May 30-31 2026 will host a rare astronomical event - a blue micromoon! Isn't that cool?

Anyway, if you didn't stay up all night to witness the phenomena, perhaps you would like to join me on a scramble up Deeks Peak. I have never been up this mountain, though I have visited some of its neighbours. The trail is well established up to Deeks Lake, then gets a steeper but still well established up to the Deeks-Windsor col. There are several resources online (e.g. https://www.francisbaileyh.com/2021/05/16/deeks-peak/), so please do your homework and make sure that this trip is appropriate to you. The hike to at least Deeks Lake is pleasant and can be safely done in the rain, so this trip will be a go unless everybody bails or the weather looks horrendous (to be discussed in the forum).

Please bring: microspikes and a mountaineering axe. We will likely encounter snow, and we will encounter steep terrain. It is still winter up top, and this could be a technical winter alpine ascent. I have no interest in this trip ending up on the evening news. If you need assistance with gear, I can lend out a few mountaineering axes and possibly a second set of microspikes. Otherwise, standard hiking equipment for cold, possibly wet weather. Don't forget your headlight. I am happy to advise on what to bring.

On that note, this trip is listed as a moderate scramble that can be done in 8-10 hours. If the conditions mean that this objective can't be reached, we turn around. This is a team effort that encourages a group discussion to be sure that everyone is comfortable with what is happening. That said, you are expected to have some experience travelling in snowy conditions.

John F. Deeks was a hydraulic miner who established Deeks Sand and Gravel. Apparently he was involved in expanding Deeks Lake for his operations. He had two kids and a wife named Minnie, and built the Strathcona Hotel in Vancouver.