BONNINGTON RANGE TRAVERSE

BONNINGTON RANGE TRAVERSE
In the Bonnington Range south of Nelson, BC, are five huts that make up one of a few hut-to-hut ski and hiking traverses in the interior of the province. They are the Grassy hut, Steed hut, Copper hut, Huckleberry hut, and Lost Lake hut. The huts were built by the KMC, which jointly manages them with the BC Forest Service. The history of the first four huts goes back to the miners’ days. The completion of the Huckleberry Hut in the early 1900s allowed use by miners and trappers as a high camp during the summer months. The other three huts were built to complete the traverse of the Bonnington Range by skiers and hikers. The Grassy hut was built in the early 1980s, followed by the Copper hut about four years later. The Steed hut was completed in the early 1990s and the Lost Lake hut in 2022.

Almost all traverses are done in the winter on skis or snowshoes. But there is no reason why it could not be a backpacking trip. The reason it appeals to so few is that most of the trip is in the trees. This is not a marked trail.

The traverse is roughly 30km from highway to highway, and most people do it in four days starting at the Grassy Hut. While route finding across the Bonningtons is not all that difficult, a lot of the route is in the trees, and thus, definitive landmarks are somewhat scarce. In the winter, especially, the route is prone to clouds, heavy fog, blizzards and thus no visibility. The huts are also a little hard to find. Familiarity with the route helps, but seasoned veterans still have to search for the cabins and frequently get “off-route”. Helicopter access is not permitted. Snowmobilers and ATVers are common. A two hectare area around each cabin is designated for non-motorized use only. All motor vehicles, terrestrial or airborne, are strictly prohibited.

Engaging in white-out navigation requires a good map, compass, and altimeter skills, and GPS (always use both). The 1:50,000 map 82 F/6 covers the traverse. Be prepared to exit the traverse if the mountains are not safe to pass. Avalanche risk can be very high. Knowledge of avalanche techniques is crucial to winter traverses. Sunny weather and rising temperatures urge caution with increased avalanche risk. Check the avalanche conditions for the Kootenay / Boundary region.

The huts have been maintained entirely by volunteer support with a contractual agreement between the Forest Service and the KMC. The basic deal is that the Forest Service will supply materials, and the KMC will provide the volunteer help to get the job done. Maintenance happens every year – firewood is replaced, and routine maintenance is done. Due to the location of the huts and the kind of use they get, providing regular maintenance will maintain these cabins over the long haul.

Facilities: All huts have a table, benches, a wood stove, basic cooking utensils (pots, pans, cups, bowls, plates, cutlery, etc.), maps, a two-burner Coleman propane cook stove and a Coleman propane lantern. Bring your own propane bottles and spare mantles. None have foam mattresses. Outside is an outhouse, wood, shovels and axes. Candles are not permitted. Dogs are not permitted in any cabins.

Booking a hut: You must have a booking to stay overnight in the KMC huts. Bookings are ‘individual’ – each person in the group must book individually – up to 6 people in all huts but Huckleberry (4). You can book up to two consecutive nights at Grassy Hut and three at each of the others. You can book up to 180 days in advance.
March 1-14 is reserved exclusively for those completing the 4-hut traverse (one night in each cabin) and cannot find sequential in-season dates. Book after Jan 1st with the Huts Director.
There are no refunds, cancellations or date transfers. The club is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit group and does not have the resources to ‘manage’ bookings like a hotel or online travel agent.
1. You must consent to the Huts Terms and Conditions 
2. At the bottom of that page is the BOOK A CABIN button. Choose your date(s)
The cost in 2025 was $25/night per person.

Map by Doug Clark

GRASSY HUT
Grassy Mountain is a horseshoe-shaped peak, with a sub-summit (known as south Grassy) forming the southern arm of the horseshoe. At 1900 meters, Grassy Hut lies in the middle of the horseshoe just below the pass between Grassy and South Grassy Mountains at 49°17’25.52″N 117°29’30.49″W. Grid Reference 646-593.
History. The original hut was built by the KMC in 1985 and rebuilt in 2020.
Facilities: Grassy has loft sleeping. The hut has a basic solar lighting system but a headlamp is still required.
Water can often be found during the snow-free season about 200m NW of the cabin.
Access: Summer and winter is via logging roads from the Bombi Summit. Zero odometer.
0 km Munson Road and Highway 3
2.6 km power line spur to (R)
3.7 km Lower Munson to left, stay (R)
3.9 km West Munson to left, stay (R)
5.4 km East Munson to right, stay (L)
6.3 km spur to right, stay on mainline
6.4 km spur to (R) is Grassy access. Park about 100 metres up the road. If you have a two wheel drive vehicle, park off the main road and walk up the old road that leads up to the ridge south of Grassy Mountain. Hike downhill (sketchy trail) to find the cabin. Allow one to two hours hiking time.
Winter, ski directly from the highway (4-6 hours).  A snowmobile must be left at or below the summit of the ridge due to the non-motorized zone around the cabin.

