Less than ten minutes from Nelson, the network of trails here go through cedar forests and wildflowers. Morning Mountain operated as a ski hill until 1999 when the lodge burned down. The mountain biking trails climb all the way up to Toad Mountain.
It is a wonderful trail affording views in a number of places.
Difficulty: B1 moderate
Distance: 9-18 km round trip
Elevation: +544-800 m
Time: 4-5 to 7 hours
Season: late April to early November
Drive. From Nelson, head west on Highway 3A and turn left on Granite Road just as you leave town. Drive 4.1km and turn left on Blewett Ski Hill Road – 2WD low-clearance Park.
Use the Trail Forks app.
Trail. There is a choice of trails to ascend.
Bottoms Up and Upper Bottoms are the easy green trails. Avoid the black diamond trails.
1. Bottoms Up trail, reach a junction in 2km and switch to the green Upper Bottoms trail to gain the top of the network in about 2 hours with the best viewpoint in 10 minutes. Gold larches in September.
Continue on Upper Bottoms and turn left on Giveout Creek Road for 0.3km, turn right on the signed ‘Bedframe’ trail, and walk down Bedframe for just 0.1km and the best viewpoint.
Return to Upper Bottoms on a choice of trails, avoiding the ones that end on Granite Road.
2. Silverking side. Park on Giveout Creek FSR (room for 3 vehicles, 4WD HC). Walk up Fairly High to Very High, then down Upper Highballer and Highballer to the viewpoint on Bedframe and back along Fairly High. All forested trails A/B1. Distance:14 kilometres. Elevation gain: 450 meters. Time: 5 – 6 hours.
The trail wanders through the forest, crossing Giveout Creek and several smaller creeks on the way up. There is an ad hoc ‘outdoor mining museum’ before the first encounter with the Giveout Creek Forest Service Road, consisting of a number of smaller mining machines and implements along the trail and hanging from the trees overhead. Right after crossing the FSR is an abandoned mine. It is a wonderful trail affording views in a number of places.
3. Fairly High. This is relatively easy but is very long. The hike follows the up track Fairly High from the top of Silver King Road to the upper parking lot on Morning Mountain at the top. The first section of the hike was created as part of the Trans Canada Trail, so is well constructed, and includes many bridges.
The trail wanders through the forest, crossing Giveout Creek and several smaller creeks on the way up. There is an ad hoc ‘outdoor mining museum’ before the first encounter with the Giveout Creek Forest Service Road, consisting of a number of smaller mining machines and implements along the trail and hanging from the trees. After crossing the FSR, there is an abandoned mine. Lunch at the viewpoint on Bedframe gives views of Nelson, Elephant Mountain, West Arm Park and a long way up the Kootenay River.
17-18 kilometres return, 7 hours (4 hours up and 3 hours down), elevation gain 800 metres over 8 kilometres, so is gradual.
Reference. https://westkootenayhiking.ca/?s=MORNING+MOUNTAIN+
