Maya writes:-

Ten intrepid members headed out for a late evening scramble up Dog Mountain on New Year's Eve, including a new member. A couple of folks hadn't previously snowshoed at night, so this was a new experience for them. 

The snow, after so much rain, was crusty, slippery, and even patchy in places. Where the bridges along the trail are usually covered with at least a meter of snow, there was only about 30 cm of snow packed on them. All creeks were flowing and visible, not fully covered with snow, which would be typical for the end of December.  However, one still had to keep to the center of the marked trail because, stepping off the packed trail, meant breaking through the inch of crust and dropping to one's knees in softer snow.

Despite the limitations of the snow, we trekked in good spirits, mostly in spikes and headlamps, up to the top of Dog Mountain. We met several couples descending and knew we'd have the place to ourselves once we reached the summit.  We made the most of the empty summit.  

We sat around a natural pit and shared our goodies and booze with each other. Hot chocolate and/or tea with Baileys was definitely a hit. The best snacks came from the two nurses in the group: Gerd provided caprese salad on a stick with fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, and prosciutto drizzled with balsamic dressing; Sheila provided dates stuffed with cheese and almonds. We had a great feast on top with a fantastic view of the lower mainland. It was an excellent way to end one year and start a new year.

See the route details here from Iain’s Garmin GPSMAP66sr and marvel at the elevation graph (best seen on a desktop)