Jim Kelly Peak

Jim Kelly Peak is located in Illal meadows nearby Coquihalla Mountain and Illal Mountain. This peak has become a popular destination for hikers and scramblers in recent years. It is a class 2+ scramble. Most of the route is walking up scree with a few moves that require use of hands. With its location close to popular camping locations, I suspect it sees a lot of traffic now. When I completed this hike in 2021, I found it more enjoyable because there was far less loose rock. I think the Coquihalla Mountain Traverse is the best route in the area. If you're going to pick one route, I would focus on the Coquihalla Mountain Traverse.

The Hike

To reach the trail head, I followed the directions from my post about the Coquihalla Mountain Traverse. https://www.mountainnotebook.ca/post/coquihalla-mountain-traverse

Once we reached the trail head, there is a large parking lot with plenty of space.

Over the last few years, the forest has slowly started to reclaim the old road. When I first hiked Jim Kelly Peak, hikers could still drive their vehicle up the road albeit with scratches. Now the road is not passable.

It appears there has been a small slide that has covered the road in debris. Not a problem to walk around.

Most of the trail is quite enjoyable to hike.

The creek provides a nice place to cool off before continuing to Illal meadows.

The trail climbs steadily but it never feels difficult.

Beautiful views along the way...

The flowers were in bloom.

Making our way toward Jim Kelly Peak.

Crossing some lingering snow...

The path to the start of the scramble/hike to Jim Kelly Peak is very well worn.

The path to the top (false summit in the photo below) follows the obvious line to the right then swings back to the left. From there, it's a pick your own adventure. We scrambled between some rocks with a few 'moves.' Most routes are class 2+ but you could find class 3 if you looked for it. After reaching the top of the false summit, there are few more easy steps before reaching the summit.

With the increase in traffic on this peak, there is plenty of loose rock. When other people are on the mountain falling rock may be an issue. While the views are beautiful, I didn't really enjoy the loose rock. Once into the scrambling section, the rock is a bit better. With that said, I found the rock on Coquihalla Mountain Traverse stable and secure. While it's more difficult, I think the Coquihalla Mountain Traverse is a much better experience.

Final Thoughts

Jim Kelly Peak is conveniently located nearby camping spots in Illal meadows. It provides an accessible class 2+ objective. With that said, if you only have time for one route, I would focus your time on the Coquihalla Mountain Traverse. After completing many of the routes in the area, I think it's the best route.