Tag Archives: Wells Gray Park

Eagle’s View above Clearwater Lake

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On a warm summer day in a part of the province that was not wrapped in smoke, I drove north through Wells Gray Park to the the end of the road.      At the boat launch I got into my kayak, then I paddled up the lake, heading north for 6 km.    The plan was to land at the beach of a marine campsite, then hike a signed trail up to a viewpoint overlooking the lake.   I had done this exact route a few years ago, but Clearwater Lake is my favorite lake, so it was a repeat, but one I was pleased to do again.   

The lake was calm as I kayaked to Divers Bluff Marine Campsite on the west side of Clearwater Lake.     There were a number of canoes on the lake heading up to one of 8 marine campsites spaced along the lake where there are beaches on the 23 km long shoreline, and a handful had landed on the beach for a break before moving on.      

After landing on the beach, I secured the boat, then started the hike up to the lookout.   The first part of the trail winds through cedar – hemlock – birch forest, heading northeast.    The last kilometer was steep,  and it has a couple of short scrambles to get to the top of rocky bluffs,  with views down the lake.     There are some glimpses to the east too, with Zodiac Mountain (2480 m or 8136 ft) and Azure Mountain (2495 m or 8185 ft), standing high above the forests, in inaccessible areas in the Cariboo Mountain Range.  

On the way up the lake more than 20 km away to the north are peaks above Azure Lake, with Mt. Huntley (2429 m) and Garnet Peak (2876 m or 9446 feet).    We once hiked up on to Mt. Huntley from Azure Lake, a very hard all-day hike and scramble.    

After having lunch on the beach and finding a geocache, I Ioaded the boat and started the journey back.   The 6 km back down the lake had a bit of afternoon wind, and it was done at a more leisurely pace.   This is a fine destination for a day in Wells Gray Park, but it is a long day, with many miles of travel required.  

Shared here are some photos from the paddle on Clearwater Lake and the hike up the Eagle’s View Trail.    Click any image for a link to the Google Photos album (inc. captions) or scroll through the slideshow, embedded here.

Two videos are available on YouTube – Eagle’s View Trail and a new one – Eagle’s View Trail above Clearwater Lake.

Cwem Cwem Lake Hike

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Cwem Cwem Lake is an alpine tarn in a rocky plateau area right below Trophy Mountain.     Whereas most hikers go up the Trophy Mountain Trail through the alpine meadows to Plateau of the Tarns in a cirque below Long Hill and the West Trophy Peak, Cwem Cwem requires scrambling down a creek gully and climbing back up to the east.   There is no trail, but there may be a few cairns along the route.     The best route is to go to the last tarn below Trophy Two (West Trophy), then descend the creek gully down to the Silvertip Creek Valley.    Go upstream, following the creek to Cwem Cwem Lake.   The lake seems like an idyllic spot for … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

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 →