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Monday, September 7, 2026
Squamish Headwaters - via Squamish Main FSR, July 2025
Always been a bit curious about this one. A major icefield, reasonably close to a major metropolitan area, almost entirely encircled by forest service roads and the source of most of the water feeding the mighty Squamish River. Yes, the Pemberton Icefield is frequently traversed by snowmobiles in the winter, but summertime access is another story entirely. When tales of a rough trail into the zone starting from the literal end of the Squamish Main FSR began emerging, I knew I needed to pounce before the road heaven forbid got washed out again!
Our original plan was for Numbers Peak, initially as an overnighter, but we compressed it into a one-dayer due to a deteriorating weather forecast for our second day. Together with Gina and Ling, we decided to go anyway and see how far we could get. Either way, the views certainly wouldn't disappoint. We ended up calling it at the base of the peak, as time was getting away from us and I was starting to get a faint whiff of a sufferfest in the making. At our average pace, I'd conservatively guestimate another four hours round trip from that point, making for a 14-to-15-hour day and at least 2,100 m of gain (~6900 feet). Note that we did burn an hour-plus faffing about checking out the glacier snout and poking around on Little Ring as a consolation, bringing our total to 11 hours.
FSR/Drive - The Squamish FSR was in decent shape all the way to the end, all things considered, with a few water bars but nothing an SUV should have much trouble with. We parked at the drivable end of S-913, right before a giant split log spanning the road. Much to our surprise, there were already two other vehicles parked there.
Approach - We initially got suckered by some blue flagging leading off to the left and up into the forest, spending the next while making an ascending, semi-bushwhacky traverse before eventually intersecting the "proper" pink-flagged route. I don't recommend repeating this.
We did much better on the return, so here's the skinny: proceed past the split log to the very top of the cutblock beyond. There are numerous ribbons around the trees here, although it's impossible to tell whether they're intended to mark the route or simply delineate the periphery of the cutblock (likely the latter). Either way, go on faith and proceed up and right until reaching the edge of a significant creek/ravine (McKenzie Creek?). Follow the edge upward and, in short order, you'll locate the ribbons. They can be difficult to spot at times, but rest assured they're there.
The route is essentially a flagged bushwhack—mostly through blueberry bushes—rather than a trail per se. The ribbon route generally keeps the creek within earshot as it continues up and right for much of the approach, eventually leaving the creek area as treeline approaches. Here it makes a sharp jog to the left toward a minor boulder field, which can then be easily followed upward into the alpine below Little Ring.
Alpine - Getting around Little Ring is a pain. You have to go up and over the east shoulder, and my instinct was to minimize the elevation gain/loss as much as possible. Unfortunately, traversing all that loose volcanic choss proved far more tedious than expected. We eventually opted for a gully where the footing was better, topping out on the shoulder more than 100 m higher than originally planned. From there came a soul-crushing 300 m descent to the flats below Numbers' west slopes. We called it here.
The route we had in mind traverses up and left from this point across vegetated and somewhat steep slopes, as described in Stephen Robs' 2024 report posted to the SSWBC Group on FB. I'm thinking spikes would be helpful for what appears to be a long and likely greasy traverse—not something I'd be particularly happy about in wet conditions.
We encountered a party of two returning from exploring the glacier snout; they had spent the previous night camped at the large lake ESE of Little Ring. We later encountered another group of three farting around below Little Ring, with, unbelievably, a small wiener dog or similar breed in tow. How that poor thing managed to make it through all that bush and rough terrain is a mystery to me.
Famine Peak, just beyond Numbers, somehow caught my eye while we were up there. Might make for a neat overnighter once the memories of the interminable drive up the FSR and approach thrash have faded a bit!
Went for this as a weekend smash 'n grab, having been on the list for ages. Interminably long drive via Hwy3, via Osoyoos (great views of the lake there en route) and beyond to the Slocan Valley. Ugh! Anyway, a few observations that weren't readily apparent from the reports I'd found online:
Parking - It's a bit of a shitshow on a busy summer weekend. The trailhead parking is sloped, making a car camp less than ideal for anyone looking for a restful night after the long drive from Vancouver. If you want to avoid the short bit of pinstriping, park down at the final switchback—it only adds about five minutes of hiking. The road is (was?) otherwise in decent shape, and I'd dare say a sedan could make it without too much trouble.
Approach - Avoid the temptation to follow the trail all the way to the snowfield just below the camping area. It's better to leave the trail early and traverse the open slopes to the right, minimizing the loss and regain across the large gully below the peak's prominent South Ridge. The East Ledges remain mostly hidden during the approach, with the first glimpse coming upon gaining the Gimli-Wolfs Ears saddle. Beware the large cornice overhanging the north side.
