From
the tarn at the foot of Jim Kelly Peak, I located the trail leading to
the Coquihalla/Jim Kelly Col and followed the trail segments that
circumvent Coquihalla Mountain on its south side. I passed its class 2 ascent route and continued to the west end of the mountain,
402874. Then, I descended at the base of the south-west bowl, 400874,
and beelined to Carry Peak's connecting ridge, 397875. I followed the
long undulating ridge to the summit. I encountered no difficulties
other than a short section of easy/moderate scrambling.
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| Following the trail to the Coquihalla/Jim Kelly Col.
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Scramble:
RT 7.75; 3.75 up from the tarn (approach is about 3 hrs up, 2 hrs down). Carry Peak was the main goal on this
visit to Illal Meadows. ClubTread provided the only source of
information on this objective; the route described
circumvents Coquihalla Mountain on its northern aspect. During my
outing to Illal Mountain yesterday, I took note of Coquihalla's
westmost
north ridge (third
buttress). Negotiating the buttress requires substantial height
loss or route finding through ledges; as mentioned in the trip report.
Part of the route, if I chose
to stay high, remained hidden. I knew the southern aspect of the
mountain had
decent trail segments; I had travelled that route a couple of months
ago
to ascend Coquihalla via the
easy class 2 route. So,
I decided to venture on the southern aspect to gain Carry Peak's
connecting ridge. A glance at Google Earth revealed promising access;
however, the route was unknown beyond the trail. I started hiking
early, retracing my way along the south side of Coquihalla Mountain.
Although
it's easy to lose the trail segments going through boulder
fields, I had a general idea of where to go. I passed Coquihalla's
ascent and continued heading west towards Carry Peak. I negotiated a
short section of forest before reaching
the vast bowl that precedes the connecting ridge. The brief bushwhack
wasn't that bad. Once in the bowl, a simple traverse took me to the
ridge. Frankly, the route on the southern aspect of Coquihalla looks
like the way to
go; it's straightforward and pain-free! I followed the
goat path that avoids the krummholz and unnecessary height loss; the
goats always know where to go. The lengthy ridge grants delightful
hiking despite dipping several times. There were dried-up tarns along
the way, a testament to how dry this
summer has been. The final dip before the summit is the most
significant, just like Portia Peak's ridge walk. I could see the
summit; I only
had a short section of easy scrambling on the
ridge, and the rest was a simple walk. Once at the top, I enjoyed the
feat
and the view; unfortunately, I
couldn't stay very long as I had a long trek back to my camp and then
to the truck. The thought of my return was disheartening; I wasn't
looking
forward to hiking out with the heavy pack after such a long haul. I
backtracked the lovely ridge to the only source of water
that remained at the base of a drift snowpatch; I desperately needed
rehydration. After a good drink, I continued to the camp without many
stops. By 4 PM, I had all my gear packed up. The hike to the truck
wasn't as bad as expected until I reached the decommissioned road; my
goodness, it seemed endless... I was elated to see the truck.
I drove off as darkness set upon me; today's timing was impeccable! I
stopped in Merritt for a large coffee and a snack; this was a great
outing.
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Trail segments circumvent Coquihalla Mountain on the south side.
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En Route to the west end of the mountain; the arrow indicates a rock step where the trail continues.
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Approaching the rock step (center).
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This short trail segment takes you to Coquihalla's class 2 ascent route.
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Continuing beyond Coquihalla Mountain's ascent route.
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The terrain to Carry's connecting ridge is easy to negotiate.
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Breaking out of the trees above the south-west bowl; the connecting ridge is in sight.
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Easy travel to the connecting ridge with Carry Peak in the distance (center).
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Following the goat trail through the krummholz.
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Lovely view of familiar peaks along the way.
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The undulating ridge grants enjoyable random hiking.
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Getting closer.
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The only scrambling section on this outing.
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Last stretch to the summit.
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At the summit cairn, yippee!!
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Looking back at Coquihalla and Illal Mountains.
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The view north-west includes Mount Breakenridge, Traverse and Surprise Peaks.
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The Old Settler stands out west of me.
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View north.
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Leaving the summit after a brief stay.
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Looking down the short scrambling section.
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There are numerous dried-up tarns along the ridge.
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Terrain varies along the way.
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Rehydrating with this fresh cold water was delightful.
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The vibrant fall colours are stunning.
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The whole traverse to Coquihalla's south side is in view.
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Once in the south-west bowl, this is the approximate point of entry into the trees towards Coquihalla's ascent route.
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A bit of gnarly bush, nothing too nasty.
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Once rejoined with Coquihalla
Mountain's ascent route, a crude path in the scree leads to an
important trail segment.
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Back at the rock step.
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Circumventing Coquihalla Mountain to the Coquihalla/Jim Kelly Col.
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The tarn's water level at the foot of Jim Kelly is very low.
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Illal Mountain from the meadows on my way out.
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