103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia

JACK BRYCELAND

AND MARY & DAVID MACAREE

in Southwestern

          British Columbia

GREYSTONE BOOKS

     Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group

Vancouver/Toronto/Berkeley

Copyright © 1973, 1980, 1987, 1994 by Mary and David Macaree

Copyright © 2001, 2008 by Jack Bryceland

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For a copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800 -893-5777.

Greystone Books

An imprint of Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.

2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201

Vancouver, British Columbia V5T 4S7

www.greystonebooks.com

Cataloguing data is available from Library and Archives Canada

ISBN 978-1-55365-374-5 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-926685-02-1 (ebook)

All interior photographs are by the author.

Cover design by Jessica Sullivan

Cover photograph © A.G.E. Foto Stock/First Light

Maps by Mary Macaree and Gray Mouse Graphics

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit, and the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities.

Contents

Key to Map Symbols

Index Map

Introduction

SUNSHINE COAST: UPPER

1 Tin Hat Mountain

2 Emma Lake

SUNSHINE COAST: LOWER

3 Mount Hallowell

4 Mount Steele

PEMBERTON: UPPER LILLOOET ROAD

5 Semaphore Lakes

6 Tenquille Lake

PEMBERTON: D’ARCY ROAD

7 Haylmore–Melvin Divide

8 Place Glacier

9 Valentine Lake

PEMBERTON: DUFFEY LAKE ROAD

10 Joffre Lakes

11 Marriott Meadows

12 Cerise Creek

13 Blowdown Pass

WHISTLER

14 Wedgemount Lake

15 Russet Lake

16 Rainbow Lake

CHEAKAMUS

17 Helm Lake

18 Brandywine Meadows

19 Garibaldi Lake

20 Black Tusk

21 Panorama Ridge

22 Elfin Lakes

23 Mamquam Lake

SQUAMISH: ASHLU

24 Sigurd Creek

SQUAMISH: MAINLINE

25 Tricouni Meadows

26 High Falls Creek

SQUAMISH: STAWAMUS–MAMQUAM

27 Seed Peak

HOWE SOUND: EAST SIDE

28 Stawamus Chief

29 Brunswick Mountain

30 Mount Harvey

31 Lions (Binkert) Trail

HOWE SOUND: ISLANDS

32 Leading Peak (Anvil Island)

33 Mount Killam (Gambier Island)

34 Mount Artaban (Gambier Island)

35 Mount Gardner (Bowen Island)

NORTH SHORE: CYPRESS

36 Black Mountain

37 Howe Sound Crest Trail: South

38 Mount Strachan

NORTH SHORE: GROUSE

39 Goat Mountain

40 Lower Grouse Mountain

NORTH SHORE: LYNN

41 Hanes Valley

42 Coliseum Mountain

NORTH SHORE: SEYMOUR

43 Mount Seymour

44 Mount Elsay

FRASER VALLEY NORTH: BUNTZEN

45 Diez Vistas

46 Dilly-Dally Peak

47 Tangled Summit

48 Lindsay Lake

FRASER VALLEY NORTH: PINECONE BURKE

49 Burke Summit

50 Dennett Lake

51 Widgeon Lake

FRASER VALLEY NORTH: GOLDEN EARS

52 Hector Ferguson Lake

53 Golden Ears

54 Alouette Mountain

FRASER VALLEY NORTH: STAVE

55 Blue Mountain

56 Mount Crickmer

57 Mount St. Benedict

FRASER VALLEY NORTH: CHEHALIS

58 Statlu Lake

FRASER VALLEY NORTH: HARRISON

59 Slollicum Peak

60 Bear Mountain

61 Campbell Lake

FRASER VALLEY SOUTH

62 Sumas Mountain

63 Vedder Mountain

64 Elk–Thurston

65 Conway Peak

CHILLIWACK VALLEY

66 Mount Amadis

67 Mount McGuire

68 Mount MacFarlane

69 Cheam Peak

70 Slesse Memorial

71 Mount Rexford Trail

72 Williams Ridge

73 Radium Lake

74 Greendrop Lake

75 Flora Lake Loop

SILVER–SKAGIT

76 Eaton Lake

77 Skagit River Trail

78 Skyline Trail West

79 Galene Lakes

FRASER CANYON

80 Stein Valley

81 Gate Mountain

82 First Brigade Trail

83 Mount Lincoln

COQUIHALLA

84 Stoyoma Mountain

85 Mount Thynne

86 July Mountain

87 Guanaco Peak

88 Illal Meadows

89 Zoa Peak

90 Yak Peak

91 Needle Peak

HOPE–MANNING PARK

92 Hope Mountain

93 Wells Peak

94 Mount Outram

95 Ghostpass Lake

96 Silverdaisy Mountain

97 Punch Bowl

98 Nicomen Lake

99 Poland Lake

100 Three Brothers Mountain

101 Lightning Lakes

102 Frosty Mountain

103 Skyline Trail East

Additional Hikes

Map List and Map Sources

Web Sites

INTRODUCTION