STEED HUT is due south of the summit of Siwash Mountain (2320 meters, the highest peak in the Bonnington Range) by a small tarn at 2100 meters at 49°20’45.97″N 117°26’51.58″W. Grid Reference 675-657.
History. It is a snug wood cabin built by the KMC in 1995.
Facilities: A loft sleeps four or more
Water none in either summer or winter. The area around the Steed Cabin is popular with snowmobilers.
Access
Summer access is via roads from the Bombi Summit. A 4WD is not necessary. It is possible to drive to the head of Glade Creek. Set your odometer to 0 on Highway 3 at Bombi Summit. Zero odometre.
0 km = Munson Road and Highway 3
2.6 km power line spur to (R)
3.7 km Lower Munson to (L), stay (R)
3.9 km West Munson to (L), stay (R)
5.4 km East Munson to (R), stay (L)
6.3 km spur to R, stay on mainline
6.4 km spur to (R) is Grassy access
10.8 km small pass, road enters from behind and (L), stay straight down the hill
11.0 km road forks, go (R) to keep on Munson Road, (L) fork is North Munson
15.1 km pass below Twin Peaks
18.9 km fork in road, go (L)
22.6 km, park here and walk the rest of the way.
From here, it is between one and three hours of bushwhacking (thick bush with many black and grizzly bears in the area) to reach the cabin.
Winter, it generally takes two days to reach the cabin via the Bonnington Traverse route.

COPPER HUT is in a group of large trees at 2000 meters in a basin on the southwest side of Copper Mountain at 49°23’12.60″N 117°23’7.99″W. Grid Reference 722-703. 
History. The cabin was built by the KMC in 1985. 
Facilities: Three bunks (sleep two each top to tail)
Water: none in either summer or winter.
Access.
Summer, 49 Creek – Blewett Road. Turn left on “May and Jenny Road (high clearance 4WD) that becomes Copper Mountain Road for 12 km—Park at the pass between Red Mountain and Copper Mountain or 150 meters further on. Follow the old road on foot to the ridge south of Copper Mountain. An ATV track leads down to the cabin. Allow one to three hours walking time.
Winter access is more difficult as the summer route crosses extensive avalanche paths and is unsafe for most of the winter. Access the cabin from the Snowwater Creek drainage. Route-finding skills are necessary. Most winter visitors are on the Bonnington Range traverse, arriving from the Steed Cabin.

LOST LAKE HUT
The new KMC Lost Lake hut is situated on the eastern most shoulder of Commonwealth mountain, a few minutes hike above Lost Lake. At 6100 feet and near the east end of the Bonnington Traverse, the Lost hut adds a unique finish option to the traditional 4 hut traverse series. It is accessed from Copper hut along a modified traverse route, but can also be reached in a day from Porto Rico Rd.
History. The hut was built by the KMC in 2023
Facilities: loft sleeping. Dogs are NOT permitted in the new hut, candles and lanterns are also not permitted. The hut has a basic lighting system on solar but you will need your own headlamp or led lights to supplement. (3 night max)
Water can be found in the Lost Lake outflow or in the lake itself.
Access.
From the Copper Hut. The Lost Lake hut is intended to be accessed via the Bonnington Traverse, following the Copper hut. There are several ways to traverse this segment. Careful route planning and avalanche hazard assessment are necessary for safe passage.
Departing Copper, gain the ridge to the east of the hut and continue south and east to the ridge junction of Mt Verde and Territory Peak @ 49°22’9.78″N, 117°21’52.92″W. On a clear day with stable snow conditions, you can hold the ridge-line south to Territory, then to Colony, Empire and East across Commonwealth Peak where you can ski down into Lost Basin (Approximately 8.5kms).
On a day where the ridge route is not feasible, safe passage departs the Verde/Territory ridge junction southeast through forested terrain in the valleys and over 2 notable ridges before ascending the NW peak above Lost Lake. The crux of this route is the significant (1200ft gain) shoulder extending north from Commonwealth. The valley on the east of this ridge is at 5500ft and the ridge 7000ft before skiing down into Lost lake
The hut can be seen from the lake and is situated E-SE of the lake on a small ridge just 150ft above the lake. The cabin trail leaves the northeast end of the lake near the outflow.
Direct summer (and winter) access to Lost Lake is via Porto Rico Road, 15 km south of Nelson off Highway 6.
Winter, be sure to park with enough distance from the road so as not to impede local vehicles – the parking area is also a school bus turnaround. Snowmobiles must be left at or below the lake.
Summer drive up 3.5 km and park at the trail head on the left (49°19’55.22″N, 117°16’52.33″W). Allow 3-5 hours hiking time. The trail drops off the road to follow an old road/trail that often mingles with rocky creek beds. Follow the trail due north for 3.5kms to the height of land (49°21’27.06″N,117°16’48.61″W). From here, go east 2.5kms to Lost Lake, look up and left to see the cabin. Double back slightly to the grassy field just below the lake and find the trail that crosses the outflow creek and climbs up to the cabin.

