[mbravenboer]

Whenever I get the chance, I try to go out hiking around Whistler when my family is skiing there. Rainbow Mountain is just north of Whistler, only a 10 minute drive to the trailhead. It has a respectable prominence and requires 5700ft gain, so nothing to sneeze at. I foolishly started at 10am thinking I could make it to the top for sunset, but with all the heavy gear and camera lens I was pretty slow. Nevertheless, I reached a beautiful viewpoint where I staid until sunset to take photos. Route note (see the track) : at the trailhead there is a sign that the suspension bridge is taken down for winter. The location of the bridge is impassable (deep canyon), but if you head upstream there is a flat swamp area where the creek is easy to cross. Just as in WA, BC does not have a lot of snow this winter, so many creeks are open and lakes are questionable to cross. This made some things a little hard that I suspect are easy with more snow. The wind scoop on the SW ridge is something to behold. It seems even larger than the Bacon scoop. I saw a crazy animal track on the ridge later in my photos. Maybe a wolverine? It seems odd for a cougar or bear to be up there. All photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/albums/72177720315056875

Rainbow Lake

Rainbow Lake was pretty. No sleds or tracks as far as I could see.

Rainbow Mountain looking down my track

Rainbow Mountain looking up from around 6500ft

Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain at the bottom of the glacier

The views breaking out of the clouds were pretty cool. BC had a terrible wind slab developed the week before and snowshoes were ineffective on the light powder on top of the slab. I switched from snowshoes to boots and crampons once the ascent started from a bit beyond Rainbow Lake.

Mount Weart

View north the Soo River drainage to the Pemberton Icefield

Numbers Peak and Pemberton Icefield in the clouds

Powder Mountain area

The ridge had some small cornices that were pretty. Otherwise, cornices are currently minimal due to lack of snow. It appears this will change this week though.

Hidden Peak and Mount Callaghan

Track on Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain itself:

Rainbow Mountain SW ridge

Rainbow Mountain SW ridge

Rainbow Mountain wind scoop

Rainbow Mountain SW ridge

Rainbow Mountain SW ridge

Rainbow Mountain glacier

Rainbow Mountain SW ridge

With the cloud coverage it is very hard to figure out what the summits actually are because there are no reference point. No idea which one this is:

The Spearhead area is ridiculously photogenic:

Spearhead, Blackcomb and Tremor Mountain in the background

Spearhead and Tremor Mountain in the background

Spearhead, Blackcomb and Tremor Mountain in the background

Spearhead panorama at sunset from Rainbow Mountain

Wedge Mountain area:

Parkhurst Mountain

Wedge Mountain

Wedge Mountain

Wedge Mountain

And the Whistler ski area itself:

Blackcomb area

Blackcomb area sunset

Close to sunset:

Spearhead and Blackcomb area

Track

Rainbow Mountain GPS track (17 miles, 5000ft gain)

[raising3hikers]

Thanks for the TR, this pk has been on my radar

[Now I Fly]

Simply stunning photography! Just beautiful!

[seawallrunner]

7 / 35 could be Mount Fee.

[puzzlr]

This an absolutely massive wind feature. That must have been quite the storm!