THIS SIXTH edition of 103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia continues the tradition and the style established by Mary and David Macaree with their first edition of the guide in 1973. It was the first commercially published hiking guide for this area, and evolved from earlier data accumulated and distributed by the Mountain Access Committee: an ad hoc group that represented the major hiking and climbing clubs of the day: the Varsity Outdoor Club, North Shore Hikers, British Columbia Mountaineering Club, and the Alpine Club of Canada (Vancouver Section). This committee later evolved into the Federation of Mountain Clubs.

The area covered by this edition has not changed from earlier ones and the basic criteria for inclusion (with minor exceptions) are the same:

• A hike longer than 3 hours but less than 12; i.e., a one-day hike.

• A well-marked or obvious trail bed. The exceptions are topographically defined routes.

• A peak or geographical feature in alpine terrain as the objective.

• A trail or route that is a true representation of the topography and current ecological condition of southwestern BC.

Hikes that are easier than the above are published in Mary and David Macaree’s 109 Walks in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. Mary is currently working on a sixth edition of that series.

Trips have been removed and trips have been added. Some have been removed just to make room for newer trips, but the usual reason for removal is deterioration in travel conditions: deadfall across the trail, avalanche debris covering the route, mud or rockslides, water running down and changing the trail to a creek bed, etc. The reconstruction of Highway 99 has temporarily destroyed a number of trailheads. Those hikes have been removed from the main list, although some are included in the list of Additional Hikes (see p. 213). The big windstorm of December 2006 brought down trees, not just in Stanley Park but all through the area. If you have been hiking in this region since then, you have probably already experienced it. The Provincial Government has moved responsibility for trails from the Ministry of Forests and Range to the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts. Whether this will result in better trail conditions on Crown land remains to be seen. Therefore everyone using trails has to do his or her bit to improve the situation: make your opinions known to the politicians and the public servants who have authority. However do your bit when you hike too. Do some simple trail maintenance: move those branches aside, roll that rock off the footbed, carry a pair of hand pruners and snip that intruding brush. Every trail should be in better shape after you hiked it than it was before you started.

Something else to be careful about: Some trails have fixed rope on steep sections. Do not trust your weight on a rope unless you have inspected its whole length and inspected the anchor to which it is attached. Obviously you cannot do that at the bottom of the rope, therefore do not load a rope as you ascend. Yellow polypropylene rope is often used because it is cheap and easily obtained. It deteriorates dramatically in sunshine and can break without warning. Remember: the law of gravity will be strictly enforced!

This introduction lays the ground rules for your use of the information provided in this guidebook. With regard to the statistics, it is advisable to keep in mind Disraeli’s observation: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics. The statistics given here are for your general guidance; they are not to be taken as exact numbers. If a round-trip distance is given as 14.5 km, it means that it is approximately fourteen-and-a-half kilometres; it is not precisely between 14.4 km and 14.6 km. The numbers are decimalised for convenience, not to imply scientific accuracy. The driving distances from Vancouver are rounded to the nearest 5 km since odometer readings vary from vehicle to vehicle. Distances are quoted to a tenth of a kilometre, e.g., 4.7 km, when they are short and variations will be small. Longer distances are usually rounded down so that you will reach the objective before the next km rolls around, e.g., 35.6 km is quoted as 35 km. How far one can drive is also contentious, particularly with regard to 2WD and 4WD distances. (I find it amazing how much mechanical punishment some drivers are willing to inflict upon their vehicles rather than walk a short distance!)

