Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010

Scouts find adventure in British Columbia

Gregg L. Parker, Lifestyle Desk
Madison Magazine
Madison, Alabama’s Hometown Newspaper

Climbing 12,989 feet to the highest peak in the Canadian Rocky Mountains was the pinnacle of adventure for four Boy Scouts from Madison.

Taking a high adventure trip to British Columbia were Christopher Shriver, Bob Jones High School junior; Chad Gardunia, New Century Technology High School junior; Aaron Stickley, Columbia High School junior; and Martin Wang, Bob Jones sophomore.

They are members of Troop 351, sponsored by Asbury United Methodist Church. Adult leaders on the adventure were John Shriver, Craig Gardunia and Tim Stickley.

Arriving in Edmonton, Alberta on June 26, they drove a van to Jasper National Park in the Rocky Mountains and camped one night. Their next stop was Mount Robson Provincial Park, where they backpacked for seven days. The closest city is Prince George, British Columbia, about 220 miles to the west.

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At 12,989 feet, Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1990 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), John Shriver said.

"We hiked from the trailhead to Robson Pass in three days, set up base camp and spent three days hiking to Robson Glacier, Hargreaves Glacier, Snowbird Pass and across the Continental Divide," Shriver said.

In Jasper National Park, hard wind and snow pelted them, driving them back to Kinney Lake and the trailhead on July 4. "We returned to Jasper National Park for showers and excellent food and ice cream," he said.

"The change from snow and ice in the north to the summer heat of Alabama was stunning," Shriver said about returning on July 5.

"One goal was hiking to Snowbird Pass, an area with incredible view," Christopher Shriver said. However, they reached a large patch of steep snow and ice, too hard to dig or cut steps with their boots.

"Falling down would have been very dangerous, so we had to turn back," Chris said.

Climbing to caves above Toboggan Falls was their most demanding maneuver. "It took an hour going uphill to get there and was very strenuous," Chad Gardunia said.

"That trail gained 2,500 feet, which we hiked up and back down in one day," Chris said. "The view from above was spectacular -- definitely worth the climb."

Around Mount Robson, many mountains are covered with large glaciers, some extending into narrow and rocky valleys with hundreds of waterfalls.

"We hiked through the Valley of a Thousand Falls," Chris said. "The sound of fast moving water was always present. Icefalls were common."

"Berg Glacier has a 1.5-mile vertical drop from Mount Robson's summit to Berg Lake, where it continuously splits off to create icebergs. All rivers and lakes are filled with 'rock flour,'" shading the water and ice in shades of brilliant blue and aquamarine, Chris said.

The temperature yo-yoed from 85 degrees to about 25 degrees at night. "On June 30, the weather dropped in 30 minutes from 40 degrees with cold rain at 7 a.m. to 28 degrees with snow," he said.

For Chad, the trip reinforced a Scouting premise: "Always be prepared, because you don't know what nature is going to throw at you."