The Mt. Thompson Rim Trail is the Creston Valley’s most iconic hike. Most of the elevation is gained on the road leading to the trail.
There is no water on the trail.
Location: The ridge that forms the west skyline of the Creston Valley.
Difficulty: B1
Elevation Gain: 150m (rolling terrain)
Distance: 7.4kms round trip
Time: 5 hours
Season: July to September
Access: Copious parking.
Map: 82F/2
Drive: Drive east out of Creston on Hwy 3 and turn south (right) onto Canyon-Lister Rd. Zero odometer.
0.0km. Canyon-Lister Rd.
1.1 km. Turn east (left) on Whimster Rd, go 750 m
1.85km. Continue on Mt Thompson Forestry Rd (gravel, steep grades) for 12 km. Upon arriving at the top of Mt. Thompson you will likely experience mixed feelings, as while the view is stunning, it’s hard to ignore the cellphone and radio towers. Don’t let them get you down, as they’ll be quickly out of view.
14kms. Head past them to the trailhead.
Route/Trail. The trail descends quickly along the ridge into some truly unreal sections of the trail. Views are expansive on both sides, stretching from the southern tip of Kootenay Lake to the north, and well past the US border to the south. Its as close to an aerial view of the Creston Valley as you can find without knowing a pilot – and you didn’t even have to hike up a mountain.
After hiking for a couple of hours or so you’ll get to the trail end which is another tower. From here you can look down on the Skimmerhorn and get a different perspective of the bumps and cliffs along its ridgeline. Going back is no easier or harder than the first half of the hike, but its a trail where one appreciates equally impressive views going both ways so the trip back is just awesome.
References:
http://crestoncommunityforest.com/thompson-rim-trail/.