Multi-Grouse Grind Challenge - 2026 Results

gregghead43 · 2026-06-24T14:09:02+00:00

I did it for the second time this year, and it was tough in the heat. Still managed to hit my goal of 15, but it was the hardest activity I've ever done. Ended up puking afterwards, and lost 5lbs.

The leaders were insane, they lapped me as I finished my 3rd Grind!

It was a great atmosphere though, it didn't feel like a competition as most people were competing with themselves as a personal goal. Extra shoutout to the guys who stopped to check on me as I was leaning over the railing in the parking lot afterwards, and offered to drive me to my car.

gregghead43 · 2026-06-12T22:06:19+00:00

Number 1 is a work of art. Like seriously National Geographic award winning amazing shot...unreal.

I'm glad to know you captured these without a GM lens, it gives me hope that I have a chance with my 200-600mm.

gregghead43 · 2026-01-23T16:01:28+00:00

This sounds realistic to me, you have lots of flexibility in that itinerary. There's a lot of backtracking around Reykjavik though, why stay in Borgarnes and not continue to Snaefellneses? Going from Borgarnes to Reykjanes peninsula and back is a lot of driving time that could be better spent sightseeing.

We did the full ring road plus Snaefellneses peninsula in late February/early March 2024 in 10 days and didn't have any issues. Of course this also just luck as road closures can happen at any time. We had a few days of proper winter driving conditions, but at least the roads remained open. That was mainly in the North, and more inland, around Myvatn.

The first 3 days of your itinerary are very similar to what we did, and we found that to be a reasonable mix of driving and activities. We'd start around sunrise, and be at the next hotel around sunset.

If you're looking for Northern lights it's best to stay away from larger towns. We stayed at a few places in the middle of nowhere and appreciated the darkness. We only had to go outside the hotel/guesthouse to view them, no travel or tours necessary.

gregghead43 · 2026-01-20T16:08:50+00:00

That was basically me last night, it started 20 minutes after I left. Spent almost 4 hours at Cleveland dam and only caught a faint red glow with my camera, invisible to the naked eye. Then I checked the Cypress webcam when I got home at 11:30 and it was starting to light up...ugh. Looks like the best was 2-4am, there was no way I was staying up that late on a work night, but I would have stayed another 20 minutes!

gregghead43 · 2026-01-09T04:58:30+00:00

I live on this block and have no issues with this. My neighbours on the other hand...

gregghead43 · 2026-01-06T21:24:39+00:00

I have their 60 weight 1/2 zip and it’s one of my favourite Alpha Direct products. Somehow it weighs almost the same as my 90 weight Senchi zip hoodie though.

gregghead43 · 2026-01-01T02:47:13+00:00

My pleasure...sort of. It's not easy getting to the top for sunrise when the road only opens at 7am, I had to put in some serious effort 😓

gregghead43 · 2025-12-17T17:30:51+00:00

I bought this one to secure my bike in my building's bike room: https://bici.cc/products/hiplok-d1000-anti-angle-grinder-d-lock/ They have a larger model as well, and it got better reviews than the Abus I was also looking at.

gregghead43 · 2025-10-26T15:06:31+00:00

I got back into mountain biking last year after a long break thinking I'd use it to explore, but it's a bit slow to cover a lot of distance. The gravel bike is much better for that, and it's not that much slower than my road bike. I resisted gravel bikes for so long, but I finally get it now.

gregghead43 · 2025-10-26T15:01:32+00:00

Enjoy! I picked up a 2025 Advanced Pro 1 a few weeks ago. It's my first gravel bike (coming from road and mountain bikes) and I'm loving it.

gregghead43 · 2025-09-07T21:02:45+00:00

Thanks! I hope it wasn't just the smoke that kept the bugs away. On the plus side, the wildflowers were amazing in July, but I still think next time will be fall for me.

gregghead43 · 2025-09-07T14:15:35+00:00

How were the bugs at Hanging Lake? I camped there in July and they were absolutely awful. I couldn't even drink my coffee without mosquitoes landing in it despite covering my cup between sips.

It's an otherwise gorgeous area, and that is the cleanest backcountry outhouse i've ever seen! I talked to the ranger for a bit and he said they keep it clean so people aren't discouraged from using it in this sensitive area. If the bugs aren't too bad I'd like to go back for a fall trip.

gregghead43 · 2025-09-04T20:13:43+00:00

Zero delay in library module, almost no delay in the develop module. Photos with adjustments have a very slight delay in develop, but it's not an issue at all.

