Bow Glacier Falls are located in Banff National Park. Emerging as melt-water from the Wapta Icefield, Bow Glacier Falls is the birth of the Bow River. The Bow Glacier Falls hike provides a hands-on experience with the source of water for many people. It highlights the importance of wilderness. The Hike To reach the trail-head, we drove along the Icefields Parkway until we got to the turnoff for Bow Lake. It is well signed. From the parking lot for Bow Lake, we walked around B

Rockbound Lake sits behind Castle Mountain in Banff National Park. The trail (19km out and back) is a steady climb through a diverse forest toward the cliffs of Castle Mountain. From there, the trail crosses into open meadows alongside Tower Lake. Circumventing Tower Lake, the trail ascends a short cliff band to Rockbound Lake (picture below). The Hike To reach the trail-head from Banff, drive for approximately 25mins along hwy 1A. The parking lot for Rockbound lake is well m

Zupjok Peak (1,835 metres) is mountain located along the northwestern boundary of the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, in the North Cascades of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The hike to the summit of Zupjok Peak is approximately 10km out and back with 700 metres of elevation gain. The Hike To reach the trail-head, drive to the Zopkios rest area on the Coquihalla Highway. From the rest area, we walked past the washrooms. We found the trail shortly afterwards. After

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

Lake of the Woods and the Rim trail are located in Cathedral Provincial Park. The park is an expanse of mountain peaks, lakes, and alpine meadows. Nestled between the thick forests of the Cascade Mountains and dry environment of the Okanagan Valley, the park offers a diversity of plants, animals and mountainous terrain. To access the park, we travelled via hwy 3 to Keremeos, B.C. Three kms west of Keremeos, Ashnola Road leaves the highway. After traveling another 10km along p

Poland Lake is an easy day hike on a well-established trail through pine forest in Manning Provincial Park. Poland Lake offers peaceful camping and opportunities for fishing. The campsites are nearby the lake. They have access to a bear cache, fire pits, outhouse, and a small shelter. Poland Lake is an ideal overnight trip in the shoulder seasons. In the cooler times of year, there likely won't be any mosquitoes. It's a great introduction to backpacking for youth or adults al

Coquihalla Mountain (2157 metres) is an extinct stratovolcano nearby the Coquihalla Recreation Area. Coquihalla Mountain sits prominently above the surrounding mountains. It is visible from many directions (e.g., Coquihalla highway, nearby mountains and peaks). Unlike the Coquihalla Mountain Traverse, this route circumvents the east and central peaks to reach the south ridge. Then, it ascends to the summit of the west peak. For those who do not want the exposure of the Coquih

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

Vicuna Peak (2126 metres) is spectacular granite spire in the Coquihalla Recreation area. The easiest route way to the summit ascends via the NE Ridge from the col between Vicuna and Guanaco Peaks. Vicuna Peak is an enjoyable Class 3 scramble with a few class 4 moves. There is a fixed chain to help with the class 4 section. Of course, it's use is optional. The Hike To reach Vicuna Peak, I drove the Coldwater Forest Service Road to the Zum Peak Recreation Site. Coldwater FSR i

Mount Outram is a prominent 2,461 metre mountain located Manning Park in the Canadian Cascades of southwestern British Columbia. The Hike The hike up Mount Outram begins near the western gate for Manning Park. The is well maintained and easy to follow. Along the way, there is a sign sharing history about part of the trail. While the trail is easy to follow, the hike is nearly 20km with 1820 metres of elevation gain. However, in my experience, it never feels particularly steep

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

Coquihalla Mountain (2157 metres) is an extinct stratovolcano nearby the Coquihalla Recreation Area. Coquihalla Mountain sits prominently above the surrounding mountains. It is visible from many directions (e.g., Coquihalla highway, nearby mountains and peaks). In the not so distant past, Coquihalla Mountain harboured a permanent snow field on it's north side. Unlike the nearby solid granite spires of Yak Peak, Vicuna Peak and others, the rock found on Coquihalla Mountain is

Yak, Nak and Thar Peaks are summits located adjacent the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia north of Hope. As part of the Coquihalla Recreation Area, Yak Peak is a popular destination for hiking, scrambling and climbing. Nak and Thar Peaks are likely visited less often. The Hike Yak Peak sits alongside the Coquihalla Highway in the Coquihalla Recreation Area. Yak Peak boasts many climbing routes, scrambling opportunities and a straightforward easy scramble to the summit (

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

Cirque Peak is a 2,993 metre mountain located west of Dolomite Pass in the Bow River Valley accessible from the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. Cirque Peak is an aesthetically pleasing mountain nearby Helen Lake. The parking lot can fill up quickly so arrive early! Helen Lake The hike to Helen Lake is very straightforward. The Helen Lake Trail is located at a signed parking lot on the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93), right next to Bow Lake, and roughly 30km northwest of