| Road Conditions: Starts from the
highway. It would help if Forest Service took out the road deactivation
cuts that keep two-wheel drive vehicles from driving the first section
of road. |
|
Trail Length: 2-1/2 hours to the
upper lake from the upper parking lot. Four-wheel drive is necessary
to drive to the upper parking lot. Otherwise you will have to hike
from near the start of the road which adds over one hour up and one
hour down. |
| Directions: 59.6 km north on Highway 16 from
Main St in Smithers or about 8 km south of New Hazelton. Turn west
on the Mudflat Creek road. Ignore the two roads to the left and the
gated road to the gravel pit on the right. You will see a trail sign
and the road straight ahead. Two-wheel drive vehicles will have to
park within one km of the highway. Four-wheel drives can park about
3 km further. Stay on the most travelled road. |
|
Features: This is one of the best
trails in the area, very picturesque and with a varied forest cover
from large hemlock and cedar to a tall stand of balsam. The first
lake is far below the trail in a narrow valley. The second lake has
a couple of good camp sites and even a picnic table nearby. For experienced
hikers, access to the high ridges beyond the second lake is possible
by staying on the small treed ridge on the right side of the lake
basin. There is a glacier in the bowl above the upper lake. Use a
four-wheel drive on the road or be prepared to be passed by four-wheel
drive vehicles that may or may not be courteous enough to offer a
ride. Don't count on it. Pick a sunny day to hike this trail - the
lakes do not show as well on a dull day and the trail is wetter than
many in our region. |
The first of two blue-green lakes is far below
the trail  |
The second upper lake is fed by a small glacier in a basin high
above. Trail is in the trees to the left of the lake.
|
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