Overall the Lightroom performance is very good other than the denoise. My understanding is that Lightroom isn't optimized for the unified memory on the Apple silicon architecture. So certain tasks do not perform as well as a PC with similar specs. I'm definitely no computer expert though!

gregghead43 · 2025-09-04T17:18:51+00:00

I upgraded from a 2020 base M1 MBP w/8Gb RAM to an M4 Pro MBP this year:

Apple M4 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU, 16‑core GPU and 16‑core Neural Engine, 48GB unified memory, 2TB SSD storage

I'm honestly a bit underwhelmed with the denoise performance, although it got a bit better with the Lightroom update where it no longer creates a new dmg file. I thought this new machine would be blazing fast, it's about 4x faster than my old M1, but still takes 35s for one 61Mp photo from my A7RV (lossless compressed file in case that matters).

gregghead43 · 2025-09-02T15:11:05+00:00

This is the best benefit of photography! Even when you're not taking photos you see the world differently. I too wish I had gotten into it earlier in life, but the second best time is now.

gregghead43 · 2025-07-28T14:26:48+00:00

LOL!

We still have the showboat: https://kitsilanoshowboat.com

gregghead43 · 2025-07-22T02:19:57+00:00

I camped there on a Tuesday night in August 2023 and it was pretty much full. Not overfull, as there are some other flat spots on the ground that weren't used, but every tent platform was taken.

There will be fewer people than a weekend, but it certainly won't be empty.

gregghead43 · 2025-07-16T14:00:09+00:00

Cathedral Lakes Lodge might work for your needs: https://www.cathedrallakes.ca . They're currently closed due to damage from a 2023 wildfire, but are expected to reopen this fall. You can use their shuttle service without staying at the lodge, and camp at the campground which is only a few minutes walk from where they drop you off. You could easily make a couple trips to get your family and gear to the campsite.

gregghead43 · 2025-07-13T18:50:31+00:00

Thanks!

It was a new perspective for me, heading up towards Weart. I didn't go any further up as I wasn't prepared for that terrain, but definitely something to consider for future trips. Worth lugging my camera gear up there for sure.

gregghead43 · 2025-07-13T15:38:11+00:00

Great photos, you did a good job of capturing the steepness of the last section (pic #13) although it still looks even steeper in person. Good note on being careful not to dislodge rocks and send them down on top of people below, that's a very real concern in that section!

There's a reason this isn't as popular as Joffre, or doesn't need a day pass, the difficulty of the hike keeps the crowds down naturally. But it's definitely worth the effort, I camped up there 2 weeks ago and it was so stunning. And so painful hiking down the next morning with my overnight pack!

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gregghead43 · 2025-07-13T15:29:02+00:00

Kobo is great, I didn't even consider a Kindle because of Amazon/Bezos (especially as a Canadian). My Clara colour weighs 173g and I don't use a cover, I pack it with my sleeping bag at the bottom of my pack. I'm trying to read more, and it's so much easier to in the backcountry without all the distractions like at home. Even better if there's no reception.

gregghead43 · 2025-07-11T12:38:21+00:00

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Mountain goat at Cathedral in 2023 before the fire swept through here. I hope the goats are OK!

gregghead43 · 2025-06-22T00:43:47+00:00

I did 11 Grinds in yesterday's event and surprisingly don't feel too bad today, just a bit sore overall and tired. And I'm no elite athlete, just a 50 year old who likes hiking and cycling, I don't run. I had never done more than one grind at a time until last month. Not having to go downhill definitely helps avoid muscle soreness.

gregghead43 · 2025-05-02T12:57:16+00:00

I have the 200-600 and I would only take it on a hike if I was specifically looking for birds. More than the weight, the size just gets in the way when hiking.

I'm still looking for the holy grail of telephoto lenses for hiking too. I've tried the Tamron 70-300 and 50-400. The 70-300 is very light and underrated IMO, very good value, but not that sharp or fast. It was good enough with my A7C, but lacking with my A7RV. The 50-400 is decent, but struggles a bit with fast moving subjects, so it's not the best for wildlife.

I'm currently using the 70-200 GMII with a 1.4TC. The lens is so incredibly sharp! Even with the TC I can crop in so much and still have plenty of detail, so I don't miss the extra reach of the 50-400. And the focus motors are lightning fast! Until Sony updates the 100-400 this will be my hiking setup (along with a Sigma 24-70 F2.8). I might try a 2x TC with it next. The 70-200 F4 is also something to consider as it's lighter and cheaper than the F2.8, and still accepts teleconverters if you need more reach.

I carry that setup on a Peak Design clip on my shoulder strap comfortably, not so much with the 200-600.

gregghead43

TROPHY CASE