HUCKLEBERRY HUT (at 1600 m below Midday and Cabin Peaks at 49°19’31.79″N 117°19’6.00″W). Grid Reference 769-635.
History. Built in the early 1900s to work a mining claim on Spotted Horse Creek, the cabin was restored by the Kootenay Section of the Alpine Club of Canada in 1963, with further restoration work in 1985 and 1986.
Facilities. The Huckleberry Hut is a cozy, tiny log cabin. There are two narrow bunks, each for two, top to tail.
Water from a stream that crosses the road, one hundred meters above the cabin, is sometimes available in winter.
Access year-round is via Porto Rico Road, 15 km south of Nelson off Highway 6.
In winter, park off the road.
In summer, the deactivated road requires a high clearance 4X4. Park 3 km up the road and walk left. It is two km to the cabin (1-2 hours). Huckleberry is right on the trail, but when completely covered in snow, it can be easily missed.
In winter, ski up Porto Rico Road from the highway 3 km and take the junction left (3-6 hours).

Pre-Trip Planning – Excellent organization and route knowledge are essential for success and enjoyment. 
Pick dates. Visit the KMC website to see the available dates. Book and pay the fees.
Call Atco Lumber to check on the condition of the Bombi. If plowed, save 6.5-7 km of extra skiing.
Arrange shuttle: drop off the vehicle at Porto Rico Road, off Highway 6, south of Nelson, on the way to the Bombi (if from Nelson). Note that vehicle break-ins and thefts are common at the Bombi and Porto Rico parking lots. As an early exit may be necessary (three separate ways down from Steed or Copper Huts), arrange contact in Nelson for a potentially different pickup date. You can use spotty cell phone coverage to arrange shuttles mid-trip.
Because of the technical difficulties of the last day, the exit routes from Copper Hut must be understood. A shuttle would need to be contacted.

Day 1: Grassy Cabin and Grassy Mountain. Meet at the hitching post in Nelson and drive south on Highway 6 to Porto Rico Road to leave a vehicle or two. Continue to the Bombi Summit, hopefully, plowed to kilometre 6.5-7 at 1600 metres due west of the pass between Grassy and South Grassy Mountains. 2 hours to the cabin from here if the road is plowed.
Start on the summer ATV track through the woods to pick up the old road that switchbacks up to the pass, but more often take a more direct line up to the ridge. Despite being at the cabin several times, it is usually easy to miss it as it is relatively well hidden in the trees. Ski down to the cabin for lunch and get rid of packs. Grassy Hut is just big enough for five people. You need to melt snow for water.
Afternoon Reconnaissance Ski. In the afternoon, most groups check out snow conditions and the next day’s route. Ski up South Grassy and/or up to the top of Grassy and down the east and south-facing slopes into Grassy Creek. From the west shoulder of Grassy Mountain, views are to the Red/Granite mountains in Rossland and down to Hugh Keenleyside Dam in Castlegar. Ski up to the ridge that runs due west of the summit of Grassy. From the top of Grassy, check out the route you’ll take tomorrow, over Twin Peaks and the south ridge of Siwash Mountain to the Steed Cabin.
If the Bombi – Munson FSR is not plowed, an option is to skip Grassy Hut, ski directly to the Steed Hut, make the high traverse over Dominion Mt and spend an extra night at the Huckleberry Hut.

