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Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
After a week of rain, 2 days of perfect weather was forecasted for the Coquihala area. We loaded up the car for an extended road trip. Ultimately we changed courses several times during this trip, dodging the bad weather.
6-30
Guanaco Peak – 6978'
Tucked back behind the highway to the north, Guanaco is the highest peak in the Coquihalla area. A guanaco is a camelid animal indigenous to South America and a number of other nearby peaks share this naming theme.
Guanaco Alpaca turn left Vicuna Vicuna
We hiked a brushy logging road and turned left at a cairn, following climbers path to the alpine. Slabs galore! Vicuna looks very impressive, as well as Steinbok, Ibex and Chamois. We turned right near the saddle and went mostly class 1 and 2 to the summit. Lovely.
Guanaco Nak, Jim Kelly, Yak, Coquihalla Outram and Silvertip Slesse, Baker, Welch Steinbok, Ibex and Chamois Guanaco summit
Vicuna Peak – 6975'
I was fortunate to see a wild Vicuńa once in Bolivia. I missed my chance to climb the Vicuna Peak in Chile, so this was sort of a second chance. We returned to the saddle and encountered Rex, a man who has contributed a lot to south BC peakbagging information.
Rex near the summit crux above
Vicuna has a stiff class 4 crux. A chain dangles from a single bolt with a wire extension. Frances didn’t like the crux and decided to wait for me. I didn’t spend long on the summit. While descending we encountered Rex again. He had gone to do Guanaco 2nd and he was kind enough to drive us the last 3 or 4 miles of rough rough back to my car.
Frances at the crux summit Alpaca Steinbok, Ibex Guanaco Rex petroglyph
7-1
Needle Peak – 6857'
This peak south of Coquihalla pass is becoming quite popular in the BC hiking realm, and for good reason. The access is good, the trail pleasant, and the scramble is fun without any serious challenge. We ascended a north ridge on trail to where it intersects the upper west ridge. The scramble crux is long before the main summit block. Fixed line there.
Needle
For most of this ridge route, the key is to stay near the crest and not be tempted too far right. What appears from afar to be sketchy class 3 turns out to be 2 with short bits of easy 3. You will know you are on route if you pass through a slanted corridor and then go around a corner to find a chimney.
Yak, Markhor ridge Coquihalla Outram Welch, Cheam range Portia The Old Settler Clark, Grainger Vicuna, Guanaco Needle summit
The Flatiron – 6227'
We returned to the trail and followed it to Little Lake. This is an area of exceptional beauty. We ascended slabs above the lake to reach a broad summit with a repeater station.
Flatiron Needle Little Lake Yak, Needle
Portia Peak – 6102'
We followed the high alpine ridge to a deep saddle before heading up our final peak of the day. As we got closer to the peak, it looked more and more difficult. Some dense brush at the base, but gradually easier terrain higher up. Keep to climbers right of the main cliffs and slabs.
Portia Coquihalla summit Coquihalla Snass
On the way back down to the lake, Frances did her first steep glissade using an ice ax.
Yak
7-2
Larch Hills – 4616'
Oddly, I have counted more hiking days on this peak than any other, since some of my family lives in Canoe and as a child I would explore the logging roads with my cousin. But I had never been to the top, so Frances and I drove to within a 5 minute bushwhack. There are actually numerous larches right at the summit.
7-3
Morton Peak – 7382'
The first ultra of the trip. I was planning for about 6, but the weather didn’t allow it. We saw a bear on the drive in. This is a pleasant hike through alpine meadows rich with flowers. We came upon a well defined traverse trail which goes around the eastern false summits. Views of the Monashees were exciting for me, since I could see Begbie and Tilley, which I climbed with Steven, a few years ago.
Monashees with Tilley and Begbie lookout Jordan Range Monashees Morton Lake
Silver Star Mountain – 6198'
Started hiking near some ski resort housing and went up under a ski swath. The lifts near the summit were hoisting mountain biking people to the top of a vast trail system. Encountered gnomes along the way.
Tuktakamin Mountain – 5837'
Drive up. Views of Estekwalan.
7-4
Heavy rain without cease.
7-5
Rain continues.
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Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
7-6
Estekwalan Mountain – 5814'
A good trail leads to a volcanic ridge and then the false summit. We bushwhacked from there in dense brush. I’m so glad Frances doesn’t mind bushwhacking. She has lots of childhood experience, growing up in a hiking family.
