SPHINX MOUNTAIN 2591m 8500′
Visible due east from the entrance to the West Arm on the Kootenay Lake ferry, this route follows a hiker-made trail as it passes subalpine meadows to a summit with great views. Wildflowers and larch in season. Gives access to other areas.
Location: Gray Creek Pass.
Difficulty: C2
Elevation gain: 655m (2150′)
Key elevations: TH 1936m (6350′); saddle 2348m (7700′); Summit Sphinx 2591m (8500′)
Distance: 3.5km one-way
Time: 5-6 hours
Access: last 4km, 4WD necessary
Season: July through October
Map: 82F/10 Crawford Bay
Drive. The original access road to the Sphinx Trail has become un-drivable, so start by parking near an old mining road near the summit of Grey Creek Pass.
From Crawford Bay, drive South on Highway 3A until you pass the Grey Creek Store. Turn either onto Oliver Road or Anderson Road (both connect to Grey Creek Pass Road shortly)
0.0. Highway 3A
1.3 km. Turn left for the signed Grey Creek FSR and ascend up the valley. Grey Creek Road is usually suitable for 2WD low-clearance vehicles and open seasonally from July to October.
6 km. The road switchbacks. Stay on the main road at any junctions.
17 km. Pass Oliver Lake Rec Site on the right. There is a short 20-minute trail that loops around the lake.
18 km. The top of Grey Creek Pass, drive over and switch back down the other side. Watch on the left in the second recovering clearcut for an old mining road that angles up the slope. There is a new trailhead post signed “Sphinx Mountain”.
22 km. Park at a pullout on either side of the road
From Creston (junction of Hwy 3 and 3A) drive north on Hwy 3A – 72kms and just after crossing Gray Creek, turn right (east) onto Oliver Road. Zero odometer. Follow the instructions above.
Trail. Walk 2.6 km along the mining road to arrive at the original trailhead.
1.7 km. Pass an old mining cabin on the right at the crest of the road.
2.0 km. Descend to another road and turn left.
2.6 km. At a junction of 4 old roads, turn right (east) and look for the Sphinx trail starting on the left (north) where two logs cross the creek at a handmade sign. The trail climbs a forested slope.
3.7 km. At a small creek on the left, the ascent steepens and by 4 km, the forest opens between the ridges flanking the Sphinxes.
There are two Sphinxes – Sphinx West and Sphinx East (the true summit on the right).
4.5 km. Level off in larch meadows between the Sphinxes. There is a wilderness campsite on a small plateau where the trail fades away and stops.
Hike .3 km climbing 100 m to the saddle (2 hours) to look at the view north towards Loki. Summit East Sphinx (2605 m) – 1 km and 250 m from the saddle. Views are north to Mount Loki, west to Kootenay Lake, the West Arm and Kokanee Glacier beyond and south to Grey Creek Pass and Mount Snowcrest.
Explore the meadows with a small lake below Sphinx West if you follow the ridge around the southwest. Sphinx West is a scramble from the saddle.
Return the same way remembering the turns on the old roads.
What to do?
1. From the summit of Sphinx, walk up to 5kms one way along the east ridge.
2. Climb UN 2530 from the saddle.
SPHINX MOUNTAIN (EAST SUMMIT) 2580m 8465’
Map: 82F/10 Crawford Bay
This Kootenay Lake landmark actually has three summits. As none of us had been to the east one, we set off on a fine, sunny late October Saturday for an attempt. Our party of Janice Isaac, Peter Tchir, Myler Wilkinson, and the reporter caught the 8:10 ferry and drove up the snowy power line road to the trailhead at 6300’.
Our plan was to hike up the trail to avoid bushwhacking, then diagonal across the main summit’s south ridge to reach an alpine basin south of our goal. We found this to be do-able but not recommended, at least at this season. The snowy slopes of the south ridge were treacherous enough that we found it better to continue straight up the ridge rather than traverse. Reaching a flat section at 7600’, we descended 200’ to the east on slippery, snowy turf and rock (about 8” of coverage), then continued north through alpine terrain to the col between the east and central summits (252-975, 7850’). After a brief snack, we finished off the remaining 600’ of our peak’s west face, a walk-up, and arrived at the large cairn (no record) thankfully located at the northwest end of the peak. Our ascent had taken about 3.5 hours from the truck.
Deciding we wanted no part of returning via the ascent route, we lingered on top a scant 25 minutes, then returned easily to the col. From this point, we headed due south, passing west of a tarn not on the map, easily reached the power line road about 400 m. east of our truck, and were back by 3:30. As our descent took a scant 90 minutes and provided only minor bushwhacking, we recommend that other parties reach the peak via this route. Alternatively, the south ridge of the peak could be followed right from the power line road.
Kim Kratky