Route - A bit of a route-finding puzzle. Initially, stay left of the dark rock towers. Just beyond lies a headwall of lighter-coloured rock that looks like it might require difficult climbing. Instead, look left for a weakness that allows you to gain the top of this feature; you may need to descend a little before finding the easiest line. Easy climbing from there, staying on the crest as much as possible.
I encountered one small snow patch—maybe ten footsteps across—that was easily avoided on the return. Ice axe and crampons came along mainly as training weight. The route then angles upward through a series of pitches toward the top, where the rock turns dark again. This section is well marked with cairns and zigzags along ledges, all relatively easy. The final ledge traverses rightward and is the most exposed part of the route, though it's short-lived—somewhat reminiscent of the crux on the Joffre scramble, IMO. Suddenly you're on the large summit plateau, with the giant cairn visible just ahead and to the left.
Nobody else was on the route that day, although I encountered one party in the lower talus zone making a second attempt after failing to figure out the route the previous day. Plenty of rock climbers were also around, as one might expect.
A six(ish)-hour round-trip time reported by others is impressive! It took me a good hour or so longer, although I did traverse a little too high from the camping area and had to backtrack. Either way, a fantastic introduction to Valhalla Provincial Park!
Not much out there that I can find describing this one, although I'm sure it gets done. "Bird" is a provisional name, according to Peakbagger, for the summit just north of the pass upstream of Fowl Lake along the Owl-Tenquille Traverse route. There's an obvious avian theme to the names around here, although this one could have used a little more imagination IMO—"Bald Eagle Peak" comes to mind. Fittingly, I even spotted one flying over one of the lakes on my way out.
Anywho, this one came to me while lying in bed one morning with no agenda other than feeling compelled to get outside and do something on an otherwise perfectly good July weekend. My curiosity had been piqued after looking across at Fowl Peak from Ronayne earlier in June, so with good trail access and having never been into this particular corner of the range before, I figured I might as well go see something new.
Rolled outta bed well rested at 8:30, hit the road around 9ish, and made it to the Chain Lakes trailhead at a very agreeable crack of 12:30 (4x4 required). Heck, it stays light until nearly 10 p.m. that time of year, so I still had plenty of daylight to work with for a solid day hike. The trail was in excellent shape and had seen recent maintenance, with all the fallen logs cut and moved out of the way. Up into the lakes basin, where the views from Fowl Lake and onward are simply stunning. Big-ass lake—probably big enough for a Twin Otter to take off from!
Continued upward on a somewhat less-defined trail to the upper lake, then contoured around its north side, which was somewhat annoying, to reach the talus basin below the pass. Up along the watercourse in the centre and soon enough I reached the pass.
I considered going for slightly higher Fowl Peak, but the topo contours suggested something considerably less involved than what I saw in front of me. It certainly goes but entailed more dealing than I was expecting. I was also getting close to my turnaround time, and the weather seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. I narrowly escaped a thunderstorm the last time I was in the area and had no interest in a long hike out in the rain. So, I opted for the obvious peak immediately north of the pass instead. It's only ~25 feet lower and probably has better views anyway. A smidge over four hours to get there.
Started back down after about 15 minutes on top, wanting to get out before dark. No issues there, reaching the trailhead just after 9 p.m. with daylight to spare for the drive down the FSR and back into Pemberton. Curiously, there were hardly any bugs until reaching the talus area below the pass on the way in, but my oh my were they THIRSTY on the return. No time to stop and take a piss even! To be expected, I suppose, considering the time of year and all the lakes around. Better once back in the Chain Lakes basin, but then back in full force at the truck!
About 21 kilometres round trip and 3,300 feet of vert, not including all the ups and downs, of which there are plenty. This trip exceeded my expectations, as the scenery is top-notch. Definitely an area that deserves far more attention than it apparently gets.
Ample Mountain - West Route via Seton Retask Road, June 2025
Rising from the east end of Seton Lake and visible from Highway 99 shortly before Lillooet when approaching from the south, Ample Mountain is a lesser peak surrounded by local giants but with surprisingly excellent views. Furthermore, the stats—about 4 kilometres round trip and 1,500 feet of gain—make for a very reasonable outing, especially well suited to those looking for an easier hike after climbing Mount Athelstan the day before, for example!
Most of the elevation gain is done on the Seton Retask Road, which I took to reach the trailhead. This road remains a bit of an enigma to me, considering how seemingly unsuitable the steep, rocky slope immediately west of the highway appears for such a road. But rest assured, it exists and is actually quite good by SWBC FSR standards, providing access to the popular Seton Ridge Trailhead en route to the comparatively obscure one used for Ample. Continue a short distance beyond the trailhead to a large landing and parking area, complete with outstanding views overlooking Seton Lake. This would make an excellent car-camping spot for anyone coming in the night before—a room with a view!