Tuktukamin summit
Mount Ida East – 5161'
It came to my attention that the two peaks I did last summer might not be the highest summit of Ida. Somehow John and I and Rob all overlooked the distant east peak, which has a higher topo contour on some maps.
central peak showing
Fortunately this east peak has a trail to the summit, but the only access road, coming in from the east, is rougher the higher you go. After failing to drive up the west side roads which are newly bermed, we found our way to the trailhead. Bad mosqiutos.
7-7
Big White Mountain – 7595'
Another hike starting from ski area condominiums. We hiked directly toward the summit up an access road. Trail for the last tenth of a mile. Afterward we went to visit some of my family in Oyama.
Arthurs, Tanner, Cochrane family visit
7-8
Mount Kobau – 6138'
After a week of trying to wait out the unstable weather, hoping to climb the higher peaks, we ran out of time. I formed a new plan for our last few days starting with Kobau and goofing around in eastern WA. Not a preferred area for July, but you gotta take what you can get. Everything on this trip was determined by weather from start to finish.
Osoyoos Lake
Kobau was to be our last peak in Canada. There are four potential summits. The various maps do not reach a consensus about which one is higher. We visited all of them including the one which requires a short hike to a sitting bench. Good view of Windy Peak over the border in WA.
Windy Peak
Ellemeham Mountain – 4659'
Drove up rough roads to a 2 minute hike to the summit.
Aeneas
Aeneas Mountain – 5167'
Parked near a lake and hiked up a pleasant road on the south side. Asked some people at the house next to the first unlocked gate if this was the right road to the lookout and they said yes. At the second gate, which is locked, you want the left side road.
On the summit, Larry invited us into his living quarters in the lookout. He has a nice dog. It’s his fifth summer working for DNR up there. In conversation, he mentioned Eric Willhite, the lookout historian who also visited this peak. I told him Eric is a friend of mine. Small world.
Tunk Mountain – 6053'
Drive up.
Annie Bonaparte
Mount Annie – 6055'
Don’t bother following the old road the last mile or so to the summit. The blow-down on this peak is horrendous.
7-9
Copper Butte – 7140'
Last year I wanted to traverse from Scar Mountain, but a blizzard with lightning stopped me. Frances and I hiked up the old road/trail and then I left her on the summit so I would have time to explore Midnight.
summit
Midnight Mountain – 6660'
The way I went up from the saddle is no good. Bad blow-down. It’s better if you follow the crest trail onto the west side and then turn up slope at the first big opening. I came down that way. Nice flowers up top. The actual summit is further west, beyond the cairn and register. On the way down I encountered a bear.
Copper from Midnight
Abercrombie Mountain – 7308'
So far from Puget Sound, this one has been neglected for too long. The trail through the forest features bear grass and the upper slopes were blooming in many other varieties. Red mites were crawling all over my snow baskets.
Heading down, we noted that something had chewed up a bunch of the bear grass while we were up top, and severed stalks were scattered all over the ground. We also saw some scratches on a tree, above head level.
Lime Creek Mountain – 4739'
Drove a rough road to 4400 feet. Several sections of road are in the process of washout, the worst at 3200 feet. This might be the last year you can drive up here. There’s a short bushwack at the end and a brushy broad top. Dense Indian paintbrush.
summit
7-10
Rogers Benchmark – 5775'
Trail hike through forest to an old lookout site. Switchbacks, easy grade, yawn.
Old Dominion
Old Dominion Mountain – 5773'
Drive up to summit. Rough road. One narrow exposed section.
Abercrombie
Monumental Mountain – 5534'
Time for one more drive-up and short walk before the long drive back to Edmonds.
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olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7687 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
Interesting. It's purely anecdotal but it seems to me beargrass doesn't grow much north of Hwy 2 in the Cascades. This is well further north of that. I love beargrass, but most of my hiking is out of its range.
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El Puma Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 341 | TRs | Pics Location: Inside, wanting outside |
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El Puma
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Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:30 pm
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Hey Adam-
What a great adventure, and what a coincidence... I flew over this area just today on the way back from Amsterdam (we were routed well west of our standard arrival path) and really noticed this peak group for the first time! Editing the images, I consulted Google Earth to find out where they are.
Then I googled info and your TR came up! Thanks for your info - looks like a lesser-traveled area and as such something very interesting.
Due to flight deck window distortion and crappy noon light, the pics leave a lot to be desired ... but maybe you recognize something !
Cheers-
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Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
How awesome to see this area from the air. Thanks for sharing those photos! 🙂
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Fri Jul 26, 2019 10:54 pm
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Great bunch of peaks. I like the look of those Canadian summits. I may have to venture up that way someday.
Edit: I now realize that I biked over the summit there during a cross-Canada trip in 2011 and vowed to return someday. Thanks for the reminder. I knew it was nice but never imagined it was that awesome
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