Kwogg, Alexpuravida and I decided to make an attempt over the pass and out to Indian Arm last Sunday in the 4Runner, BJ74, and 'HJ62'. Weather was promising, blue sky with those big, fluffy early Spring clouds. Three vehicles, loaded with campfire lunch and snacks, and plenty of recovery gear, headed up the Mamquam-Stawamus FSR about 10:30am. Uneventful until about 1km from the pass at the top, where we pulled a small SUV with 3 teens off the top of the snow between tracks they were stuck on. While A & K helped them get unstuck again after they made another attempt (and Kwogg gave them a motherly scolding for not being properly prepared for their adventure), I pushed on to the pass. Snow conditions were still firm (it hadn't warmed up too much yet) but you didn't want to get out of the packed areas due to the 1.5+m depth of snowpack. I parked off to the side and waited for A & K. And, like our first attempt here last year, there was a group of three vehicles stuck just around the corner at the highest point. Since they had their recovery work under control, I decided to walk over the top and follow fresh tire tracks to see what conditions were like over the flats to where the decent begins. I rounded the corner near the last stretch over the top and met up with the group that had made those tracks; a 1st & 3rd gen 4Runner, Disco 90, & BJ75 'ute', all nicely built up. They (the BJ 
) were breaking trail through some pretty soft, deep snow but almost through. Their goal was to push through to Indian Arm as well, and they appeared to be making good progress. I left them and headed back to the pass to rejoin A & K. The group of 3 was still trying to get unstuck, and after waiting and watching for long enough we offered to pull them out. After a good hour spent at the top the path was clear again to push forward. The snow had warmed up considerably and was no longer providing a firm track, so progress was slower. K did amazing in the stock 4Runner with standard winter tires, and we got over the top with only one pull backwards to release the 74 when too much snow had built up under the front axle. As soon as we got onto the south exposure the road was dirt! And two smaller piles of snow from avalanche debris later we were down at the bottom of the hill where the road crosses the creek to the east facing side of the valley.
) were breaking trail through some pretty soft, deep snow but almost through. Their goal was to push through to Indian Arm as well, and they appeared to be making good progress. I left them and headed back to the pass to rejoin A & K. The group of 3 was still trying to get unstuck, and after waiting and watching for long enough we offered to pull them out. After a good hour spent at the top the path was clear again to push forward. The snow had warmed up considerably and was no longer providing a firm track, so progress was slower. K did amazing in the stock 4Runner with standard winter tires, and we got over the top with only one pull backwards to release the 74 when too much snow had built up under the front axle. As soon as we got onto the south exposure the road was dirt! And two smaller piles of snow from avalanche debris later we were down at the bottom of the hill where the road crosses the creek to the east facing side of the valley.
. I walked across the flats (seems like a regular thing for me) and watched the two 4Runners slogging their way up the hill and off into the distance.
