Located just north of Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park in the Keen Creek drainage, this hike takes you into Flint Lakes and the alpine ridges around Mt Carlyle. Unfortunately, most of the hike is along a washed-out, dusty mining road.
Rating: ♦◊◊◊◊
Difficulty: D2 strenuous
Elevation gain: 1067m (3500′)
Key elevations: Bridge over Keen Ck 3200′; Lower Flint Lake 6150′
Distance: 6.4km
Time: 4 hours one-way
Season: mid-June to October
Access: Difficult
Map: 82F/14 Slocan
Drive: Keen Creek Rd. Closed at km 15.
From New Denver: Drive east on Hwy 31A 40.1 km (24.9 miles). Zero odometer.
From Kaslo (Junction of Highways 31 and 31A): Drive northwest 6.5 km (4 miles).
0.0 Highway 31A. Start southwest on gravel Keen Creek Road.
4.6km Nashton Road (left), just before km 5 sign.
6.5km Old road goes right, down; (to Mt. Carlyle, Flint Lakes). Park. Trailhead.
Trail: Park at the creek. Cross Keen Creek. Hike 6.4 kilometres up the road to its terminus in the Flint Lakes Basin. The upper lakes are 600 and 1,000 feet above the lowest lake. From here the surrounding terrain can be explored.
What to do?
1. Climb ridges around the lakes. Explore old mine ruins.
2. Climb Mt Carlyle 8688′ by the east ridge.