Finally Summit Green Mountain

After almost 2 years trying to get to the top of Green Mountain near Nanaimo, I’ve done it.

I’ve spent even longer dreaming of getting to the top, surveying the vistas, and chasing the marmots (don’t actually do this). But this elusive peak was always just outside my grasp.

At first I didn’t know where it was. After doing some research and realizing it was only by Nanaimo Lakes I no longer had an excuse. Actually finding the damn place was another matter. Anyone who’s done any travel around Vancouver Island, knows you can get lost on the logging roads pretty quick. Luckily I had a nice pretty GPS track my dad had made a few months previous to follow.

My first trip to Green Mountain went well. We followed the route to the base of the mountain and took the proper turn off to start the long gradual climb. A few times I wasn’t sure if we were on the right track since it was taking so long but we eventually hit the “parking lot”. There is a large round area that everyone parks in before heading off into the hills. We were only a week before hunting season when we were up there this time and were a little nervous because of it. I didn’t get shot so I’m happy.

Old ski runs overrun by ferns

A few weeks ago we headed up for another try. The day was beautiful, warm and promised not to show us to any hunters.  The trip up was beautiful. We wandered past the old burnt down lodge and played Sherlock Homes in the rubble.

Almost at the top it gets quite a bit steeper, requiring very good balance to an additional 2 limbs to clamber up the slope. Above this though, the top flattens off into a plateau of sorts surrounded by trees. Run to one end and you’ve got beautiful views of the mountains behind Nanaimo lakes and off into the distance. Run to the other and it gives you the sprawling landscape between you, Mount Benson and Nanaimo in the distance.

Not ready to call it quits yet, we spied a neighbouring peak and decided to head that south to visit. Down off Green and into the bush for a bit of hope-theres-a-trail-and-follow-it-for-a-bit hiking. Tensions were rising as we were about to summit the next peak but to our surprise the land dropped away with our destination on the other side of the gully. After a short inspection of bottom and the other side, it looked doable by my hiking party and we pushed on. Grasping the limbs of horizontal trees and bushes we hauled ourselves up the other side of the gully and onto the top of the Green Knob as we now affectionately called it.

With the ground dropping away hundreds of feet on all sides, being on top of the Knob as like floating on a cloud. Maybe not that day because the clouds were very high but the views were nonetheless spectacular.

Elated that we had actually made it up Green and the Knob to boot, we merrily skipped our way down through the meadows and back to our transportation.

Tick that one of the list, time for a winter ascent!