Day 2: Grassy Cabin to Steed Hut. Follow the north ridge of Grassy Mountain down to the pass at the head of Granite Creek. From the ridge above the Grassy cabin, head east, counting “bumps” until you come to bump number five, from which a gentle north ridge descends. In foggy weather, it can be challenging to find the proper north ridge to ski down. Cross a main logging road in the pass south of “Twin Peaks” (the two peaks north of Grassy Mountain). Ascend the south side of Twin Peaks to the ridge between the two, and continue up to the most northerly of the Twin Peaks and stop for a snack. Descend the generally north ridge from the summit, steep at first, until you find a spot to drop off to the east, and go right out to the main Munson Road that is on the Glade-Granite Creek divide. Follow the road around until due west of the col on Siwash Mountain. With another compass bearing set, head up the 360m climb to the 2000m col on the south ridge of Mount Siwash. Then it is a short descending traverse to the cabin. Often, it is necessary to dig out the outhouse.
The Steed Hut is always challenging to get into in the summer, as there is no trail, so all routes require bushwhacking. Via Munson Road, the path is direct and takes about 1.25 hours, but involves bushwhacking through head-high rhododendrons as you cross over the ridge into the basin where the Steed cabin is situated.
Afternoon ski: Climb Siwash – Return up to the south ridge of Siwash and follow over one subsidiary bump to arrive on top of Siwash. Return the way you came.

Day 3. Steed Cabin to Copper Cabin. Descend north slopes from Steed into the headwaters of Rush Creek, traverse avalanche slopes across the headwaters of Rush Creek and up to the top of a prominent ridge running east from Siwash Mountain. This regular route to the Copper Cabin travels in a horseshoe around the head of Erie Creek, often through a wasteland of sled and snowcat tracks and cut-blocks. An alternate is to follow the east ridge of Siwash, counting bumps again, until the final bump (number five again) or about 1.5 km until it curves to the north, stay on the ridge crest and eventually descend to Erie Creek. Where the ridge turns north. Set a new bearing and descend the first part of the ridge.
Down in Erie Creek, follow the creek north to a fork, then set a bearing for the Copper Cabin and begin the 400-metre climb. This is a gentle climb through easy terrain. Follow this compass bearing for over 2 kilometres to hopefully come near the hut – a small tarn is a useful landmark here. Use an altimeter to find the proper elevation for the cabin, or use your GPS. It is easy to miss.
Afternoon ski. Go to the top of Copper Mountain, enjoy the striking views, and be prepared for a tricky descent on crusty sun-baked snow.
This is the time to decide the route for the fourth day. Could you assess snow conditions (too much, icy) and weather reports to determine if it will be possible to continue to Empire Peak or use either of the two escape routes? It is not unusual not to be able to finish on Barret Creek Road because of the crux on the Empire Peak ridge.
Exit routes from Copper Hut
1. Rover/Snowwater FSR is most commonly used as there is no avalanche hazard on that route, but instead, more often, it is ice. With poor visibility, heavy new snow or a poor weather forecast, you may have to ski from the hut to the top of Copper Mountain to get cell phone reception and call someone to change the shuttle location.
Return to the cabin, retrace your route back down to the head of Erie Creek and then climb gently following the creek. Take another compass bearing to the broad saddle south of Mount Connor to access the cut block and logging road. Finally, put away the compass and altimeter, and ski down the logging road as far as possible, depending on snow conditions. You may be able to communicate with your transportation.
2. Copper Mountain FSR (49 Creek). This requires a traverse across the steep SE face of Copper Mountain to gain the pass between Red and Copper Mountains. Could you try to lay down a track if icy? Conditions may be white-out. Try to hold your elevation to end up on the road. It is possible to lose it again when it turns towards Hall Creek. But with GPS and a map, you should be able to go downhill on Copper Mountain FSR. Depending on the season, expect rain and no snow on the road, so remove your skis for the creeks.
3. Giveout Creek

Day 4. Copper Cabin to Barrett Lake. The final day of the traverse is undoubtedly the most spectacular, as the route travels entirely over the high ridges and peaks of the Bonnington Range from Copper Mountain to Empire Peak.
Start up the ridge above the Copper Cabin, and follow in a generally southerly direction to the top of Territory Peak. The final slope to the top of Territory Peak is steep but possible on skis. Colony Peak is an easy ski from Territory, as the ridge between the two is much broader.
The final ridge section from Colony to Empire is the crux of the trip, as the ridge narrows just before the summit of Empire, and a short exposed section should be negotiated on foot—about 3-3.5 hours to the top of Empire. Decide here if you want to stay at the Lost Lake cabin on the eastern most shoulder of Commonwealth mountain.
The steep south-easterly slopes of Empire Peak to Barrett Lake have a heavy avalanche danger. The Huckleberry Hut is a steep 30 minutes south on Barrett Creek Road. It is often missed on the four-day Bonnington Traverse. Huckleberry is one of the easiest cabins to visit in the summer because it is off a drivable road.
The ski down from Barrett Lake on Barrett Creek Road to Porto Rico Road is usually fast.
The final task: retrieving your other truck from the Bombi Summit. This can be exciting, as anything can happen in four days – complete snow-ins to complete melting. Chains are highly recommended.

