Drive
to Sol Mountain Resort. From Revelstoke, take Highway 23; just before
the ferry, locate the Shelter Bay Forestry Road. Drive this gravel road
to the 30-km marker, then turn right onto the resort's access road,
287835; continue for 1.3 kilometers and turn right again, 281843. At
200885, go left and climb switchbacks; a bit further, go left again at
187886; continue to the parking area, 165887. This is a long, rugged
road in remote wilderness with no cell service; be prepared. Note: when
the resort is open, you may need to park outside of their fenced
parking area.
The hike is straightforward. Walk to the resort, locate
the trail, and follow it to the Bill Fraser Lake junction. Continue on
the "Banana Belt" trail, which ascends to the saddle between Mount
Baldur and Sol Mountain; from there, random hiking ensues. Follow
Baldur's north-west ridge, often traversing on the southern slopes due to
trees on the ridge.
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Mount Baldur from the parking area.
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Scramble:
RT 7.5; 3.75 up. On a trip to Sugar Mountain, the peaks to the east
piqued our curiosity. This region is relatively new to me, so when I
got home, I studied Google Earth to get familiar with the surrounding
mountains. The mountains that caught our attention were Goat Mountain
and Pride Rock near Mount Fosthall. Further investigation revealed a
very interesting area easily accessible from Sol Mountain Resort. Twin
Peaks Lakes, nestled in alpine terrain, are cradled by several peaks,
including Pride Rock; it seemed like a perfect place for an overnight
visit. The area was also a good candidate for early-summer hiking on
snow. Mount Baldur, conveniently situated on the opposite, east end of
the mountain range, served as an exploratory trip because we needed to
find
out more about the access to Sol Mountain Resort and its trail to Bill
Fraser Lake and the saddle beyond. Unsure about driving to the resort's
service road from Cherryville, we went to Revelstoke, then down Highway
23 towards Shelter Bay. We located the main service road and followed
it for 30 kilometers before veering onto the resort's access road; some
sections are really rough, and the drive is slow. The secondary road
was also long; as we neared the resort, the road got increasingly steep
and loose, and I dreaded a tire puncture or worse. After 55 kilometers
of gravel, we finally reached the resort's parking area. The resort
wasn't open yet; we were the only people there. It dawned on us how
remote this place is, and without cell service, there's a sense of
vulnerability, especially when you drive an old truck. We had dinner on
the tailgate and retired to the tent just as it got dark. The next
morning, we hiked to the resort and found the trail leading to Bill
Fraser Lake; the start of the trail was a bit tough to find. After
visiting the lake, we continued on the trail to the saddle between
Mount Baldur and Sol Mountain. From there, we worked our way towards
the objective. The treed ridgeline was difficult to follow; we hiked
the path of least resistance, traversing slopes on the southern aspect
and regaining the ridge where we could. The last stretch of the climb
is pleasant, as trees subside, views unfold. Twin Peaks still held a
fair amount of snow; it was safe to assume the lakes were still
snowbound. Now we had more information for our next adventure to Twin
Peaks Lakes. We planned on returning before the snowmelt. Our summit
visit was worth the effort. Backtracking to the truck wasn't
without adventure; we decided to aim for a service road through a
cutblock instead of climbing back up to Sol Mountain Resort. This was a
poor decision; deadfall and thick shrubbery made this shortcut
unpleasant and fruitless. We were thrilled to step on the road; when we
come back, we'll definitely use the trail!
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Sol Mountain Resort. |
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Vast field of avalanche lilies.
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Twin Peaks, Sol Mountain and Pride Rock (L to R).
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Trail junction.
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Bill Fraser Lake.
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Almost at the saddle, we encounter some snow.
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Looking at Mount Baldur from the saddle.
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The ridgeline is treed and requires circumventions.
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Looking back as we regain the ridgeline.
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Nearing the summit.
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Mount Fosthall stands out to the north-west.
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The western view includes Twin Peaks and Pride Rock, Goat Mountain is visible between the two.
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Beyond Sol Mountain Resort, Mount Odin looms over its surrounding peaks.
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Eastern view towards Upper Arrow Lake.
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At the top, with Mount Severide south of us.
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Leaving the summit with Mount Fosthall in the background.
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