2011 -- Backroads in the East and West Kootenay       

More on the Alki Creek cutting and repairing.

See also the notes below from Aug 18, 2011

The top bridge on the Alki creek trail has now been replaced. The Murphy creek route has been cleared of deadfall and the lower 1/3 of the route brushed out. Please note that Murphy creek is a route only and while much of the route has bits of trail to follow and red trail markers in place, there are no bridges across creeks and it is rough going in many places.

AA

West Fork of the St. Mary's River

and Dewar Creek

"The West fork of St. Mary road parallels the Dewar one major drainage to the west. This is the "main" branch of the St. Mary river, and hence the comment on getting to the source lake.

The West St. Mary is narrow but easily passable to within 3 kms of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. There are some rough patches with err os ion that are marked with flagging and/or require high clearance. The road gets very brushy starting about 5 or more km from the boundary and a slide path about 3kms back is covered in debris and is only passable with a quad (someone has cut short sections of the trees). The outfitter trail along the east side of the river branches off right from the old main road several hundred kms before the visible end of the old cuts. There is an not obvious yellow piece of flagging to mark it. The trail is grown in with waist high green veg. and there are many trees across it. No signs of the trail were seen north of the creek crossing about 3kms along, though intermittent ungulate trails helped a bit. A fit party took 3hrs to get to the bottom of the back bowl. The source lake of the St. Mary River was still ice covered on August 20.

The Dewar road is clear all the way to the Park boundary, though I haven't been on the Hot springs trail itself."

CF

Road to Lakit Lookout

"We were up to Lakit Lookout yesterday (Aug. 23). Again in my jeep. The road is clear all the way to the parking lot but the last few kilometers are very rough going - lots of potholes, sharp rock shelves and uneven road surface. Would be very hard in anything but a high clearance vehicle."

KW

The road gains about 3000 vertical feet (1000 metres) in 8 km.

Janice was up there Sept 9. The road is worse than I've ever seen it. Rough, jagged bedrock shelves, rocky, narrow and steep.

We parked the truck at the bottom and took our ATV up. It saves gas and our nerves trying to drive a scary road.

KW

JS

road to the Bugaboos

Road to Silver Basin

Heading to the Bugaboos, an old side branch road has been reacivated and may now be confusing.

16.9 km from the highway 95 at Brisco >> take the left fork uphill (avoid the reacivated Bugaboo Fly FSR on the right)

The road to Silver Basin "trail/route" has been brushed out and you can drive again without too many scratches from alders. The "trail" also now goes all the way up through the clearcut ... due to years of wear from hikers boots... It is now much easier to follow.

Janice will include these notes in the Updates from the 3rd Edition.

Thanks Janice

JS

Lake of the Hanging Glacier

"(AA and friends) We were up to Lake of the Hanging Glaciers Friday. The road is good but dusty all the way to the parking spot though high clearance is needed in a couple of spots after the Farnham creek turn-off. The trail is also good with no more than 4 or 5 trees across it. Flowers are excellent right now just below the lake and there were VERY recent bear diggings right beside the trail but no tracks in the mud and no droppings.. The old road section of the trail is getting quite brushy but is fine on a dry day. "

AA

Updates to Hiking Book

Estella Mine Road

"We made the trip into Estella mine yesterday for the first time. I believe your description is incorrect since I set my odometer at the beginning of Lewis Ck Forestry road and was at Estella by 17 km. You describe it as being 16.9 km from the Mt Stevens trailhead but I think you must mean 16.9 km from the start of the forestry road. Also the right fork at 7.9 km must be 7.9 km from the start of the forestry road (and not 7.9km past the Mt Stevens trailhead).
We were able to drive all the way in comfortably in my jeep. The road is in good shape. A rock slide that (I'm told) formerly covered part of the road has been leveled and it is now easy to drive over.
Great book! " sent by KW

Janice will include these notes in the Updates from the 3rd Edition.

Thanks Janice

KW

Evans Mountain trail and road

Upper Hour Glass Lake

Alki Creek

"We (AA and friends) were up the Mount Evans trail then to the summit last week. The road is good with a couple of bits of brush hanging over the side road to the parking spot. The trail to the basin is excellent while the trail from the mine workings up to the ridge has quite a lot of deadfall on it and lots of brush higher up. No snow to cross to the summit."

"(AA and friends) Yesterday (August 16), we were up to upper Hourglass lake. The road is in decent shape to the parking spot while the trail has no more than 6 or so trees across it. Again there is no snow to cross though there are a few patches at the end of the upper lake. Lots of huckleberries ready to ripen but none ripe yet so no bear sign. "

"(AA and friends) Alki Creek has been cleared of deadfall and some brush taken out and the bridge above the old camp replaced. Both forks of Pyramid creek have been cleared of deadfall. Apparently the Murphy creek alpine route has a significant amount of deadfall and brush but it has been used by at least one party this season. We still hope to clear it this season but other trail work has been a higher priority."

Links to the
Alki Creek Hike from Janice Strong's 2nd edition and a Forestry Map of the Area.

Notes about the trail from AA.

AA

Connor Lake

from the North Fork of the White River FSR

The trail up the cut line is quite steep. The area has been burned several times, most recently 2003 or so. Now has 3' trees. Lots of berries and bear scat.
Cannot photo Connor lakes from above because still lots of dead trees
About 100m extra of elevation to peak of up and down on 450m
Lots of horse manure on trail.

