Widgeon Bowl Trail

Overgrown trail leading from Quarry Road to Burke Summit

Statistics

Details

This describes the route continuing on from Burke Summit, past Pika Peak and the high viewpoint at the north end of Burke Ridge and then east down the southeast slope of Widgeon Peak to the Widgeon Campsite.

From Burke Summit, continue on the Burke Ridge Trail down across a small meadow, then skirt around the east side of Pika Peak. After descending down Pika's north side, you will come to a small, open saddle. At the beginning of this saddle, a white sign and further down, some orange flagging illuminate a side-trip down to Bennie Lake to the right (east) of the saddle. Continuing north from the saddle, and eventually angling to the right, you will ascend to a viewpoint (the lowest of three). To the right of this lower viewpoint, orange flagging leads you on a side-trip up to a middle viewpoint, then down to an open ravine and up beyond to the high viewpoint (Burke's North Summit) where there are nice 360 degree views. Continuing north along the trail from the lower viewpoint, you will soon come to a fourth and highest viewpoint where you can see Widgeon Slough to the east and Coquitlam Mountain to the northwest. From there, the trail leads down to the west, then sidles back north down a slick, grassy slope. After angling back generally in a N and NE direction, you will come out on a col south of Widgeon Peak. Here, the flagged trail turns right and switchbacks down a fairly steep slope in mature forest. Watch carefully for the flagging and footbed here. The flagging will take you down to an overgrown slide area. As of September 2010, a wide trail has been hacked through this overgrown area, basically linking two island clumps of connifers which are surrounded by brambles and tangled alder. After skirting just to the north of a third clump of taller connifers, the trail crosses a ravine. On the east side of that ravine, it descends along a flagged route, switch-backing in a SE direction down the forested mountain slope. After about 20 - 30 minutes the trail will come out on an old logging roadbed running perpendicularly into another completely overgrown slide chute which is narrower - perhaps 300 meters wide. A cleared and flagged pathway leads you across this overgrown area. Near the east end of this slide chute, there is a nice viewpoint of Grant Narrows: Dawn's Viewpoint. From here on, the trail follows an old logging road bed and is easy to follow. After a number of switch-backs, nearer the bottom, the trail is washed out by a creek. To the left of the broken foot bridge orange flagging will detour you up higher, around this area and then back down to the roadbed. Be careful here as the trail runs close to the edge of the bank in a couple spots and in other areas watch closely for the flagging. Continue to follow the flagging all the way down to Quarry Road, at a point about 150 meters south of Widgeon Campground.

Photographs

GPS Waypoints

Widgeon Creek Campsite	N49.37545 W122.64243	10U 525956 5469256
Widgeon Bowl Trailhead	N49.37427 W122.64341	10U 525886 5469124
Foot bridge out	N49.37582 W122.64698	10U 525626 5469295
Water access #1	N49.37392 W122.65499	10U 525045 5469081
Water access #2	N49.37497 W122.65919	10U 524740 5469197
East side of minor slide chute (at lower road)	N49.37852 W122.66323	10U 524445 5469590
West side of minor slide chute	N49.37851 W122.66414	10U 524379 5469589
East side of ravine	N49.38014 W122.66785	10U 524109 5469769
Hollow tree	N49.38018 W122.66867	10U 524049 5469773
Viewpoint #1	N49.37660 W122.68314	10U 523001 5469370
Junction with Burke Ridge Trail (viewpoint #2)	N49.37320 W122.68250	10U 523049 5468992
Viewpoint #3	N49.37241 W122.68208	10U 523080 5468905
Viewpoint #4	N49.37168 W122.68009	10U 523224 5468824