Elevations are usually rounded off to the nearest 5 m or the nearest 20 ft, unless specific information was known to indicate a more accurate figure. Elevations in feet have still been given because not all topographic maps have been issued in metric editions; and even after they have, many people will still be using their old maps for sound economic reasons. Elevation gains given here are NOT cumulative. They are usually just simple measures of the difference between the trailhead and the top. If you want an indication of the ups and downs of the hike, examine a topographic map with reference to the terrain drawing given here.

The time required for a trip, e.g., allow 8 hours, will only be of value to you when you have completed a number of the hikes and compared your time to the quoted value. The intention is to have all quoted times as a generous time, i.e., the average party should be able to complete the hike easily within that time allotment. However if you are feeling unwell, carrying a large pack, having difficulty with the route, etc., you may need more time. Also for every hike described here there are attractive, shorter options that are not described due to space limitations. You do not need to do the complete hike to have a satisfying day in the outdoors!

Added in this edition are six-digit trailhead grid references. Some are also given in the text. They are all stated in North American Datum 1983 (NAD83), even if the currently available topographic map is NAD27. The trailhead grid reference is the point at which you start walking. This could be a road, a parking lot, a ferry dock—not necessarily a trail. The point at which the hike changes to a definite walking-trail will only have its grid reference given if there is potential confusion about its location. The hike-month recommendation, e.g., Best April to November, has been removed since the list of hikes sorted by high point gives a more accurate idea of when a trail is hikeable. At the back of the guide are sorted tables of the hikes to allow better comparison; and if you find any glaring errors please let me know (604-858-6601, jackb@imag.net).

With regard to personal preparedness, the usual provisos apply. Carry the ten essentials: food, liquid, extra clothing, map and compass, first-aid kit, pocketknife, matches, fire-starter, flashlight and sunglasses. (A GPS receiver, although I always carry one, is not a substitute for a map and compass!) Wear strong, comfortable footwear and suitable socks, and carry adequate rain gear. Leave, with someone you trust, a note explaining in detail where you are going and when you will be back. If an accident happens, the volunteer search-and-rescue teams will come and get you: if they know where to look. If you are prepared, careful and alert, your emergency equipment will never need to be used—but take it any–way! Learn how to use your map and compass, it’s useless otherwise. If a bearing is quoted in this guide it is a grid bearing. If you do not know how to read a six-figure grid reference, consult the right hand side on any topographic map; an example is given there. If you carry a GPS receiver get familiar with 17-digit and six-digit grid references. When directions are given for streams and rivers, they are given looking downstream. Therefore river-right is the true right bank as you look downriver. If you want help in gaining experience and learning outdoor skills, join a club.

Finally, always remember the Pay Attention Rule.

• Pay attention to the weather.

• Pay attention to the time of day.

• Pay attention to current mountain conditions.

• Pay attention to your state of fitness and health.

• Pay attention to your knowledge and experience.

• Pay attention to your equipment.

• Pay attention to your companions in these regards also.

• . . . or you’ll pay some other way!

103 HIKES

1

Sunshine Coast: Upper

TIN HAT MOUNTAIN

Round trip 12 km (7 mi)

Elevation gain 700 m (2,300 ft)

Average grade 11.7%

Driving distance from Vancouver: 145 km (90 mi), excluding ferry

Allow 7 hours

High point 1193 m (3925 ft)

Trailhead grid reference 035 359

Map 092F16 Haslam Lake

TIN HAT MOUNTAIN has been a classic Sunshine Coast hike for many years due to its relatively low elevation and amazing panoramic view at the summit. Many hikers, though, have been disenchanted with the traditional hike up an old logging road. The creation of the Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT) has given the mountain a new lease on life and an improved reputation. Meanwhile, the views from the summit remain just as spectacular. Described here is the trail up the east ridge. It is a work in progress so be prepared to spend time looking for the next marker. Also be prepared for delays caused by the profusion of huckleberries and blueberries along the way. Take a small-scale map so you can, on the summit, identify the numerous surrounding lakes and peaks.

