Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey project is the featured picture story in the Sept. PDN.

Tents torn apart. Poles snapped. Foot-and-a-half-long stakes ripped out of the ground. I have no idea how fast the wind was to do all this, but 3,000 ft below me it was knocking trees down across the highway. Todagin is known for its wind, but not like this. Some pilots wouldn’t fly in it, but luckily one helicopter pilot was nearby and able to pick me up. When he landed, he actually held the nose down to keep the wind from tipping the helicopter back on its tail.

All this to say that a storm has cut this leg of the fieldwork short. It was the second time this year that the tents were completely destroyed, and it would be serious trouble should this happen in the middle of a -15C night. So I’ve decided to pull everything off the mountain until I can find a solution for the wind.

Time to dry out…

The highway finally reopened, allowing me to make the six hour drive north from Smithers followed by the six hour hike up the mountain. It’s good to be back and especially good to be greeted by sunny skies.

What was supposed to be a three-day trip to the nearest town of Smithers has now stretched to over a week. It’s official: BC has had the worst summer for weather in 50 years. It has become so bad that flooding and mudslides have closed the highway, delaying a return to Todagin.

The silver lining is that it makes time for much-needed editing and updates.

Necessary before hiking down to civilization…

I have to say I’ve become so used to conducting day-to-day business from a mountain that I’m starting to wonder why I need an entire office. A laptop and an Iridium sat phone are all you need, and of course a way to keep them powered. Brunton’s portable solar panels are somehow able to suck enough energy from even the most overcast days to power the phone and laptop. These panels do away with the need for a loud generator and are the only option if you’re backpacking.

Soon the sheep will make their way to their rutting grounds where the rams will battle for the right to mate. Fierce headbutting competitions will establish the hierarchy and leave all exhausted. It’s a time that promises plenty of action.

Our camp is too far away from the rutting grounds, so we plan on relocating. But high winds (tent-destroying) are an issue, as the rutting grounds are completely exposed, so finding a somewhat sheltered camp location is crucial.

Today we packed light and made the long hike to scout for our new base camp location.

Hiking off the mountain to resupply afforded a night in a cabin with heat. Pure luxury.

A typically unpredictable August day on Todagin.

It took a while to try all the AlpineAire meals, but I’ve found a favourite hands down: Hurry Curry Chicken.