If your into hiking this is cool, but look at the cautions at the bottom of info. I guess you might trip over a broken belt, or cut yourself on some windshield parts. I guess you guys should be packing your broken parts out, i know i pick up what i see, and some stuff i resell! lol
goldenhikes.ca Hikes around Golden, B.C. Silent Pass
Difficulty: Easy
Access: Difficult
Time: 1.5 hours
Distance: 4.6 kilometres
Change in elevation: 430 metres
Map reference: 82 N/3 Mt. Wheeler Synopsis: Easy hike, idyllic setting, loooong approach. (Of course, if it wasn't at the end of the proverbial 40 miles of bad road, it would be utterly overrun, wouldn't it?)
Access: From the lights in Golden, drive south on Highway 95 and turn right on the Parson River Crossing road. Cross the Columbia River and its back channels on the three bridges and head up the hill on the Spillimacheen FSR. Do not turn right on to Thomas Road or left on to Sanborn Road. Just after Sanborn Road, you'll see a 2k sign. Set your odometer to 0 here and add two. (Don't believe the first two signs for 0k and 1k. The first klick is a little short.)
There are many branches off this road, but stay on the main road. At 17 km, take the north fork (straight ahead.) At 45.8 km, turn left on the McMurdo Creek FSR and cross the river on a bridge. (This is the first left after the very sharp corner.) Follow the road for another 10.4 km. It is rough and muddy in spots. Again, stay on the obvious main road. At 56.2 km, you may see flagging tape across the road ahead of you, and a parking area on the left. Flagging tape tends to disappear, and there is no other barrier to driving into the creek, so be extremely careful here.
Trailhead: The bridge that used to be across the creek is now on the other side of the valley, severely bent. Descend to the creek and cross on the precarious plank, or rock-hop.
Trail: Follow the skid trail from 850 metres until you come to a junction. There is a vertical post that shows McMurdo Hut is to the left and Silent Pass to the right. Follow the old logging road to the right for another 1.9 km. It climbs to the right, and then switchbacks to the left. (You're right. If that bridge isn't going to be replaced, a trail up the hill here would make sense. But without a trail, it is easier to stick to the road.) When you reach the landing at the end of road, go to the end of the landing and follow the very obvious track that climbs sharply up the hill on your right. This is the second steepest stretch on the trail.
The trail winds through the forest and is fairly easy to follow. After about 800 metres, you will come to a section where a wide path has been slashed through the trees. The slash has been carefully positioned to fill holes between rocks. This is the snowmobile trail. The altered surface makes smooth sledding but terrible hiking. At this point, the hiking trail turns sharply to the left. Look for it.
The trail then enters a flat, boggy meadow where the track is faint before the final climb to the pass, up a lightly treed draw on the left. Once in the pass area, the trail heads to the west end of the meadows, past several smaller lakes, to Silent Lake.
If you follow the trail around the lake, you can gain the height of land and look over at the peaks on the west side of the Duncan River, including the Battle Group and Schooner Ridge.
Cautions:
•Watch for broken snowmobile parts.
•Watch out for the missing bridge.
Did we help you out? You can help us out by dropping a loonie in the goldenhikes.ca boot at Bacchus Books and Cafe. copyright 2003-2011 McMurdo Publications
goldenhikes.ca Hikes around Golden, B.C. Silent Pass
Difficulty: Easy
Access: Difficult
Time: 1.5 hours
Distance: 4.6 kilometres
Change in elevation: 430 metres
Map reference: 82 N/3 Mt. Wheeler Synopsis: Easy hike, idyllic setting, loooong approach. (Of course, if it wasn't at the end of the proverbial 40 miles of bad road, it would be utterly overrun, wouldn't it?)
Access: From the lights in Golden, drive south on Highway 95 and turn right on the Parson River Crossing road. Cross the Columbia River and its back channels on the three bridges and head up the hill on the Spillimacheen FSR. Do not turn right on to Thomas Road or left on to Sanborn Road. Just after Sanborn Road, you'll see a 2k sign. Set your odometer to 0 here and add two. (Don't believe the first two signs for 0k and 1k. The first klick is a little short.)
There are many branches off this road, but stay on the main road. At 17 km, take the north fork (straight ahead.) At 45.8 km, turn left on the McMurdo Creek FSR and cross the river on a bridge. (This is the first left after the very sharp corner.) Follow the road for another 10.4 km. It is rough and muddy in spots. Again, stay on the obvious main road. At 56.2 km, you may see flagging tape across the road ahead of you, and a parking area on the left. Flagging tape tends to disappear, and there is no other barrier to driving into the creek, so be extremely careful here.
Trailhead: The bridge that used to be across the creek is now on the other side of the valley, severely bent. Descend to the creek and cross on the precarious plank, or rock-hop.
Trail: Follow the skid trail from 850 metres until you come to a junction. There is a vertical post that shows McMurdo Hut is to the left and Silent Pass to the right. Follow the old logging road to the right for another 1.9 km. It climbs to the right, and then switchbacks to the left. (You're right. If that bridge isn't going to be replaced, a trail up the hill here would make sense. But without a trail, it is easier to stick to the road.) When you reach the landing at the end of road, go to the end of the landing and follow the very obvious track that climbs sharply up the hill on your right. This is the second steepest stretch on the trail.
The trail winds through the forest and is fairly easy to follow. After about 800 metres, you will come to a section where a wide path has been slashed through the trees. The slash has been carefully positioned to fill holes between rocks. This is the snowmobile trail. The altered surface makes smooth sledding but terrible hiking. At this point, the hiking trail turns sharply to the left. Look for it.
The trail then enters a flat, boggy meadow where the track is faint before the final climb to the pass, up a lightly treed draw on the left. Once in the pass area, the trail heads to the west end of the meadows, past several smaller lakes, to Silent Lake.
If you follow the trail around the lake, you can gain the height of land and look over at the peaks on the west side of the Duncan River, including the Battle Group and Schooner Ridge.
Cautions:
•Watch for broken snowmobile parts.
•Watch out for the missing bridge.
Did we help you out? You can help us out by dropping a loonie in the goldenhikes.ca boot at Bacchus Books and Cafe. copyright 2003-2011 McMurdo Publications
