Goetz and Williams // 2023 Short Stories

Greg Luesink
Jun 26, 2023
3 min read

Written January 2025

The day after hiking Wittenberg and Flora, I decided to head out again for a solo trip up Goetz Peak and Williams Peak. It was a fantastic day out, and I greatly enjoyed the ridgeline to Goetz Peak - one of my favourites!

Jas dropped me off at the trailhead for a 7:30 am start. I stashed my bike with then intention of biking home after and showering before Jas' family dinner at 5:30. I made it up to the ridge in 1hr 10 mins, including the bike stash, then I boogied along the ridge. Got to the lookout above the Boulder field at 2hrs 15 mins total time. Unlike the day prior, the clouds were no where to be seen, and the sun played with shadows on Rexford and Slesse's granite walls.

Before we continue, a quick mini-rant:

A big bummer from this trip was noticing that someone (perhaps through the Chilliwack Park Society) had spray painted trees and rocks along the entire ridge to Williams Peak. I was quite distraught and angry at the desecration of the area from the bright orange paint. Later, I posted on Strava and had quite the uproar from (presumably) the person who did it or who voted for it. They cited that many Search and Rescue calls come from the boulder field where people get lost. My rebuttal was that, while I also don't want people getting lost or hurt, I am frustrated with the way the trail has been marked, not that the trail is marked. The the entire ridge does not need to be spray painted with crude lettering and orange dots to prevent someone from getting lost. Spray paint is a) ugly and b) not functional in the dark. Instead, metal reflectors are commonly used and are much more functional as they reflect light in the dark, which would hugely benefit a lost person. Unfortunately, spray paint in permanent, and I really wish that whoever made this unilateral decision had considered all of the implications for aesthetic, function, and purpose before altering the rocks and trees along the ridge in irrevocable fashion.

Okay, rant over. Let's continue with the adventure.

My top priority of the day was getting to Goetz ("Gets") Peak. Rather than drop into the boulder field below Williams, I decided to skirt around a cliff band to avoid losing elevation. It was already destined to be a big day, so I didn't need any extra vert! Just as things were looking a little too steep to descend into the north bowl heading to Goetz, I chanced upon a perfect gully to descend - what a relief! My gamble paid off. It had been almost 3 hours so I had to get moving on the ridge to make it back in time. The ridge to Goetz was incredibly fun, and I scrambled up rocks, pranced over heather, and heel-clicked on the summit just before noon, about 4.5 hours into the day.

I savoured the ridge as I scampered back towards Williams, keen on making time for ascending a second peak in a day, two days in a row. I had Jas' family dinner at 5:30, so I really had to get moving. On the way back, one of my poles broke on me, so I was walking around with one pole for a while. At the bowl, I ascended a snow gully and dropped into the south bowl, messaging Jas on my InReach to see if she could drive to pick me up rather than me bike home. She responded "Yes!!" so I made my way to the gully up Williams.

I'd summited Williams already during my Biggest Week on Foot, and was familiar with the way up. I really put the pedal to the metal for the ascent and stood on top of Williams less than 2 hours after Goetz. I had no time to waste, so I snapped some photos and boogied down the grassy gully.

I followed the Orange Connect-the-dots trail back (I'll admit, it was at least purposeful for a speedy return... despite my mutters of frustration) crossing the bowl in 25 minutes. Back on dirt trail just as it started to rain, I ran along the ridge to the descent trail as quick as I could, managing to reach Jas at the trailhead 2.5 hours after standing on the summit! And just in time, for the ominous rain clouds were spewing droplets more rapidly - good thing I didn't have to bike home!