BOUNCING ALONG BEARINGS on the BONNINGTON April 4 to 7, 2008
This year, in a futile attempt to get better weather, I scheduled the annual KCM Bonnington Traverse for the beginning of April. Longer days and sunny spring weather were what I had in mind, but continuous snow and clogged in skies were what we got. Nevertheless, I found the trip every bit as enjoyable as I have in previous years, if somewhat lacking in views. This year we were a small party, just three of us, Graham Jamin on tele-skis, Cindy Walker and myself on AT gear.
Day 1. After leaving one car at the Porto Rico Road on Highway 6 south of Nelson, we carried onto Bombi Summit and the start of the traverse. No road plowing up at Bombi this year, so we had to ski 6.4 km along the main Munson FSR before turning off to Grassy Cabin. Despite having been to Grassy Cabin at least 15 times, I managed to shoot past it on skis, and we spent about 15 minutes, searching through the trees for it. By the time we’d made ourselves comfortable in the cabin and had a hot drink, it was socked in and snowing, so Graham and I settled for a short ski up to the ridge above before returning to the cabin. I had brought along a thick 400 page novel to read – not exactly a light book to carry on a ski traverse – so settled in with that after dinner, while Cindy and Graham engaged in much more worthwhile pursuits, reading a GPS manual and designing a house respectively.
Day 2. Next morning, armed with compass and altimeter, we set off in light snow and virtually zero visibility for the Steed Cabin. We skied up to the ridge that runs due west of the summit of Grassy Mountain, then headed east counting “bumps” until we came to bump number five, from which a gentle north ridge descends. We followed this ridge north to cross the main logging road, and then using a roughly north bearing skied up the most southerly of the two “Twin Peaks”, turning to the north east to reach the northerly Twin Peak. We found the generally north ridge that descends from the summit, and skied down this ridge, steep at first, until we found a spot to drop off to the east, and skied right out to the main Munson Road that is on the Glade/Granite Creek divide. After lunch by the side of this road, we followed it around until we were due west of the col on Siwash Mountain that leads to Steed Cabin and, with another compass bearing set, headed up to the col. A descending traverse from the col took us right to the door of the Steed Cabin where we found the chimney tilted at an alarming angle and the outhouse buried. Graham and I rigged up a repair on the chimney, then headed off for some serious shoveling of the outhouse, while Cindy got the fire going and boiled some water. Two parties had done the traverse immediately prior to us, but apparently, neither group had bothered to dig the outhouse out. That night, while a storm wailed outside, I plugged away at my book reclining in absolute comfort in the loft of the cabin.
Day 3. More snow next day, but the wind at least had dropped a bit. Despite having a compass bearing set, I managed to miss the ridge to the east of the cabin as we skied along in general gloom and falling snow, and we ended up below the ridge, on the wrong side, and off course. We climbed back up, found the small tarn that is a useful landmark here, and carried on with the traverse heading north. The new snow was sliding off the underlying meltfreeze crust in an annoying manner making trail-breaking somewhat tedious, but by about lunch time we had gained the ridge that runs east from Siwash towards Erie Creek. We skied east along this ridge, counting bumps again, until we came to the final bump (number five again) where the ridge turns north. Setting a new bearing we descended the first part of the ridge, and stopped around 1800 metres when it actually stopped snowing for some lunch. We had the first, and only, fleeting views of the trip here, but building cloud soon obscured our vista again and it resumed snowing. Down in Erie Creek, we followed the creek north to a fork, then set a bearing for the Copper Cabin and began the 400 metre climb. This is a gentle climb through easy terrain but I found it tiresome as my skins had completely glopped up, despite liberal applications of “glop stopper”, and my feet felt like they weighed 20 pounds each. Our compass bearing brought us out perhaps 30 metres to one side of the cabin -, not too bad considering we’d been following it for over two kilometres. We were all feeling a bit damp and hungry, so we quickly got settled in with a fire going and some hot soup. That night we had some discussion about what we should do next day should the weather continue bad.
Day 4. About 25 cm of new snow had accumulated, and there seemed to be no break in the weather, for the final ridge walk to Barrett Lake. We decided to check the weather forecast in the morning, and kept open the option of skiing out via the Rover-Snowwater road system. Only light snow overnight, and occasionally, on bathroom breaks, we even saw a few stars, but morning was socked in with the forecast calling for showers. Given the poor visibility, new snow and forecasted bad weather, we decided to ski out via Rover-Snowwater instead of attempting the ridge traverse. First however, we skied to the top of Copper Mountain, arriving to a white-out and blowing snow. Cindy was able to get cell-phone reception from the top, so I called Doug to give him a heads up that we’d be looking for a ride later that day, and then we turned and picked our way back down to the cabin. We retraced our route back down to the head of Erie Creek and then climbed gently following the creek and another compass bearing to the broad saddle south of Mount Connor where we found the cutblock and logging road. Finally able to put the compass and altimeter away, we slid quickly down the logging road to kilometer nine, where our progress became slow and halting as their was only a small amount of dirty, gritty snow left on the verge to ski. Near kilometer seven, skiing became all but impossible and, without much hope, we tried Cindy’s cell-phone happily getting a signal. A short time later, Doug drove up and picked us up, and another Bonnington Traverse was over. Thanks to my companions on the trip for a wonderful time, Cindy Walker and Graham Jamin, coordinator, Sandra McGuinness.

