Boundaries: North-south flowing Burton and Koch Creeks separate the Valkyr and Norns Ranges from the Valhallas. The Valkyr Range is west of these creeks and extends to Lower Arrow Lake in the west and south. The Norns Range is south of the bend of Koch Creek and is bounded in the south by Lower Arrow Lakes and the Columbia River. The map appears to consider these two ranges as subgroups of the Valhalla Ranges.
Burton Creek and Koch Creek share a common watershed on an east-west line across Mt Hilda, Mt Lequereux and McKean Lakes. Burton Creek flows due north to Lower Arrow Lake. The higher summits of the Valkyrs are just west of the heads of Koch and Burton Creeks in the north. There is no permanent snow. The rock is solid.
Trails here are mostly overgrown. Access is usually via roads branching from the Koch Creek logging road, such as up Airy, Russel, Grizzly and Dago Creeks. Trails go up Cayuse and Norns Creeks and there are roads in many of the valleys from Lower Arrow Lake on the west.
Maps: 82F/13 Burton, 82F/12 Passmore and 82E/16, 82E/9 Burrell Creek, 82E/8, 82F/5; BC Provincial maps, Slocan, Upper Kettle River; BC Forests brochure, Arrow and Kootenay Lake Forest Districts
Access
To access the southern Valhallas, the Valkyrs and Norns, drive south from New Denver or north from the Playmor Junction (between Nelson and Castlegar). The north part of each range is accessed from Koch Creek – the south part from Pass Creek Road and Arrow Lakes. Burton Creek FSR is the main access road from the Arrow Lake side of the watershed.
North Access
Summary of drive: From New Denver. → Slocan 32.5km → Bannock Burn FSR 13.2km → Hoder Ck FSR 7.1km → Junction Upper Passmore and Koch Ck FSR 10km. Total 32.3km.
Details: Start at the Petro Canada Station at the junction of Hwys 6 and 31A in New Denver. Drive Hwy 6 south, along Slocan Lake’s east shore, 32.5km to the village of Slocan. Near the village, ignore the signed turnoff for Drinnon Pass, but turn right (west) onto Gravel Pit Road. Zero odometer 0.0
0.0 Start on Gravel Pit Road heading west. Go straight and cross the bridge over the Slocan River.
.8km Stay left on Slocan West FSR.
1.2km Cross a bridge over Gwillim Creek.
2.3km Go right on Little Slocan FSR.
13.2km Bannock Burn Junction. Right is Bannock Burn FSR to Gimli Ridge / Mulvey Basin TH.
Bear left SW on the main road for the rest of the Valhallas.
20.3km Hoder Creek Junction. Right is Hoder Creek FSR to Drinnon/Gwillim lakes. Left continues southwest on Little Slocan FSR. Reach Little Slocan Lakes FS campground in 200m.
32.3km 3-way junction with Koch Creek FSR to the right and Upper Passmore Rd. to the left (13.2km to the junction of Upper Passmore Rd and Hwy 6).
From Nelson or Castlegar. Hwy 3A → Hwy 6 – 15.6km → Upper Passmore Rd 13.2km → Junction Koch Ck and Little Slocan Lakes FSRs.
Start at the Playmor Junction, the junction of Highways 6 and 3A between Nelson and Castlegar. Turn north on Hwy 6 up the Slocan Valley.
The southern Valhallas are accessed from Upper Passmore Road, 15.6 km from Playmor. There is a large transformer station at the turn. This is 12.1 km south of Winlaw on Hyw 6. Turn left (west). Zero odometer.
0.0 Start NW on Upper Passmore Road. → 13.2kms left to Koch Creek FSR.
.3km Cross the Passmore Bridge over the Slocan River. Pavement ends at 3.1km (1.9mi). At 3.6km, continue left on the main road.
5.2km Straight on the main road. Left goes up Boulder Creek Rd to Mt Airy and Frog Peak. At 7.5km and 9km, continue straight on the main road. Sign for Valhalla Provincial Park at 9km.
13.2km Three-Way Junction: Right goes NE on Little Slocan FSR. Straight goes SW on Koch Creek FSR to McKean Lakes. Zero odometer.
Koch Creek FSR
0.0 Go straight on Koch Creek FSR. Right goes to Little Slocan Forest Rd
9km Go straight on the main road. Left goes to Grizzly Creek Recreation Site (2 tables, above creek gorge, no flat parking) and Greasybill Cr Rd.
11km Go straight. Right is Marioka Road to Mt Flynn. For Mt Flynn, reset odometer; 1.4km Go to right; 8.1km Go left.
16km Stay straight and level. Then pass two ascending right forks (the second one has 51km sign).
17km Cross the bridge over the creek and go straight. Right is Walker Ck FSR on the rough road to Mts Freya and Ludlow.
21km At a huge boulder, go right on the higher road. Left goes up Dago Ck FSR
22.6km Stay left on the lower road. Upper road signed Branch 1 to Mt Harlow
25.8km Cross a bridged tributary of Koch Creek
30.5km Pass a 65km sign just before reaching the bridge over McKean Creek. Park in the landing 1445m (4740′)
NORTH VALKYR RANGE
Visible from the Needles/Fauquier ferry as the mountains to the east of Lower Arrow Lakes, the crest of the Valkyrs is never further than 12 kilometres from the lake. Naumulten Mountain is due east of the ferry.
The only road connecting the lake and Koch Creek follows the major power line extending from kilometre 17 of Koch Creek NW to south of Fauquier on Arrow Lakes.
The 12km-long Valkyr north section of mountains (from north to south) are Naumulten Mountain, Mt Rollins, Mt McBride, Mt Prough, Hilda Peak and Mt Shardelow. Mt Lequereux extends to the east of Hilda. There is a gap of 9 kilometres from Shardelow to Mista where the power line runs.
The 17-kilometre-long Valkyr south section of mountains (from north to south) are Mista Peak, Sangrida Peak and Mt Stanley. They are south of the power line. They are separated from the Norns Range to the east by Grizzly Creek and Little Cayuse/Cayuse creeks. Their headwaters run from Mount Stanley to Mt Spiers and Airy.
The Valkyrs extend for a total distance of 38 kilometres from north to south. This part of Lower Arrow Lakes is almost completely roadless – only poor logging roads extend into the edges of the area.