Picture courtesy of Milan Kubik.
Picture courtesy of Milan Kubik.
Little White Mountain
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| elevation: 2,169 m. |
height gain: 750 m. (from Dog House Cabin) |
| area: Kelowna,BC |
map 82 E/11 |
| 2022-May-05 |
| Several
accesses exist for Little White. The following describes the approach via the Highland Trail, which ascends the mountain from
the south-eastern aspect; I can't describe the trail as it was
snowbound on our outing. From Kelowna, locate Myra FSR and drive to
Kettle Valley Rail Trails. At the junction for the parking lot, 336193,
go straight instead of turning right. Drive for about 400 meters, then
veer right, 336190. Continue for over 2 kilometers to another junction,
344170, and keep left on McCullough Snowmobile Trails. At 350158, go
straight, then keep left at 352156 and take a hard right at 354155.
Continue straight at 357149; the Dog House Cabin is on the right, about 2 kilometers further.
Pass the cabin and go left through a creek, 359132 (4x4 recommended).
Continue along Canyon Lakes Trail; go straight at 359127 and 357107.
The location of the trailhead is after Canyon Lakes, 349078.
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| Very long hike on the snow-covered road. |
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| Bears use the road as well. | ||
| Hike:
RT 8.25; 4.75 up.
This spring has been unseasonably cool and rainy, resulting in the
mountains still being covered with a deep snowpack. Finding an
objective with snow-free access and a reasonable approach was a
challenge.
Near drier Kelowna, I
figured Little White would grant favorable conditions; however, the
lingering snow stopped us well
away from the trailhead. With our usual late start, we reached the Dog
House Cabin at 2 PM where the snow stopped us from driving further. We
didn't have a long discussion before setting off to try a summit bid
with
the additional substantial distance. The hike on the road was long and
uneventful other than following fresh bear tracks. Past the lake, we
started our ascent through light timber on consolidated snow. We
encountered red markers indicating the Highland Trail, but the snow
made it
impossible to follow the path. Our climb
was pleasant as we enjoyed mild temperatures. We gained the ridge
quickly, where we experienced fierce wind and zero visibility.
Little White suddenly felt like a big mountain! We proceeded to the
summit with no view. The summit plod was interesting; the conditions
made it less monotonous. After a short stay, we started our descent. We
hiked most of the endless road in the dark and were thrilled to
arrive at the truck. For our first peak of the year, this unexpected
25-kilometer hike was very satisfying. |
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| Leaving the road at the Highland Trail trailhead. | ||
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| We encountered red markers along our ascent. |
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| Following the path of least resistance. |
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| Looking back. Picture courtesy of Milan Kubik. |
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| A sign post confirms the way. |
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| Higher up, we're engulfed in low cloud. |
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| The wind picks up near the ridgeline. |
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| Looking down. |
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| Travelling on the ridge with little visibility. |
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| Nearing the top. Picture courtesy of Milan Kubik. |
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| Summit hardware. |
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| First hike of 2022!!! |
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| Heading down. |
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| Simply backtracking. |
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| Back at the trailhead just before darkness. |
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| Ready to hussle to the truck in the dark. |
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| Dog House Cabin. |
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