With the truck parked at said landing, I proceeded a short distance back down the road before turning left onto what remains of an old spur, now forming the initial part of the Ample trail. A short distance later, I turned up and left into the forest, following a worn path as it switchbacked up the peak's gentle Northwest Ridge. The path is easy to lose, which was exactly what happened to me, as I was suckered a little too far right toward Ample's cliffy South Face by game trails and whatnot. Even so, this turned out to be a decent way up the mountain, with a few views along the way making up for the minor detour.
Eventually, all trails and paths converged onto the sharpening crest of the West Ridge, with the rocky summit ridge and various false summits now coming into view. This is also where the route becomes festooned with giant "toothpicks"—bare, bleached trees, some still standing but most fallen and lying across the route. Somewhat tedious, but not terrible. At the first opportunity, I scrambled up the rock tower ahead for some enjoyable climbing, mercifully free of all the pickup sticks. Down the backside, only to find another false summit beyond. This one was best traversed below to the right, as it looked somewhat more difficult and exposed to climb over than the first.
From the final saddle, the remaining distance to the true summit was a simple matter of putting one foot in front of the other, and I reached the top a mere two hours after leaving the truck. The 360-degree view from up there was excellent, particularly toward Mission Ridge, stretching from Puck at its western end to The Nipple and McLean farther east. There was also a great view southward up both Phair Creek and Cayoosh Creek valleys. The mighty Mount Brew stood proud directly to the south-southwest, with downtown Lillooet and the Fraser River Valley showing nicely through the narrow gap at the confluence of the Seton and Fraser Rivers.
The standout, however, was without question the view overlooking Seton Lake—and for me, that was the reason for doing this hike in the first place.
I wandered around up there for about 30 minutes, taking in the scenery from every conceivable angle before starting back down. This time I managed to stick to the trail, returning to the truck just before 5 p.m. Now, that may seem rather late for such a short hike, but considering I didn't get started until a very Mediterranean 12:30, I'd say it amounts to a very civilized and high-value day hike!
Mount Athelstan - South Route via Upper Lillooet FSR, June 2025
Athelstan has been on my mind for ages, especially after gazing across at it from the Pebble Peak area some years back. The south route described here is direct, steep, and relentless, with a reputation for exhausting "two steps forward, one step back" pumice slogging. Tackling it in early summer avoids much of that nonsense, as snow still blankets the worst sections. Better yet, it makes for one long-ass glissade on the way back!
I parked about five minutes short of the mine gate near the end of the Upper Lillooet River FSR, as the road has become eroded with a deep ditch running across it. Probably manageable in a 4x4, but I didn't feel like risking it, and it adds very little to the overall day anyway. From there, I headed through the mine site, taking a direct line toward the timbered (now mostly burned) spur leading into the alpine below the peak. Finding the best place to cross the two ravines before reaching the spur is key, as it keeps both the bushwhacking and general faff to a minimum. Lower is definitely better, with less elevation loss and gentler sidewalls. About two hours brought me to the base of the moraine.
Then came the endless UP.
I slogged to the top of the main snowfield, where the dreaded pumice finally became unavoidable—fortunately not for long, as solid rock appears just to the left. At a snail's pace, I worked my way through this section before reaching a bench where the scrambling finally begins. The remainder of the route is best described as a series of scrambly steps separated by snow patches on the more level sections. There are a few steeper bits of rock here and there, but overall the exposure is moderate and well within the comfort zone of a competent scrambler.
A sizeable summit cornice was still hanging on, so I didn't dare venture beyond the cairn. The views, however, were outstanding in every direction, particularly toward the icefields and towering peaks to the northwest. Sampson, Thiassi, Ethelweard, Meager, Overseer, Pebble, and countless other familiar summits all showed up beautifully. I carried an ice axe and crampons but never felt the need to use either. The climb took a laborious six hours—ugh!—followed by a scorcher of a descent that, thankfully, included at least one glorious glissade. About ten hours round trip all told. Afterwards, it was off to the Duffey for the night before hiking Ample the following day.
Surprisingly reasonable stats for such a significant peak! For anyone considering Sampson but put off by reports of bushwhacking and its generally brutal approach, I'd strongly recommend Athelstan as an alternative. With the hike essentially starting from the driveable end of the FSR, it offers a wonderfully remote feel and an outstanding 360-degree panorama that would be hard to match anywhere else in the area.
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