Tag Archives: Wells Gray Park

Fifty Years on Trophy Mountain

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On a sunny and warm day in early July, an early start was important, so the hike started at the trailhead by 8:30 in the morning.     The first 2 km was through forest, winding uphill, crossing streams, working toward subalpine glades up to the meadows.    Snow was still present at the higher elevations so the slopes were mostly wet, with wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and emerging perennials all the way from the forest to the heathlands in the alpine zone.   This was the fiftieth consecutive year in a row of hiking in the Trophy Mountains.    Over the years, all of the 9 summits were hiked, some from different trailheads, some involving day-long traverses.    In later years, the goal is to limit these summer hikes to 15 km or less.     On this day, the route was up the main trail to the meadows, up the ridge to the junction, down to and around Sheila Lake, up a gully toward the summit, off-trail through the alpine heath, then back on a trail through Plateau of the Tarns.   There were more hikers on the trails on the way down.      Wildflowers were abundant in the alpine, in the subalpine meadows, and in the damp forests.    Birds were active wherever there were copses.     Mosquitoes were not an issue.   This was a 12.5 km hike.

Two fathers with their daughters were coming up from the Sheila Lake campsite.    One said that this was the best spot to enjoy backcountry camping – “Only 5 km to get to this wonderful spot.”

The temptation to go up the scramble route to the top of Long Hill was great, but common sense prevailed.    Conditions (it was hot), age, and other hikes and paddles in the week were prime considerations.    All of the ridges in the Trophies have been hiked before, so in the years to come, just returning to hike on the mountain is an ongoing success story.

Shared here are some photos from the hike.     Captions are included for those who click the link to the album itself, but the images can be seen in a slideshow provided here.

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Majerus Falls Trail

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We have hiked the trail in Wells Gray Provincial Park up the Murtle River to Majerus Falls twice.    There are seven waterfalls on the Murtle River, starting with McDougall Falls near the outlet to Murtle Lake, then a series of waterfalls on the 36 km journey down to the Clearwater River – Meadow Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Majerus Falls, Dawson Falls, the Mushbowl, and finally Helmcken Falls.   McDougall Falls is accessed from the west end of Murtle Lake.    Meadow Falls is rarely hiked to since it means a very long day with lots of deadfall and grown-over tracks.    Horseshoe Falls is about 4 km past Majerus Falls, but that is a 28 km return hike with sections of … 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 →

Sylvia and Goodwin Falls Hike

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The Clearwater River Road ran from Clearwater for 38.5 km up the west side of the Clearwater River to the Mahood River confluence.   Before 1975, there was a bridge across the Mahood River and a forest service road ran for another 27 km to the Flourmill Volcanoes area (we forded the river and hiked all the way to the lava flow and cinder cones in the late 1970s).    The Clearwater River Road has faced a few washouts but was repaired.    It was a long and bumpy backroad all the way to the Mahood River.   In recent years a more catastrophic washout and landslide occurred, closing the road at the 11 km mark.    It appears the road will … Continue reading →

Trophy Meadows and Tarns

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At the end of the first week of July, a hike to the Trophy Mountain meadows and tarns was the course for the day.    It takes about 2 hours to get to the end of the Trophy Mountain Road and the trailhead.   It was an early start and I was first on the trail, hiking through the forest for 2 km, then up through the meadows below Little Hill. From the Shepherd’s Hut I followed the ridge up past some small tarns to a rocky crest. Just past the crest the trail passes above Sheila Lake.    The backcountry campground there is located on the south end of the lake and there was no one camping on this day. … Continue reading →

Gattling Gorge Hike

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In mid-May we drove north through Clearwater into Wells Gray Provincial Park.    We continued on paved roads to the turn to Helmcken Falls.    We parked in the lot there and enjoyed the viewing areas for the falls, but we continued on along the rim trail following the Murtle River down to the Confluence with the Clearwater River.   A signed single track follows the edge/rim of the lava cliffs bearing west, then contours north above the Clearwater River,  with many views down into the canyon.   There are no guard rails on this section of the trail, making it unsuitable for dogs or children, and even experienced hikers have to be cautious along this part of the trail. Any hike … Continue reading →