Tag Archives: hiking

Wilcox Pass Hike

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Wilcox Pass is a trail which starts near the Athabasca Icefield area on the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff.   The trailhead is a the campground 2.4 km southeast.      The trail climbs through a subalpine zone up to alpine meadows (at 2337 m or 7667 ft).   It continues through an open pass between Mount Wilcox and Nigel Peak.   

As we climbed we had superb views of Mt. Athabasca (3491 m or 11 453 ft.) and Snow Dome (3520m or 11 550 ft.).     Mt. Athabasca is an all-day climb up the glaciers which we did some years ago.    Snow Dome is the hydrological apex of North America with drainage going to three different oceans.     I did a solo backcountry ski to the summit some years ago.   

The trail goes under the eastern slopes of Mt. Wilcox (I scrambled to the summit once) and Nigel Peak and, as it continues northwest, it also goes past Tangle Ridge before descending down the Tangle Creek Trail.    On the way down, there are outstanding views of more Columbia Icefield Peaks – Mount Kitchener (3493 m) and Stutfield Peak (3455 m).    When I skied over the Athabasca Icefall and onto the Columbia Icefields we headed across the neve (to about 3200m) to the area between Kitchener, Stutfield and Mt. Columbia.   

The hiking trail through Wilcox Pass is a moderate and scenic route for hikers of most fitness levels.     It was my mother’s favorite hike.    For those with higher fitness levels, there are a number of possible side routes to explore – Nigel Peak (a challenging scramble), Mount Wilcox (an airy scramble), and Tangle Ridge (a longer hike).   There have been bighorn sheep in the pass in summer.    On the way down Tangle Creek, the falls is worth a stop for a photograph.    The hike is best done as a two-vehicle system since the trail ends 9.5 km north of the campground.   We did it as an out-and-back hike a couple of times too.   

Shared here are some photos from one time hiking Wilcox Pass.     Captions have been added to identify the views (click the link to go to the album).    The album is also embedded here:

More Information – Wilcox Pass Hike

Guanaco Peak

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Guanaco Peak is one of the Coquihalla Summit Peaks, located at the headwaters rim of the Coldwater River.    It is easily spotted from the top of Zupjok, Yak, Zoa, and other peaks in the area, but it is hard to get to.   Access is by the Upper Coldwater River FSR which goes west from the Coquihalla Highway near the Coquihalla Lakes.    The road up the valley is in good condition for 7.5 km.     There is a small campground there (Zum Peak Campground) and from there a 1.4 km trail goes in to Little Douglas Lake where there is a backcountry campsite.   The rest of the Upper Coldwater Road is 7 km long and it is grown over.  … Continue reading →

Sugarloaf Hill Hike

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On a greyish mid-November morning I returned for my annual hike to the top of Sugarloaf Hill.    I started on Sugarloaf Road and followed a double track as it wound past a dry pond, then out near the Coquihalla Highway.   At a junction, I followed the upper track which was fairly grown-in.   The track climbed the slopes of the hill which became more forested on the north-facing steep slope.    At the end of the double track, there is a faint single track trail which climbs the steep slopes.    There is some flagging tape (some of it I placed) and I added a dozen more cairns this time.   There are two hilltops.   The one on the west side … Continue reading →

Wavy Range Hike

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We have been to Murtle Lake a number of times and we have paddled both arms, staying at various marine campsites for a few days.    From spots along the lakeshore, we have hiked into the mountains, through the forest, and along rivers and creeks.   This is all remote backcountry so all of the usual precautions are needed. On one trip we paddled up the north arm and camped at Strait Creek.    We decided to hike the Wavy Range Trail.    We forded the creek and started the steep trail up through the forest to the open ridge ascent. There is a small backcountry campsite at about 5 km.   At 5.5 km, the trail enters the alpine zone with … Continue reading →

Crowfoot Mountain

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In past summers, I drove from the Magna Bay area on Shuswap Lake up steep backroads, then parked,  and continued to hike up trails to the top of Crowfoot Mountain.    The tracks going up Crowfoot and over to Mobley Mountain are used more by dirt bikes, quads, snowmobiles, and now mountain bikes, but only a few hikers get to the top of Crowfoot Mountain. The highlight of the hike is the alpine meadows in summer and long views when the weather is clear. Looking east past Angle Mountain are the Monashee Mountains. The track over to Mobley Mountain goes through open meadows.    It is a long hike out and back, so a mountain bike outing might be best. … Continue reading →

Leighton Lake Trail

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On a hot summer day I drove up to Tunkwa Provincial Park, then turned onto the Leighton Lake Campground Road to the campsite and boat launch area.    I paddled around Leighton Lake first, then secured the boat, and changed into hiking gear.   I hiked the Leighton Lake Trail counter-clockwise, a loop route of 4.3 – 4.5 km (depending on route choices). The trail winds through open forest on the southeast side of the lake and then joins the Tunkwa Lake Campground on the south side of the lake. The lake trail goes between the two lakes (they are connected by a short stream).    Tunkwa Lake is the larger of the two lakes.    We can hike around that … Continue reading →

Twilight Hill Loop

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There are a number of steep hills and there are a few trails up through them which can be combined from the trailhead at the end of Uplands/McLeod Drive in Barnhartvale.   For a moderate hike, we sometimes hike a series of single tracks through the grasslands benchlands (Uplands Trails Ramble).   The routes into the hills require some steep climbs on single tracks.    To the east is the Sunrise Mountain Trail which follows the ridge to the top.   West of Sunrise is a mountain/hill of the same elevation which I have been calling Sunset Mountain for many years.    It can be accessed from various directions using old double tracks and newer single tracks.     North of Sunset Mountain are … Continue reading →

West Opax Loop

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We have been hiking from Lac du Bois to Hanging Valley, then up an old double track up Opax Mountain for many years.   Most years we hike out to the western side of the mountain to the tops of bluffs overlooking the Tranquille River Canyon.    Sometimes we traverse the top of the lava cliffs bearing east and then return on routes down to Lac du Bois.   A newer route was blazed by Al Budreau (Kamloops Backcountry Hikes) in recent times and we decided to try the route down a steep ridge to the western end of Hanging Valley and then back to Lac du Bois. We hiked around the north side of Lac du Bois and started to go … Continue reading →

Eagle Pass Mountain

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Eagle Pass Mountain is located in the Monashee Range, north of the TransCanada Highway, overlooking Eagle Pass between Sicamous and Revelstoke.   Access is by mountain backroads.    The Crazy Creek Forest Service Road angles up the hill and after a few junctions, the final climb up the Eagle Pass Road winds up to a small parking area at the trailhead.    The road is in good shape, but best suited to high clearance vehicles.   We got an early start for the longer drive to the trail. The trail starts by winding up through the forest, then it emerges into an area of sloping meadows, always traversing uphill to the northeast.    The first half is a steady climb, but not … Continue reading →

Dead Coyote – Three Amigos Loop

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There are a number of trails that climb from the Dewdrop Range up the Red Plateau Escarpment to the rim of Red Plateau.    We can combine any two of the trails into a loop route.    Most hikers go up the Dewdrop Trail from the east end of the Dewdrop Range.    The Dead Coyote Trail and the Three Amigos Trail were both developed by mountain bikers as downhill trails from the Red Plateau Traverse route.    The uphill route was from the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road near the Pimple, winding up and around Jag Hill, then continuing west along existing hiking trails west along the plateau.   Alternately, cyclists could bike up the Red Plateau Forest Service Road … Continue reading →