Mount McCrae (S6) - bike & hike

I was in the Loomis area a couple of years ago at this time of year and was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was with the larches. It might be a wee bit early for the larches this year, but there may be a few early ones. The weather looks fantastic for Saturday, so I want to take advantage of it and explore this seldom visited area. McCrae is close to Mount Bishop but sounds like a more pleasant approach, so might as well do this one and I won't have to come back to do Bishop. This is a bike + hike to shave off some of the distance on approach. The trail looks fairly decent for biking. Expect some creek crossings with the bike - nothing deep, just inconvenient. The highlight will be views of Loomis Lake which looks Carnarvon-esque. Note that we will NOT be doing the extension to the unamed high points on the ridge from McCrae as described in the link. The day will already be long enough, it doesn't need to be longer by wandering along a ridge after we've already summited. Make sure to have a headlamp with you. The days are shorter now and you never know if we might end up in the dark on the exit for some reason. (Photo credit: Vern Dewitt).

🌲 Distance: 28 km (18 km bike, 10 km foot)
🌲 Elevation gain: 1650m
🌲 Time: 11-12 hours
🌲 Max Group Size: 8 (No children, No Pets, No guests)
🌲 Difficulty: S6 route
🌲 Meeting Location: Valley Ridge street parking past the gas station
🌲 Descriptive link: https://www.explor8ion.com/trips/mccrae-mount-loomis-lake/

🌲 If we have not hiked together before, please answer the question regarding your hiking experience. The waitlist for this event is not first come, first serve, but rather is based on your hiking/scrambling experience that is suitable for this hike.
🌲 I prefer to move at a moderate and steady pace with short breaks only when necessary (e.g., re/delayering, bathroom, snacks, lunch). This means that if you need to stop for frequent and/or elaborate photo shoots at every large boulder and pseudo-view point, please do not sign up. It is also a must that the GROUP STAYS TOGETHER, so don't sign up if you want to take off to do exploratory route finding through the bushes or up an uninviting gully or trying to set a personal best time. It is also not acceptable to break off into your own small group to selfishly bag a peak and then head back to the trailhead while leaving the rest of the group behind.

🌲 Required gear:
- helmet
- headlamp
- water
- lunch/snacks
- hiking boots
- hat/gloves
- sensible outdoor clothing (no cotton, no jeans)
- appropriate layers for changing weather (rain shell, down jacket, etc.)
- personal first aid kit, toilet kit
- trekking poles
- sunglasses
🌲 WAIVER: You must sign the club waiver before you are allowed to go on this trip and you shall arrive prepared with an emergency name and phone number to be recorded on the waiver. The organizer will have a group waiver for you to sign at the trailhead.
🌲 Disclaimer: You are fully aware that your hosts are volunteers and not trained guides and you assume all responsibility for your own safety and well-being. All participants are responsible for assessing the current road conditions, current weather conditions, your current physical condition, current trail conditions and current avalanche conditions for the trip and you are responsible for your safety and well-being. You are fully prepared with proper gear and you're physically fit to do this hike with the group.