In Revelstoke: Mount MacKenzie - An American Summer, 2023 - CycleBlaze

July 24, 2023

In Revelstoke: Mount MacKenzie

The story of today’s hike on Mount MacKenzie actually begins last night when we call our newest friend and fellow CycleBlazer Betsy Evans.  We called her up after arriving in town to arrange a long-planned meetup.  When she heard where we were planning to hike she warned us that there be bears up there and offered us the use of her bear spray so we wouldn’t come to an unkind end before the meetup.  We accepted, and I drove over to her end of town to pick it up.

We can see Mount MacKenzie from our room! It’s a photo from the following day, but I just noticed now that I can recognize it.
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We’ve got three days on our hands here in Revelstoke, but we’re starting with a hike because today has the best weather for it.  Some sort of change is blowing in tonight, bringing the threat (or promise, because no doubt it will be welcome here) of rain and a significant drop in temperature.  Today is the best day for being high up on a mountain and enjoying the views. 

Mount MacKenzie isn’t the obvious destination for hiking near Revelstoke - that would be in the national park - but it sounds just right for us.  We visited the national park on our last visit, and as spectacular as that was we thought we’d see something different this time.  MacKenzie is a downhill ski destination in the winter, and the gondola operates in the summer also to support hikers and mountain bikers.  Rachael did the research to learn of the gondola in the first place, and booked us for the lift last night.

We drive out to the base of Mount Mackenzie at ten, arriving just past its opening hour.   The gondolas run continuously during operating hours, so there’s no wait at all once we’ve picked up our passes and queued up with the other hikers and bikers.  We step into our car, have a seat, and about twenty minutes and one transfer later we arrive at the top of the line by around 10:30.

The view from the top. The gondola drops us off at 5,500’. We’re looking across the Columbia to the Monashee Mountains. The highest peak on the left is Mount Beglie, Revelstoke’s iconic mountain.
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Kelly IniguezIn Aspen, if you hike to the top, the ride down is free. It's one of Jacinto's favorite hikes. He was quite disappointed this winter to discover the gondola in Palm Springs charges for a downhill only ride.
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1 year ago
Jacquie GaudetDefinitely looks different than in the winter!
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1 year ago

We don’t have a plan when we step off the gondola and look around.  We’ve studied the trail map but have been waiting until we got here to decide which way to go.  The issues are my knees, which can’t take too much climbing; and the bears, because we only have one can of bear spray so we’ll need to stay together.

We were thinking we might take a couple of short out and backs, but now that we’re here and get inspired by the views across the valley to the Monashee Range we decide to aim high.  We select the hike up the Stoke Climb Trail, with its listed one-way distance of seven kilometers and 500 meters of elevation gain.  We’ve got the time and the bear spray and I’ve got a hiking pole, so we start out with the idea that we’ll walk as far as the time and knees allow.  We head up into the woods, our eyes alert and the bear spray canister in my pocket, ready to be pulled out at moments notice.

Bear spray though is really a last line of defense in case of an actual close-range bear encounter.  The first line of defense is to be alert and make noise, under the idea that bears don’t want encounters either and if they hear you coming they’ll steal away into the trees.  With that in mind we do a bit of half-hearted talking and singing - Rachael is particularly good at making up spontaneous nonsense lyrics.  We don’t get far though when she remembers that she has a phone and it has a music library.  For the next four hours we walk through the wilderness protected by an eclectic medley of songs by Billy Joel, John Hiatt, Tom Rush, Counting Crow, Brandi Carlisle, and Aaron Copland.  Aaron Copland?

Rachael’s not checking the time or the news - she’s putting on a music sound track to entertain the bears with.
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So does it work?  Do we encounter any bears?

We do not encounter any bears.  Instead, we are passed on the trail by three or four hiking parties (none of which are accompanied by music), perhaps as many as two dozen MTB riders slowly slogging their way up the steep track, and see some impressive but unthreatening wildlife - butterflies and moths, chipmunks, birds.  Rachael is pretty sure she saw a fisher dash across the path in front of us also.  And flowers.  And views.