DAY FOUR of the BONNINGTON TRAVERSE: Copper Mountain Area to Barrett Lake
On Saturday, February 21st, a small group of six skied the route of the final day of the Bonnington Traverse, using plowed roads in the Rover-Snowwater drainage to access Copper Mountain area.
With help from Matt Walton, Doug Brown and Jocelyne Martin – who lent us her truck – we put a car shuttle in on Friday afternoon to save time on Saturday morning.
Saturday morning we met at 6.30 am at the bottom of RoverSnowwater FSR and, leaving one car at the bottom, drove up the road to km 15 in two trucks – one powered by vegetable oil! It was about 7.30 am when we got started skiing and cold on the north side of Mount Connor. We followed the route Doug and I had put in a couple of weekends before to the broad saddle between Connor and Copper Mountains where we stopped for our first – 10 minute only – snack break. After about 10 or 15 minutes, we continued on, still following our old track and climbing gradually until we crested the west ridge of Copper Mountain and got out into the sunshine. We were lucky to have incredible weather for this tour, the sky was that incredible deep blue colour that you sometimes get in winter. I gave everyone a brief orientation on where our route lay from here, where the Copper and Steed Cabins are and also pointed out various options on the standard Bonnington Traverse route.
From our point on the west ridge of Copper Mountain we traversed, basically holding our elevation but descending a short distance at first, all the way across this big west facing basin until we were able to ski a few metres up to gain the ridge south of Copper Mountain and meet, for the first time that day, the standard Bonnington Traverse route. We had another 10 minute stop on the ridge here and then carried on. I’d checked my watch and we were pretty much right on the amount of time I’d allowed for this section, so we just had to keep plugging away at this steady pace. From here on, the traverse route lies entirely on the ridge line and crosses over the summits of two small unnamed peaks as well as Territory, Colony and Empire Peaks. The views, particularly on such a wonderfully clear day are stunning – as one person commented, both the Kokanee and Valhalla Ranges seem incredibly close.
We had two or three ups and downs before we reached the top of Territory Peak. The skiing up the final ridge of Territory can be tricky in icy conditions as the ridge is narrow and wind-rolled, but our conditions were about as good as the weather, plus we had a well broken and graded trail to follow, so we easily made it to the top of Territory Peak for lunch. We had about as nice a lunch stop as you can ever hope to have, and after a half hour or so, put our skis back on and carried on.
The next peak you ski up is Colony Peak, and despite lots of big wind rolls, it is pretty easy skiing to the top of Colony, and we arrived soon enough. The section from Colony to Empire Peaks requires one short section of boot-packing, the exact length depending on how comfortable you feel skiing on a relatively narrow ridge crest.
Skiing down the south ridge of Colony is a little tricky, as again, it is a relatively narrow ridge. You can bail off the skis at any point you want here and switch to bootpacking, and some people switched to boots before reaching the low point, but most of us, made the low point and a short distance along the flat section before taking our skis off and attaching them to our packs. Doug, showing great fortitude, skied virtually the whole ridge section, only removing his skis for perhaps 5 metres. As we’d had a good skin track, we also had good steps kicked in by parties before us and everyone, even those who’d never bootpacked before made it across and up onto the north ridge of Empire Peak, where we could put skis back on, without difficulty. I arrived at the top of Empire Peak right on 2.00 pm, so far we’d been skiing for 4.5 hours and had covered all the uphill sections.
All that remained was the ski down to Barrett Lake and out to the highway on the well sled packed Barrett Creek FSR. Our final high point of the day called for another half hour rest stop. From our vantage point, we could watch the sledders practice natural selection as they highmarked in the steep, avalanche prone 40 degree bowl on the north side of Dominion Mountain. Some time near 2.45 pm, I finally roused the gang and we began our descent. The descent from Empire Peak is southeast facing and, after lots of hot sunny weather, sporting a robust breakable crust, so it took some time to get the entire group down. Jeff, on his big fat heavy skis – and undoubtedly a better skier than me – made it look easy, but most of us contented ourselves with making turns where the surface crust allowed, but kick-turning, side-slipping and traversing the crusty sections. Doug and I have really light skis which mean we can travel fast and far on ski tours, but they really do suck in breakable crust, as they just bounce off the surface. After a while, we were all down on the road, and, I brought up the rear as we started hurtling downhill on the heavily traveled road. I was able to push my heels out and settle my weight back and hold a completely effortless snow plow the entire way, but other people were making short, sharp radius turns all the way down. Eventually, we reached the Huckleberry junction, where we had reached the half-way mark for the road skiing and it does get easier (less steep) below. There were still quite a few rests required on the last six kilometres, but they were all pretty short and at 4.00 pm, just 8.5 hours after leaving Upper Rover FSR we coasted out into the parking lot. Thanks to my helpers on the car shuttle, Matt Walton and Doug Brown, as well as Jocelyne Martin for the loan of a pickup truck. Also to Joanne Stinson, and Jeff Keith for being such good company on a wonderful day out. Coordinator: Sandra McGuinness, team: Doug Brown, Jeff Keith, Jocelyne Martin, Joanne Stinson, and Matt Walton.

