Mount Bowman

Marble Range trail to isolated summit with caves

Statistics

Directions

From Highway 97 on the south side of Clinton, turn south onto Kelly Lake Road (signed as Clinton-Pavillion Road) and follow it for 16km. Just before Downing Provincial Park and Kelly Lake, turn right onto the well maintained gravel Jesmond Road and drive for 22km. As the road sharply corners to the left, turn right onto an unmarked dirt side road. Follow the side road 1.1 km to a fork, turning left and taking the uphill option. The road will lead under a large set of power lines on top of a on grassy hill near here. Otherwise, continue down the hill and to the right until a ditch crosses the road with a creek running out of a small pond. Park here.

Alternately, continue for another 1km down Jesmond Road to Circle H Mountain Lodge. Obtain permission to park and cross ranch property to the alternate trailhead.

Details

Starting from the muddy road near the small pond, cross a small creek and walk across a clearing to a road on the opposite side. Ignoring the fire cuts and other side roads leading off to the left as you continue down the road. After 650 meters, the road narrows into a proper trail and leads along the north side of Pipeline Creek.

2.6 kilometers from the start of the trail, the trail reaches a small forested campsite next to the creek with room for approximately two tents. It's strongly recommended that you replenish your water supplies here, as there is little water beyond the campsite for most of the year. The trail splits in two directions at the campsite, with the trail on the left leading up to Mount Bowman, and the trail straight ahead climbing up to Wild Horse Ridge.

From the junction, the Mount Bowman Trail leads alongside a small creek and through a marshy meadow before emerging onto an open, grassy ridge. A second campsite lies hidden in a grove of trees along the ridge, 1.5 km from the previous campsite at the junction. There is room for approximately three tents in the forest here, and a side trail leads downhill to a possibly intermittent creek water source.

A short distance beyond the second campsite the trail fades into the grassy meadows. Continue to the base of the summit - one of the better options may be to angle slightly to the left towards the largest of the scree slopes. A steep scramble up 200 meters in vertical elevation is required over loose scree, limestone rock formations, and low shrubs. Head up the steepest of the scree slopes and pick a route up to the top, just south (left) of the peak. There are amazing views of the Marble Range and the backside of the Coast Mountains from the top. From the summit, a ridge can optionally be followed northwest to a cairned sub-peak.

Photographs

GPS Waypoints

2wd parking	N51.15966 W121.92459	10U 575201 5668130
4wd parking	N51.16282 W121.92609	10U 575091 5668480
Creek and small pond	N51.16339 W121.92568	10U 575119 5668543
Trailhead	N51.16527 W121.91922	10U 575567 5668759
Mount Bowman Trail junction	N51.17026 W121.88648	10U 577848 5669348
Pipeline Creek campsite	N51.17034 W121.88613	10U 577872 5669357
Marshy meadow	N51.17693 W121.88782	10U 577743 5670088
Ridge meadows	N51.18050 W121.88968	10U 577607 5670483
Ridge viewpoint	N51.18113 W121.89125	10U 577496 5670552
Ridge campsite	N51.18172 W121.89225	10U 577425 5670616
Ridge campsite creek access	N51.18050 W121.89303	10U 577373 5670480
Trail fades	N51.18181 W121.89444	10U 577272 5670624
Bottom of steep scree slope	N51.18217 W121.89770	10U 577044 5670661
Summit ridge	N51.18194 W121.90529	10U 576514 5670627
Mount Bowman summit	N51.18275 W121.90568	10U 576485 5670717