It’s a spectacular walk .  We don’t make it to the end of the trail, but we’re high enough to appreciate some stunning views and gorgeous flower-strewn meadows.  The day makes a good claim on being the best of the tour so far. 

As we walk, Rachael makes a note to send thanks to Billy Joel for wrapping his aegis around us. We feel protected.
Heart 3 Comment 0
Some sort of fritillary. There are too many possibilities to try to narrow it down beyond that.
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Bill ShaneyfeltFritillaries are really hard to tell apart! Even in-hand they are tough to ID.
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1 year ago
Two UFO’s on a pearly everlasting.
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Bill ShaneyfeltButterfly looks like some kind of copper

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_butterflies_of_Oregon

Bug looks like some kind of harlequin bug

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/538521-Strachiini
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1 year ago
A closed-wing view, in case it helps promote one to an IFO.
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#172: Black-backed woodpecker. I’m lucky I saw a male, which has a yellow crown, to help with the identification.
Heart 6 Comment 1
Patrick O'HaraNice one, Scott!
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1 year ago
A cutworm moth maybe, but what’s underfoot?
Heart 4 Comment 4
Andrea BrownThat would be a Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis). Lovely.
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1 year ago
Bill ShaneyfeltButterfly is some kind of skipper... Skippers are more heavy bodied than most other butterflies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_butterflies_of_Oregon
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Bill ShaneyfeltA skipper! I think maybe I knew what skippers were many years ago but had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.
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1 year ago
Keith AdamsTo Scott Anderson"A skipper!"

And now all I will hear for the next several hours is Gilligan's voice calling out "Skiiiiiiipppppppeeerrrrrrrrrr!". Gee, thanks for that.
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1 year ago
Rachael thought ahead when she chose her outfit for the day, knowing we’d be seeing some fireweed.
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On Mount Mackenzie.
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Asters and mountain dandelions?
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Betsy EvansIt's orange hawkweed, an invasive species. But it looks nice!
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1 year ago
Andrea BrownOrange Hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum), invasive and non-native.
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1 year ago
Not far from the summit now.
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You’re right, Suzanne! I never seem to lose this, to the disappointment of some.
Heart 6 Comment 1
Patrick O'HaraNever, ever lose your red hat!
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1 year ago
Western pasqueflower, past its prime.
Heart 3 Comment 4
Bruce LellmanSo that would make it a past pasqueflower. I know, I know, oh so witty.
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Bruce LellmanNice, but I prefer what Betsy says the local name for them is: hippie-on-a-stick.
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1 year ago
Kirsten KaarsooTo Scott AndersonIn our circles we call it the Rod Stewart plant!
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1 year ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Kirsten KaarsooAnd I’ve always thought of them as Dr Seuss Flowers.
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1 year ago
We turned back not far from here, when the trail disappeared into the tree again and we lost our views.
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Paintbrush.
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The sky was clouding over by the time we made it back to the gondola.  Before we headed down and back to the car we called Betsy to let her know when we expected to be back in town, and a meetup plan was established.   An hour and a half later, with us done showering and her back from a bike ride, we met at the Village Idiot.   Becky insulted me almost immediately when she at down by pulling out an Air Tag and instructing me on its use.  Why would she think I’d need an air tag?  What does she think I am, the Village Idiot?

The sky is closing in over Mount Beglie.
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Zooming in on the Columbia.
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#173: Canada jay
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Betsy EvansThis guy is undoubtedly a well-practiced food thief! No outdoor lunch is safe...
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1 year ago
Andrea BrownWe always called those 'camp robbers'.
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1 year ago
With Betsy, at the Village Idiot. I don’t like it that that sign is placed directly above my head.
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Betsy’s town bike.
Heart 3 Comment 1
Keith AdamsThat looks like a nice sensible ride. Well done, Betsy!
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1 year ago
I have no idea what point Rocky’s trying to make here, but it looks pretty funny.
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Patrick O'HaraNice hike, Mr. Anderson. Humm....Air tags, you say? Might be helpful with your glasses and wallet?
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1 year ago

____________________

2023 Bird List

     172. Black-backed woodpecker

     173. Canada jay

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