I would not recommend day hike for photos on Connor from Kootenay direction because tough and no high lookout view of Connor Lakes. It is tougher than most equivalent trails.

"The trail is still as Janice described in the 2nd Edition of Mountain Footsteps", but Janice deleted the hike from the 3rd Edition due to conditions of trail and recent fire.

ST

Road to the Russell Lake Route

along the Middle White River FSR

Yesterday we drove to Russell Lake trailhead. At 66km the road was impassable with my jeep. Ice and trees from a winter avalanche covers the road. You could get by with an ATV but not with car. I estimate a couple more weeks or bring shovels and expect to shovel for a couple of hours.

ST

Grey Creek Pass Now open
As of Aug. 8,

Grey Creek Pass is still closed due to snow at 11.0km. Next week the Kootenay Lake Forest District will be closing their side of the pass due to some major road problems and subsequent reconstruction activities. They are looking at starting on July 18-and delayed opening date of August 8, 2011.

BCFS

Jumbo Pass Road is opening Aug. 12, 2011

Road open Aug. 12, .... Bridge repaired ... Jumbo Pass road is open to 13.1km bridge and this bridge will be pulled as it is collapsing.

Bridge repaired .... The Leona Creek bridge at the 13.5 km mark on the Jumbo Forest Service Road remains impassable. There is no bridge at the site. A high water ford of Leona Creek is required to access the Jumbo Pass Trailhead which is located 2km beyond the crossing.

BCFS

Brewer Creek Road in OK shape. Still very rough after the bridge, but still drivable.

Brewer Creek hike is busy and the trail is more defined than it had been in previous years. Road is still high clearance, but you may be able to use 2 wheel drive.

AC

Bull River to Van Creek open
for the Cliff Lake Hike

Van Creek Road open as there is logging going on, careful driving the narrow road with logging truck traffic.

The Cliff Lake route has been recently flagged beyond the waterfall. The water is still very high in the tiny Carrot Lake so the hikers have to bushwhack up into the bush for some of the hike. You have to scramble up the gigantic boulder at the end of the small lake, even to reach the meadows with the waterfalls.

ML

Meachen Creek FSR open

Meachen Creek FSR is open.

BCFS

Fisher Peak Mause Creek Road

Fisher Peak Mause Creek Road is open

But is still very rough with sharp rocks, deep waterbars and mud near the Mause parking lot.

JS and

BCFS

North Fork of the White River FSR

The North Fork of the White River FSR is closed by an avalanche at 66.2 km. It is fairly solid (more ice than snow) and averages about 8ft deep and 10-12ft at the deepest. As the road is partially shaded at that location this avalanche may not melt through the summer or at least not soon.
I believe this is about 10-15km from the end of the road.

DC-BCFS

Hartley Lake Road

Hartley/Sulphur road is open.

BCFS

Horsethief Creek Road

Horsethief Creek is open to Lake of the Hanging Glacier.

BCFS

Saddleback Hike

Diorite Lake

(DD and friends) "We were up to the Saddleback and the ridges Wednesday and encountered a fair amount of snow on the trail at 7000 ft though we were able to pick our way around. "

"Diorite Lake was still pretty much ice covered and there is plenty of snow and cornices on the leeward side of all the ridges towards Teepee Mountain."

DD

Evans Mt Road Access

In 2010 local citizens cut out the overgrown road access to the Evans Mountain Trail. The trail is in excellent shape and is a great hike, but the road keeps becoming overgrown with alders.

If you want to keep this access open, the users are required to maintain the road with annual cutting. It may require a chain saw. Please everyone help out.

Evans Mt. Road work from 2010

DD

Wildhorse Creek FSR and Bear Lake Road/Trail

Picture of Rock on Road.

2 feet of Snow still all over the slopes along the Bear Lake Trail. Above 6500 ft elevation there is no visible ground - it is all deep snow. We did not make it to the lake as it is still likely winter up there as well.

Mid July -- road is open!!

The Wildhorse Creek FSR is deteriorating more than last year. The road now has many sloping sidehills hanging over the turbulent creek along the narrow one lane road beyond 15 km marker. The road now requires high clearance 4x4 and skilled driving, as the sloping sidedhills are precarious.

The Bear Lake Road is very rough. About .8 km up the switchback section a massive boulder (larger than a pickup truck) will limit very large vehicles from proceeding. Normal trucks may squeeze between the ditch filled with alders and boulder.

Also an avalanche has ripped out dozens of trees near the Bear Lake parking lot. It is drivable but needs careful negotiating around the uneven sidehill and rough ground. Many people have hand pulled away the forest debris to clear a route.

Several users are now using "Off-Road" vehicles, ATVs and dirt bikes to drive the Wildhorse and Bear Lake Roads.

Drivers need extra care as you may approach oncoming traffic and off road vehicles on this busy road anytime!

JS

and

BCFS

Grey Creek Pass

Grey Creek Pass is only open to 3.5km due to an avalanche (big one) it is also closed on the Kootenay Lake side due to a major road problem and won't be fixed at the earliest until mid July.

BCFS

Mause Creek Road
to Fisher Peak trailhead and Mause Creek

Road to Fisher Peak is closed at 5.2km due to an avalanche. (trailhead is at 6.0)

Mause Creek access is therefore also closed at is it farther up the same road.

BCFS

Update on Evan Mountain
trail and Road
Meachen Creek, South Purcells,

Horsethief FSR Welsh Lakes Thunderwater Rd