Summer trips
WEST BONNINGTON TRAVERSE 2024 by Doug Clark 
Day 1: Trip rating D2 : Twin Peaks to Steed Hut (7.8km/7h)
As the West Kootenays were frying over the hottest weekend of this summer, three hikers had all of the Bonnington landscape to themselves. Doug, our hike leader, had previously sent us a topographic map of his carefully planned itinerary, which he had scouted a few days before the hike. Two of us carpooled from Nelson and met with Doug at 8 am in Castlegar, from where he led us to the well-maintained Munson Forest Service Road (FSR). A low clearance vehicle does it, mind the bounciness, and between our two cars, we shuttled one to the exit point.
By 10 am, our packs adjusted on our hips, we telescoped out our hiking poles and set foot into that majestic and deserted playground. 
The Bonnington traverse, better known for its winter outback ski adventures, seems to be forgotten when only a few patches of snow remain. It shouldn’t be! It is easily accessible from Nelson/Castlegar, and the path to the Steed Hut offers a ravishing variety of incline, terrain, and vegetation. 
For seven hours, with multiple sit-down breaks for a sip of water and, mostly, the enjoyment of the views, our trio happily gained elevation. From a carpet of dwarf lupins,  anemones and yellow avalanche lilies to bear grass and alder bushes, some of us added gaiters to our shorts, while others switched to pants. The sun was scorching hot, and the young, regenerated forest on cut blocks didn’t provide any shade. As we progressed through some boulder fields towards more exposed terrain, we walked over marmot burrows and then patches of snow and drank from our packed water reserves. We used larger snow patches to top up our water bottles, which led to the usual fun snowball throw, at which Tereza, who ski patrolled at Silver Star in Vernon before moving to Trail four years ago, and then to Nelson a year ago, excelled. 
From the high Siwash Ridge, our trio tried to spot Steed Hut, nestled somewhere down there between the large pines by a small tarn at 2100m. Built in 1995 with an additional woodshed in 2020, the cabin revealed itself as we were about to descend the ridge,  almost 8km from the trailhead. A quick sweep of the loft to get rid of sleeping bag fluff and firewood slivers, and soon we were enjoying a perfectly timed après on the terrasse,  reminiscing about our “awe” moments of the day. When the breeze dispersed the buzzing flying bugs, when the underrated silence bounced back and echoed with our pulse, we recalled the snowy peaks of the Valhallas seen from high points during the day’s trek. The nearby tarn and running creek provided the needed water. Dinner from freeze-dried portions didn’t make our packs much lighter, but filled our stomachs and our evening with shared local adventures.  
Day 2: Trip rating B2: Steed Hut to Siwash Summit (2km, two h); then hut via Marble Lake to  exit (5.4km/3h) 
By 8:30 pm, some of us were snoring, while later at 4 am, others were stargazing. The 7 am hot coffee brought some more sharing of local adventures. From 8 to 10 am, we ascended and then descended the ridge towards the summit of Siwash Mountain, at 2320m, the highest peak in the Bonnington Range. Miners in the late 1800s likely climbed all the peaks of the range in their search for gold, silver and copper. Doug pointed out a metal wire that miners used for their communication, which Renée’s feet kept finding between rhododendrons, red currant and huckleberry shrubs. Buried 2m down in snow over the Winter, the summit cairn encloses the KMC summit register, which shows the names and comments of previous climbers’ summit achievements. The three of us happily wrote our names in the register while feasting on a salted caramel chocolate that Tereza asked us to save from melting, all the time enjoying the eye candy provided by the spectacular mountain scenery. 
Doug generously assigned our names to unnamed peaks on the Siwash ridge, as we slowly retreated to the hut, where we snacked and packed, with a thought for the Steeds – Dad &  Son, after whom our refuge was named. The 5.5 km downhill walk back to the car felt like a leisurely day of vacation as we were strolling along a gentle incline, some of it by Marble Creek or on a decommissioned FSR. We enjoyed a lunch break by crystal clear Marble Lake, bordered on one side by a bare boulder field, coupled with a brisk dip that kept us calm for the last part of the walk. 
About 2 pm, we were back at our cars and were driving away from the Bonningtons towards the next adventure. 