Take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale. Drive 75 km (47 mi) north on Highway 101 to Earl’s Cove then take the ferry to Saltery Bay. Drive north from the Saltery Bay ferry terminal, continuing on Highway 101. After 12 km (7.5 mi), cross the Lois River bridge, and 1.3 km (0.8 mi) later make an uphill right turn onto Dixon Road. Zero your odometer here. These logging roads are numerous and complex but well signed: pay attention to the signs! Access is restricted to evenings and weekends. At 4 km (2.5 mi) you start a one-way system by going left on the Goat Lake Main Hookup and 1 km (0.6 mi) later join the Goat Lake Main road. Note that the fine red markers on these roads are in miles! At 18.6 km (11.6 mi), just after the Mile 12 sign, go left onto Spring Lake Main. Follow this road. At 29.5 km (18.3 mi), past the Mile 9 sign but before a bridge, you will see the SCT signs on both sides of the road. Park here.

North from the summit across Powell Lake. The spire is Beartooth Mountain.

Start the trail on river-right of the creek that drains a series of small lakes and ponds beside some of which you will hike. The windstorm of December 2006 wreaked havoc in this area and the trailbuilders have had to chainsaw a way through this chaos. Hike along the west shores of Cranberry and Sofia ponds, then Lac Godeau, before turning west around the north side of a knoll to start up the real east ridge of Tin Hat Mountain. The footbed can be erratic, so you are following, initially, tapes and orange markers, latterly just flagging tape. Since this east ridge has a series of small rocky bluffs the trail wanders back and forth, covering much more distance than the crow-route would suggest. There are some fine viewpoints on the rocky knolls but try to keep pushing towards the summit for the big picture. Pay attention—for the sake of planning your descent afterward—in the last section to the top, since there is the old trail from the logging road on the south, as well as the SCT coming up from the west. At the top you look southwest across Texada Island to Vancouver Island; to the northeast, across Beartooth Mountain, is Mount Alfred, and farther off the Clendenning Range. In all, though, there are too many lakes and summits that can be seen from this viewpoint to be listed here.

2

Sunshine Coast: Upper

EMMA LAKE

Round trip 6 km (3.8 mi)

Elevation gain 655 m (2150 ft)

Average grade 21.8%

Driving distance from Vancouver: 175 km (110 mi), excluding ferry

Allow 5 hours

High point 1435 m (4710 ft)

Trailhead grid reference 175 561

Map 092K01 Powell Lake

THE SOUTH POWELL Divide, between Powell Lake on the west and Jervis Inlet on the east, is a series of lake-strewn, granitic alpine ridges. Although the valleys have been extensively logged the area above timberline is still in pristine condition. Many of the surrounding mountains are glaciated and shapely. Therefore the views are spectacular. Considering its proximity to large population centres this area sees relatively few visitors. The hike leads past the small, subalpine Maria Lake; over a ridge and down to the beautiful Emma Lake at which there is a cabin. Many days could be spent ambling around the area’s ridges, bowls and lakes.

Take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale. Drive 75 km (47 mi) north on Highway 101 to Earl’s Cove then take the ferry to Saltery Bay. Drive north from the Saltery Bay ferry terminal, continuing on Highway 101. After 12 km (7.5), cross the Lois River bridge, and 1.3 km (0.8 mi) later make an uphill right turn onto Dixon Road. Zero your odometer here. These logging roads are numerous and complex but well signed: pay attention to the signs! Access is restricted to evenings and weekends. At 4 km (2.5 mi) you start a one-way system by going left on the Goat Lake Main Hookup and 1 km (0.6 mi) later join the Goat Lake Main road. Note that the fine red markers on these roads are in miles! At 18.6 km (11.6 mi), just after the Mile 12 sign, go right to stay on Goat Lake Main. Follow this road past Goat Lake and into the valley of the Eldred River. At 59 km (39.7 mi), getting close to the Mile 34 sign, is a small road on the right. A massive boulder on the right bears the road name in blue paint: B Branch. It is 7.6 km (4.7 mi) to the road