Skyline Trail I & II

The Skyline II trail is located in Manning Park 8km past Manning Park lodge towards Gibson's Pass ski area. The trailhead and parking lot is at Strawberry Flats. There are kilometer markers every 1km until you reach the 5km marker then they appear as follows; junction (5.9), 7, 10, & Mowich Camp (12.5).

Skyline I and II Junction

You actually begin on the Skyline 1 trail at Strawberry Flats, until you reach the junction at the 5.9km marker where the Skyline II trail separates from the Skyline 1 trail and drops down into Despair Pass.

The first kilometer is traveled level along an old road where you come to a marked junction where you either continue along towards Three Falls Trail or onto the Skyline trail. You now enter the forest and start the slow but gradual climb up a well maintained trail passing over several small creeks that will soon be your last water source once past the pond between the 4km and 5km marker.

Hozameen in the distance

After the 4km marker you come up past the pond and nearer the ridge for your first views. You are now facing a NWW facing slope where you catch your first but not last look at the magnificent Mt Hozameen. Once past the 5km marker you are almost done your gradual uphill climb, you reach the Skyline 1 & Skyline II junction at this point. This is a great place for a break to take in the incredible views of Thunder Lake below and all the peaks.

From the Junction you descend into Despair Pass, which I have to admit was not nearly as hard as I had expected, it took around 45 minutes to make in up and over the pass. You then do some more gradual uphill climbing as you pass the 7km marker and quickly near Snow Camp Mountain which is a must stop for a break.

Beautiful views open up as you start your open ridge walk with enough breathtaking views to last you a year. After lots of ridge walking you come to the 10k marker where you are close to rounding the ridge and start your 45 minute descent towards Mowich Camp. The gradual descent towards Mowich Camp is through open lush slopes, you cross over a few small creeks which will be your first indication your are minutes away from your destination.

Mowich Camp

From Strawberry Flats to Mowich Camp will take you about 5 hours, and that's including a few breaks to enjoy the views. There is a large meadow at Mowich Camp which can accommodate plenty of people. There is a bear cache and a outhouse at Mowich, which was a welcome sight. Just 20 minutes from Mowich you can get a view of the entire Skajit Valley and Ross Lake, where the trail travels all the way down to Ross Lake another 13k later.

Time permitting, there is Hozameen Trail that will take you from Mowich to the border markers and of course a close look at Hozameen. The area between the Skajit Valley and Manning Park is a ancient aboriginal travel route dating back over 8,000 years, and is currently being explored by Archaeologists. All in all this trip has everything to offer, from incredible views to ancient history. This is a Grizzly recovery area, in which 3 Grizzlies were relocated to this region from Pemberton last year. Not that there are bear problems in the area, but just be bear aware on this trip........not bear paranoid however!