This lovely alpine basin was rarely visited as the Enterprise Creek FSR was blocked by boulders at 5 km entailing a 7km walk or cycle to the trailhead. But the blockage was removed in 2020 and a local volunteer, Cody Rob worked hard to clear all the blosdowns on the steep trail up to Blue Grouse Basin. It is a lovely alpine meadow, surrounded by a cirque of peaks just inside the west boundary of Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Climb Virgil or Insect Peak.
Difficulty: B1
Elevation gain: +743 m
Key elevations: TH 1340m (4395′), Blue Grouse Basin 2043m (6700′)
Distance: 6.5km one way
Time: 3-4 hours one way
Season: late July through mid-October
Assess: Good
Map: 82F/14 Slocan
Drive:
From Slocan City: 15.5 km (9.6 miles) north on Highway 6, turn right on Enterprise Creek Forest Service Road on the north bank of Enterprise Creek.
From Silverton: 11.7 km (7.3 miles) south, turn left (east) onto the Enterprise Creek FSR.
0.0 Start east on Enterprise Ck Rd. Marked by a BC Parks sign: (KOKANEE GLACIER) ENTERPRISE CREEK 14. Pavement ends.
The road is 0.5km before the hairpin junction on Highway 6. Good 2WD low-clearance
12.2km Fork left onto the narrower road. Right crosses the creek.
12.3 km Park just before the bridge near the park boundary sign. The road continues but is overgrown and beautifully mossy. Road washed out at Kokanee Park boundary, a few hundred meters short of the Blue Grouse Basin trail that goes left up Paupo Creek.
Trail. The trailhead for Blue Grouse Basin and the Enterprise Creek Trail are the same but separate in 5 minutes. Walk down the overgrown road for 0.4km to a junction and turn left for Blue Grouse Basin, right to the Enterprise Creek Trail, Tanal Lake and Kokanee Glacier PP 1340m (4395′).
At 1585m (5200′), the trail turns into Paupo Creek Valley and grade eases. Big trees offer shade. At 1 hour 1768m (5800′), see the headwall beneath Blue Grouse Basin, Virgil Mt and the cliffs of Insect Peak to the east.
6.4km Blue Grouse Basin 2043m (6700′). A waterfall from Hampshire Mt falls into Paupo Creek. The trail vanishes in the meadow.
There are several ridges and peaks to climb: Insect Peak to the south, Virgil.
What to do?
1. Climbing Mt Fennel and Paupo are easy, Mt Virgil is more of a challenge.
2. Enterprise Ridge to the east beckons – Spider, Insect, Hampshire and Retallack peaks are all worthy destinations. Do the entire ridge and descend to Enterprise Pass in the core of Kokanee Glacier PP.