–submitted by Matthew Lettington
5040 Mountain is a favourite hike for many of our club members. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I had many inquiries about joining the trip I hosted. So much interest, in fact, that I enlisted the help of a second leader to take on the extra hikers that I couldn’t host; Sherry stepped up.
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, by the day before my trip, all but one hiker had cancelled. So it was with light feet and great conversation that the two of us hiked one of the finest unofficial trails on Vancouver Island.
The sunny weather brought heat, later in the day. But the morning allowed for cooler temperatures for our ascent. By the time we broke out of the trees we were just hitting the early morning sun.
My hiking partner has a great sense of adventure. After hitting up the main summit, we crossed the saddle and also summited the sub bump on the ridge. My regret for the trip is that we didn’t explore the ridge, further along, to complete a loop back to the trail. On the next trip, I’ll be sure to try it.
On our way back to the car, we stopped for a chilly swim in the lake. The perfect weather made the water seem extra cold, but I was grateful for the reprieve from the heat.
It was another great day in the mountains. Oh! And we even bumped into Sherry’s group.
Cobalt lake
