Salal Creek

Statistics

Directions

Drive the Lillooet River FSR

+45.5km=overflowing creek across road (needs a bit of clearance)

+47.8km=take right branch off the Lillooet FSR onto BR-S25 (unsigned). Zero your odometer.

+0.4km=left spur

+0.8km=right spur (BR-S5?)

+1.2km=right spur (BR-S4?)

+2.7km=left spur (BR-S30)

+5.7km=right spur

+5.9km=go right

+6.4km=go right.

+6.5km=end of road. Trailhead (July 2006).

As of July 15 2006, the S25 road is 2WD and high clearance not needed. Seasonally deactivated around October. Road bed gets very soft and slippery when wet (then I recommend 4x4 or AWD). Active logging and road building in area. If in doubt about your car, leave a note or contact Squamish Mills.

Details

From end of the spur, you'll see an area of moss covered boulders/talus at the end of the road. Take a bearing 340 degrees and follow scuff marked boulders into the slash. The trail is marked with pink flagging. It is directly between two sets of road boundary tapes (east & west). Do not follow the road boundary tapes! If you follow road tapes, go E or W about 10m to find the correct route. Distance to Salal Creek is 1km (15-20 minutes).

* From where trail enters Salal Creek flats, go N about 1km and note flagged trees on embankment. Trees mark an easier flagged route through forest (or stay on creekbed).

* At junction of E and W forks of Salal Creek, follow E fork. You should always be on E side of Salal Creek until you reach Athelney Pass.

* Entire route to first camp area (about 6km from trailhead) was reflagged on July 15, 2006.

* Just S of the "canyon", high water will require either a ford or steep ascent into the forest to bypass. If you detour into the forest, don't go too far into a large slide alder section (200m wide). The canyon is on the S edge of the slide alder section. Drop into the canyon.

* N of the canyon, a flagged forest route is marked with tapes. If you use this route to bypass high water, you will go through a slide alder section (flagged) near its end. When you get back onto the old creek bed, it's roughly 5km to Athelney Pass. There are no more flagged forest routes beyond this point.

* Most of the route is on moraine or creek rocks, so hiking poles are recommended. Some bushwacking or fords may be needed when high water creates side channels.

* Big bear habitat--make noise!

* Strong hikers or mountaineers can make Athelney Pass in a day.

In addition to the camp near the confluence N fork Salal Cr, there are also good campsites at the moraine lake 5km SW of Athelney Pass - GR 715219, and in the mossy flats above the moraines - GR 730225 (both 92 J/14) as well as at the pass itself where there is an amazing swimming tarn with a million dollar view of Ethelweard and glacier. Note: the mine shack near the pass is fully collapsed and unusable.

Photographs

GPS Waypoints

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