CRANBERRY MOUNTAIN 2870m 9416′
Cranberry Mt is surrounded by glaciers.
Map: 82L/9 Gates Creek.
Access East, North and South Slopes from Coursier Lake
Drive: From Revelstoke, Hwy 23 goes south down the west side of the Columbia River to the Shelter Bay Ferry 50 km. The ferry goes to Galena Bay 6 am to 2 am.
48.6 km. (1.4km north of ferry) Turn west on a logging road that accesses the road systems on the west side of Upper Arrow Lake.
0.0 Start on the road that terminates at Coursier Lake – Dry Creek Road.
2.4 km. Turn right (north) on Dry Creek Rd, 90 degrees from Shelter Bay FSR, the main road that goes south down the west side of Arrow Lake.
4.5 km. Go left on Dry Ck Rd, go left of shacks. Stay on this main road.
8.8 km. Go straight. (left goes up Longsworth Road for Odin Creek)
13.0 km Go left (south) for Coursier Lake. (right connects to Cranberry FSR)
14.2 km. Go straight on the main road.
19.0 km. Go right (left connects to Killeen Rd off Longsworth Road for Odin Creek; washed out? Note this possible alternate.)
19.5 km. Go straight on the main road (left for Thor Creek; washed out)
25.6 km. Go straight (left to Pingston Lake)
28.3 km. Coursier Lake
1. East Glaciers, East Ridge. Start from the southwest end of Coursier Lake.
Route: Backpack up the south side of South Cranberry Creek (as marked on the B. C. Provincial map, Revelstoke sheet. According to the government 82L/9 sheet, South Cranberry Creek is the next creek to the north. I.e., start at the southwest end.). Above the waterfalls, cross the creek. Continue up to a large lake. Camp. Skirt the lake on the south, and cross South Cranberry Creek where it enters the lake. Then go up the side hill to the northwest, over into the next valley (second lake), five hours. Camp.
Climb west over a ridge to another lake. Skirt the lake to the north, then go over mixed rock and glacier, with ups and downs. The final section is mostly on rock with no difficulty. Six hours from camp. There was no cairn, so they built one. Glacier (III,4,s).
Bob Dean, Richard Haycroft, 9/7/1969
2. South Ridge.
Approach from the dam at the north end of Coursier Lake, and go up the ridge to the WSW, joining Route 1 at the lakes. Ascend the southeast glacier and the south ridge, 7 hours from Coursier Lake. Glacier (III,4,s). 1970
3. North Ridge.
On skis, but climbed the final 200m of the wide north ridge without skis. There is a short section, Class 3 rock, to the top.
Tim Auger, Robert Sawyer, David Smith, Don Vockeroth, April 1979.
4. Northeast Glacier
Go up the road just west of the dam at Coursier Lake (north end) that leads west toward Cranberry Mountain. Climb the glacier at the head of the valley and pass over the ridge. Ascend the northeast glacier to the top. Glacier (III,4,s).
Leon Blumer, Dan Robertson, September 18, 1982.
5. West Ridge.
From camp at the east end of Avalanche Lake (see introduction, Approach to Avalanche Lake) proceed to the northwest end of the lake, and go up rock and snow to the ridge on the watershed and to the flat glacier (2590m) on the southwest side of Cranberry Mountain. Traverse the glacier to the pass between Cranberry and its west summit, and climb the west ridge (bad rock).
On the descent, use a snow couloir directly to the glacier. Round trip 9 hours. Glacier (III,4,s). Leon Blumer, Dan Robertson, July 15, 1984.
The col in the west ridge was crossed to climb the north ridge on July 29, 2006 (bergschrund on the north side)
WEST SUMMIT 2830m 9285′
Coordinates 143-173.
1. North Ridge. On skis to near the top of Cranberry’s west summit; finished without skis.
Kim Kratky, Bert Port, Fred Thiessen, April 23, 2005.
UNNAMED 2692m Surveyed at 8832 feet,
3.1 km northeast of Cranberry Mountain.
1. FA during the triangulation of the railway belt, by Morrison P. Bridgland and a Topographical Survey party, pre1915.
They backpacked up the western branch of Cranberry Creek (the creek proper).
UNNAMED 2580m 8465′
West of the watershed, coordinates 122-157.
Ascended from the north slopes.
FRA by Kim Kratky, Bert Port and Fred Thiessen, 24/4/2005.
There was a note written on the underside of a rock.