Spectrum Lake is located within Monashee Provincial Park. This hike is the perfect first time backpacking trip. From the parking lot to Spectrum Lake, the trail is 6km with 270 metres of elevation gain. The return trip is 6km with 100 metres of elevation gain. The trail is well maintained. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Spectrum Lake is nestled among beautiful mountains. The campsites are spread around the shore. There is a group camping area and individual campsites. The cam

At 2,380 metres, Sunny Peak is located in the Pinnacle Hiking area in the southern Monashee Mountains. Unlike some of the surrounding mountains, it does not have any permanent snow or small glaciers. The views from Sunny Peak are spectacular. The Hike Begin by driving to the trail-head for Monashee Lake (see South Pinnacle Traverse for details). From Monashee Lake, I could see the Middle Pinnacle (centre of the photo below). To reach Sunny Peak, I traversed around the left si

Twin Lakes are nestled below Boulder Mountain in the Pinnacle Hiking Area in the Monashee Mountains. Twin Lakes are a popular spot for hikers and backpackers who want to enjoy the alpine wilderness. The Hike To reach Twin Lakes, we drove toward Cherryville, passing Frank's Store and Sugar Lake road. We continued along Highway 6 until we got to the North Fork road. We continued along North Fork road then made a left turn onto North Fork Forest Service road. We continued along

Mount Beaven is located in the Monashee mountains in the Pinnacle Hiking area. From the ridge to Mount Beaven, you can see many surrounding mountains like the North Pinnacle and Mount Severide. The Hike To reach the trail-head, drive toward Cherryville, BC onward to the South Fork Forest Service Road (FSR). In recent years, be aware that the start of the FSR has been rerouted further south. The drive to the trail-head is straightforward; during the weekdays, there may be logg

Vista Pass is at the southern end of the Pinnacles in the southern Monashee mountains. The pass provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and peaks. In the photo below, you can see the south-face of the South Pinnacle (left side). The Hike To reach the trail-head, drive toward Cherryville, BC onward to the South Fork Forest Service Road (FSR). In recent years, be aware that the start of the FSR has been rerouted further south. The drive to the trail-head is straig

Fawn Lakes are located in Monashee Provincial Park. The park contains vast forests of old growth cedar, spruce and hemlock. You'll move through forests into sub-alpine, alpine meadows toward the jagged peaks. The park hosts abundant wildlife and spectacular wildflowers. The Hike To reach the trail-head for Monashee Provincial Park, you'll drive toward Cherryville. Before reaching Cherryville, you'll turn left by Frank's store. For the first part, this road is paved. It transi

The Mark Berger Traverse is a route along the spine of the Pinnacles. It was created in memory of Mark Berger who was a popular leader of the Vernon Outdoors Club. The traverse covers approximately 20km between Twin Lakes and Monashee Lake. There isn't a trail and markings (e.g., cairns) are few along the route. After leaving Twin Lakes or Monashee Lake, the route feels remote. It's unlikely that you'll see other people along it. You may encounter grizzlies and mountain goats

Mount Fosthall (2686 metres) is the highest mountain in Monashee Provincial Park. There are many routes to reach the summit (e.g., south ridge, east ridge, west ridge and north face). You can access Mount Fosthall from Sol Mountain Lodge. In this report, I detail the south ridge from the Monashee Provincial Park - Spectrum Lake parking lot. The Hike To reach the trail-head for Spectrum Lake - Monashee Provincial Park, I drove toward Cherryville. Before reaching Cherryville, I

Mount Tsuius (2487 metres) is a prominent peak in the Monashee mountains. From the summit, Mount Tsuius provides a panorama view of nearby mountains in the Gold Range (e.g., Mounts Fosthall, Mount Odin, Kelly Peak, Gates Peak, Mount Thor, Mount Severide and others). The Hike To reach the trail-head for Mount Tsuius, you need to drive toward Cherryville. At Frank's General Store, I turned left on Sugar Lake Road. Follow this road past Sugar Lake to the Monashee Powdercats Lod

Mount Severide (2571 metres) is the second highest peak in the Pinnacle Hiking area in the southern Monashee Mountains. Mount Severide has retained the remnants of a glacier on its north-face. In the last 4 years, the glacier has rapidly melted. There are many options to ascend Mount Severide. Beginning at Monashee Lake, you can ascend via the east ridge. Beginning at Monashee Lake, you can ascend the east ridge then drop down into the bowl in front of the north-face. Then, y

Twin Lakes is nestled below Boulder Mountain and Lakeview Mountain in the Southern Monashee Mountains. The Hike To reach the trail-head for Twin Lakes, I drove toward Cherryville onward to the North Fork Forest Service Road. This is a popular hiking area; the parking lot is often busy. From the parking lot, the trail ascends through forest into sub-alpine meadows to the lake. From the lake, I hiked toward Boulder Mountain by traversing to the left side of the lake. I followe

The South Pinnacle is 2544 metre nestled behind the Middle Pinnacle (2515 metre) nearby Monashee Lake located in the southern Monashee Mountains. The South Pinnacle Traverse is located in the Pinnacle Hiking Area within a few hours drive from Vernon, BC. The Hike To reach the trail-head, drive toward Cherryville, BC onward to the South Fork Forest Service Road (FSR). In recent years, be aware that the start of the FSR has been rerouted further south. The drive to the trail-he