Tried and... Turned around?

It seems, At least by sheer frequency, that I am a bad luck Charm for weather when hiking. I don't know how or when this started being a thing, But it is. This past weekend Fourteen of us (yes, That many) Decided that summiting one of the biggest leg burning, back breaking mountains in the area was the ideal Sunday activity. We anticipated it to be that big, but after pushing through brush, devils club and up a steep boulder field we were having our doubts. Five hours passed and we had just made it to the ridgeline after a wet and foggy climb up slick grass and loose rock. My hiking poles rendered useless less than half of the way up the mountain. We sat on the ridge, looking over and over at our Map and Gps. Wondering how we got so far back on the ridgeline, We had followed the trail after all. One Kilometre backwards from the peak of Hagwilget, perched on a ledge of unknown height, staring blankly into the white soup that was the cloud hanging onto our little slice of trail heaven, we waited impatiently. "It will pass!" we all repeated, like some half-hearted mantra. Trying to manifest blue skies. 

Needless to say, It did not pass. not for more than a couple minutes at a time until the next one rolled in to confuse our weary minds and lead us to wander the alpine. 

Hour nine, we Painfully arrive back at the car, a few of us bleeding from the decent down the sketchy boulder field and devils club. Just as the sun starts to part the cloud and show the peak we so tirelessly clambered up onto. Sorry, The peak we so tirelessly ALMOST clambered up onto. Thankfully our group was positive and decided that we would definitely attempt it again. Maybe a few months to a year from now. Maybe on the right trail. Maybe on a clearer day, but we would try it again.

Seeing things in the fog. Taking them as good omens?

Cresting above the turbulent clouds, ebbing and flowing behind us. 

climbing across giant lichen covered boulders, and, hiding from the rain underneath them.

scrambling up to the ridge line the wrong way. Well, we did it the right way operationally, but we werent on the right route.

taking five during the 21km, 9 hour leg burner of a day. thankfully we got a slight break in the cloud.