GREY WOLF 2327 m 7634’
GOLDEN HOPE PEAK 2283 m 7490’
Two peaks on the Arrow Lakes side of the north Valhallas. Accessed by Shannon Creek FSR.
Difficulty:
Elevation gain:
Key elevations:
Distance:
Time:
Season: mid-July through September
Access: Difficult. long 4WD HC
Map: 82K/4 Nakusp, 82F/13 Burton
Drive: From Bonanza Rd. 15.2 km. north of New Denver on Hwy 6, drive 1 km., re-set your zero odometer, and turn right onto the signed Shannon Creek FSR.
0.0 Follow this mainline to at km.
16.5 km Shannon Pass. Wend your way down Walden Creek (2WD so far except for one slough at ca. km. 24).
28km. Turn left onto the signed Branch 28 (headwaters of the take a right fork that leads to a ford of Caribou (547-384). May be able to drive through depending on the water level.
Route: Walk the road south to the valley east of and below Hailstorm Ridge where a bridge crosses the creek (50 min). Continue on the old mining road to a 7000’ col at 520-360 at the south end of Hailstorm Ridge. Leave the road heading SW along a ridge and over grassy alpland to the summit of Grey Wolf (2327 m., 7634’).
Continue west along the ridge, pick up a cat track leading in 30 min. to the summit of the extremely pedestrian Golden Hope Pk. (2283 m., 7490’). Tillicum Mtn. is to the north.
GREY WOLF MT and GOLDEN HOPE PK Sept. 6 by Kim Kratky
(Maps Nakusp 82K/4 and Burton 82F/13)
As the weather this fall never allowed a long enough interval of good weather for serious climbs, I made several easier trips that would make excellent autumn outings. The first was a Labour Day weekend trip with Peter Tchir and Sandra MacGuinness to the Arrow Lakes side of the northern Valhallas. Although there is considerable driving, this trip is easily done in a day. Road access first. Turn left or west onto Bonanza Rd. 15.2 km. north of New Denver on Hwy 6, drive 1 km., re-set your odometer, and turn right onto the signed Shannon Creek FSR. Follow this mainline to Shannon Pass at km. 16.5 and then wend your way down Walden Creek. to km. 28 (2WD so far except for one slough at ca. km. 24). At km. 28, turn left onto the signed Branch 28 (headwaters of the take a right fork that leads to a ford of Caribou (547-384). I was able to drive through this in 2001, but this fall the flow was too high.
Starting at 9:40, we began walking the road, passing around a buttress and plodding south to the grassy upper valley east of and below Hailstorm Ridge where a bridge crosses the creek (50 min). Three years ago I drove to this point, about 3 km. from the ford (4WD HC LR with good water bars and excellent roadbed; the road has recently been brushed out). Beyond this broken bridge, we continued along the old mining road to a 7000’ col at 520-360 at the south end of Hailstorm Ridge. Then, we left the road, heading south and west along a ridge and over grassy alpland to the summit of Grey Wolf by 12:40 (GPSed at 2327 m., 7634’). After lounging in mild temps for 30 min. and picking out features in the black-looking Devil’s Range and Mulvey, we continued west along the ride and picked up a cat track (today’s Forest Practices Code would never allow that) leading in 30 min. to the summit of the extremely pedestrian Golden Hope Pk. (2283 m., 7490’). During another 30 min. break, we decided to forego a trip to Tillicum Mtn. to the north. We returned to the truck as per the ascent route in 2 hrs. 10 min. for a 7-hour day. In sum, a dead easy trip with fine ridge walking. Hailstorm Pk. (which I visited in 2001) and the ridges to the north offer a similar experience with the same access.
Kim Kratky