hiked up the Chief and checked out all three peaks.
This backpacking trip had me finally heading up towards Garibaldi and attempting Black Tusk with friends. We hiked the Juan de Fuca together in 2021 and then the West Coast Trail in 2022, so when the opportunity appeared for me to crash their backpacking trip to Garibaldi, I couldn’t resist.
We headed up to Taylor Meadows, set up camp, then relaxed for a couple of hours. Grace, Jenny, and I headed up to Black Tusk while Kristy headed down for a more relaxing afternoon floating in Garibaldi Lake.
The hike up to the base of Black Tusk wasn't terribly difficult compared to other hikes I’ve done, but the heat and exposure made us take a slower pace. Plus, we stopped at every creek crossing to splash ourselves with water and attempt to cool off.
As we topped the scree hill, we took a few minutes to suss out the narrow approach to the base of Black Tusk. We put on our helmets, agreed to take it slow, and ensured that we’d keep communicating on how everyone was feeling. The approach was a bit nerve-racking but felt fairly solid.
We had trouble picking out the right chimney, first overshooting it to the end of a trail. As we doubled back, I spotted a small, faded pink trail marker. We agreed to give it a shot, and Grace (being far taller than Jenny and me) generously offered to climb first and let us know how it felt. We were slow and careful during the chimney section, giving each other lots of space, and grateful that we brought helmets since plenty of loose little rocks came down.
As we finished the first couple sections of scrambling, we had a moment where one of us almost called it from feeling a bit too nervous. We took a couple of extra minutes, dug for a little more confidence in our skill as avid rock climbers, and decided to carry on. By the time we hit the top of Black Tusk, we had elevated heart rates and adrenaline pumping… but also a huge feeling of accomplishment!
We spent a half hour at the (false) peak, admiring the view, taking photos, and vowing that we would never attempt the true peak of Black Tusk.
But the work wasn’t over yet! We had to safely make our way back down. With helmets on, Grace again went first and spotted us through a couple of the more exposed sections. We were careful to retrace our steps and head back down the right chimney, and we really took our time down the last section.
Crossing back over the narrow approach felt like a breeze after the scrambling, and I skated down the scree section with mixed emotions. I was feeling high after our successful summit but also feeling the Big Sad that I wouldn’t be able to tell my recent ex about the trip and what it meant to me. But balancing the highs and lows of life is just that: part of life.
As we headed back to Taylor Meadows to meet our friends for dinner, we cruised the trail and enjoyed some gorgeous golden glow as the sun set.
