Feb. 2, 2024
Stats: 16.5 km / 775m gain / 1839m high / 5:15 hours MT
This was my first snowshoe of the season, having missed the cold snap while we were in the Galapagos Islands. But after the freezing, the unusually warm temperatures returned. Only 3 of the 18 hikers started out with snowshoes on but we all had them on before we reached the summit.
At first the trail follows alongside the Similkameen River, before angling upwards on broad switchbacks 2.1 km from the start.
The snow was crunchy and hard, having melted and then frozen again.
Careful steps were taken while balancing on a slippery log. Rather challenging with snowshoes on.
Between the beginning and end of this route, there's not much of a view. But once you're on top, wow!
This fire lookout was named after Joe Hilton who worked at Manning Park building many trails from 1946-1975. It was built in 1950 but in 1963 a larger one was built to replace this one by Monument 83. There's over 300 fire lookouts in BC but only 25 are still staffed.
The North Cascades: Winthrop Mt. to the right (2395m) -- south.
Castle Peak (2532m) + Frosty (2250m) -- southeast
Checking out the top floor of the hut.
Group shot, left to right, back row: Tracy G, Owen W, Val S, Don F, Denise D, Paul L, Lori Y, Johnny G, Charlotte H, Dave B, Maurice D, Ingrid F, me
Front row: Janice H, John McL, Sue A, Christine C, Iraj F
south
Chuwaten Peak (2100m) to the right -- east.
View from the junction of Monument 78 & Frosty Mt. On the way up, it's just past the 5km mark.
This time Ingrid fell off but thankfully she just missed the creek.
John found this bottle in the hut. He said it wasn't there a month ago. I didn't trust it but Sue & Paul took a swig. Sue proclaimed through smacking lips, that it was indeed whisky.
Having started just beford 10:00am, we returned by 4:00pm. A longer day but no steep sections. It being on an old FSR, the grade was fairly gradual.
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