EAST BONNINGTON TRAVERSE by Peter Oostlander 
Participants: Jeff Wilson, Viola Vatter, Renée Marceau, Bill McNally and Peter Oostlander
I scheduled this hike back in March to follow up on Doug Clark’s West Bonnington hike. The East Bonnington overnight hike is a traverse starting at Toad Mountain and ending at Empire Peak. Bill and I have done this hike many times privately, and this was the first time that I had offered it to the KMC as a club trip. Usually, the Bonnington traverse is done on skis from the Bombi summit, near Castlegar, to the Porto Rico road near Ymir, staying overnight in the new Grassy Hut and the Steed and Copper Huts. The advantage of the summer version is that you can drive almost to the Toad Mountain trailhead at 1900m.  
Day 1. 13km and 1020m of elevation with Toad, Red and Copper mountains climbed.
We summited Toad Mountain after about an hour and a half, after which we took a shortcut cross country to join the rough bike trail up to Red Mountain. We had lunch in the shade just before the summit and signed the register on Red Mountain. Then, down we went cross-country in open terrain to the old road that skirts around Copper Mountain to the ridge above the Copper KMC cabin. It was getting pretty hot already, and we were happy to get there! 
We parked our backpacks and booted up Copper Mountain, 200m above us. This completed a  1000m elevation gain day. After a short stay at the top, and Viola finding Geocache #2 that afternoon just below the summit, we shot back to the ridge and picked up our packs and our now empty – or almost empty water supply (on average we used up 2 to 2.5 litres). 
We stopped at the underground spring halfway between the ridge and the cabin, which supplies a small tarn and used a short piece of tubing to re-supply our water containers with ice-cold, clean water coming out of a split in the rock. No need to filter! 
We found the cabin in good shape. Viola donned a mask and swept the floor clean of dust and mouse droppings while Peter set three traps, just in case. 
A visit to the pretty, wildflower-filled meadow below the cabin revealed a lovely, cold stream, where we washed up and filled some more water containers with our water filter pump. Everyone had brought some appetizer treats, replenishing a few lost calories. Salt was in high demand. 
After dinner, it was time to lay out our bedding, with Jeff and Peter to sleep outside under the roof overhang. Jeff had wisely brought a bug net. Peter did not, and after being eaten alive by swarms of mosquitoes and coming face to face with the resident mouse, retreated to the upper bunk inside. Jeff survived the night outside, but had to contend with the “Battle of Britain” bug attack noise.
Day 2: 16km and 650m elevation with Territory, Colony, and Empire peaks climbed. 
We got up at first light and were underway at 7 AM; up the hill to the water hole and the ridge, starting the most spectacular part of the Bonnington traverse. Our first real stop was at the point where the Verde Ridge branches off, before climbing to the top of Territory. There are great views of the entire Bonnington Mountains from this mountain! 
Down we went a short distance, up Colony Mountain, and then negotiated the narrow ridge to  Empire Peak. This is the crux of the traverse, and in winter requires you to carry the skis up. There is a bit of bouldering involved, but it is pretty safe when executed carefully. 
From Empire, Peter decided to change the normal descent to Barrett Lake (in the southeast direction) to follow the easy ridge south down to the col between Empire and Dominion, losing half the 400m descent. That worked great until we hit the forest, and got caught in avalanche debris and some moderate bush. So, this route was marked ‘do not try again’ for the future. 
Our troubles were soon forgotten, once we arrived at the Barrett Lake Cabin with lunch and a  refreshing dip in the lake. For some, clothes and all went in!
Then the 7km final march out on the Barrett Creek FSR to our shuttle vehicles km 3 from the  Porto Rico parking area. It became hotter and hotter as we descended the 750m, and we were delighted to see the end of that section. Viola generously had kept a vast block of ice in a cooler with 0% beers, soft drinks, blueberries and cherries. What a super treat after a long hike!
The temperature in Castlegar when I got home was 39C.
This was a great group of KMC’ers in the true mountaineering spirit of good cheer, stimulating conversation, solving some world problems, cooperation and fortitude.