| Author |
Topic |
 Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3995 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 1:18 PM
|
Haylmore Peak is the highest point between the logged Haylmore Valley and the unlogged Lost Valley area. It is located about 5km northwest of The Twin Lakes area mentioned in 103 Hikes and Scrambles in SW BC. Thanks to Shrubhugger for mentioning this peak some years back and Darren for the timely reminder last week.
 Overview of area: Haylmore Creek Road in pink, the trail to Twin Lakes leading off of it in green (Twin Lakes between Crystal and Elliot).
From about km 14 on the road (just before the rockslides) I head upwards through thick bush and steep terrain in a northerly direction. The bush soon gave way to reasonably open forest and after half an hour I hit an old unused ATV track that I'd heard about. This I followed to its end to then pick up a flagged route with a decent trailbed.
This was pretty easy to follow, blue flagging and lots of sawn logs from years past. Not so much used now and the trail bed is faint at times along with some obscuring from more recent blowdown. No big issues to follow though and after a couple of bushy dips in the terrain I start to approach the alpine but not before passing an old encampment. Beyond this the trail is more faint but the ridge is more defined and open.
Passing an old burn area I ascend past some more trees and hit the alpine at just under 2000m el. A sea of green greets me here, quite a few flowers and a good view of the route ahead. There were also hundreds of crickets jumping around as I strolled through the first part of these meadows.
 Flowers with Marriot and Nequatque as a backdrop.
The ridge now trends northeast as I follow it up through a small band of trees and the views really started to open up.
 Northern view to a sub peak of Haylmore.
 Where I'm going.
Really nice walking up this ridgeline. I top out on a small bump and get a good look at the broad southwest face of the peak.
 The plan is to stick with the faint ridge running up towards the skyline.
 A part of The Haylmore/Lost Valley Divide. Whitecap on the horizon.
I had expected more loose rock but things were pretty solid for the first half of this ascent (class 2) and it was a fun scramble upwards with more scree the further I got.
 Approaching the summit.
A bit more scrambling and I was on top with some great views down into Lost Valley and over to Lost Peak and Nraiteskel on the Lost Valley/Downton Divide. The bowl and ridge travel southeast towards Crystal Peak and The Twin Lakes looked very appealing too.
 The view down Lost Valley - not a clearcut in sight. Whitecap rear left.
 Me on the 2515m summit and Upper Lost Valley. Nraiteskel just left of me.
    
1. Northwestern view towards The Phelix Creek area. Aragorn (left) and Prospector (right) visible. Cadwallader behind Prospector I think.
2. Looking southeast. Upper Lost Valley and an idea of the terrain towards Crystal (middle distance on the right). Boulder, Wonder, Channel, Elusive, Tigger and Moomin make up some of the peaks on the skyline.
3. Lost/Found, Nraiteskel and a sub peak across the valley.
4. A cube rock that caught my eye in the valley below. Looked like a hut until I zoomed in on it.
5. A hanging meadow to the south. Gideon, St. Jacobs, Asherah, Snowspider and Cloudraker on the skyline.
     
1. Lesser Wedge, Wedge, The Owls, Weart and Cayoosh to the southwest.
2. Nraiteskel - a place I want to go to.
3. Crystal Peak (Twin Lakes NW Peak in The Scrambles SW BC book) and a sub peak. Tigger, Tigger sub, Eyeore and Moomin centre distance. Petlushkwohap and Skihist visible way back.
4. Zooming southeast on Channel Peak and Elusive.
5. And a southern view towards Howard, Matier, Joffre and Slalok. Rohr in front of Matier.
6. Whitecap with a fresh dusting of snow to the NNW.
I spent over an hour on the summit - most of it taking pictures and figuring out what I was looking at. Good vantages of many familiar peaks.
 Ideal of the terrain from Haylmore towards Crystal.
 Another Lost Valley shot and view towards Whitecap area.
 Satisfaction.
I follow the ridge down west a little to grab a few more pictures before retracing my steps.
 Looking down where I came from. My lower ascent ridge leads out of picture left. Marriot and Birkenhead prominent at rear.
 A view down the steep north side.
 And a look back at the peak. Nraiteskel rear left.
For the first time this year I didn't have to tread on any snow whilst climbing a decent sized mountain. I did venture on to some for the picture above and also lower down to fill my water bottle.
 Flowery meadows on the way down. Crystal Peak at left.
 More flowers and a look back up at Haylmore - nice place to visit.
I head back into the trees and meet up with a couple of guys I'd seen earlier on the road in. They were spending a couple of days in the area - staying at the encampment. They check out CT on occasion. We had a nice chat and then I continued downwards.
Once or twice I lost the trail but soon found it again. I forgot where I left the overgrown ATV track but travel was easy through the forest until lower down where I got into tightly packed young firs and some alder. No big issues though and I soon hit the road a bit lower than expected and have a few hundred metres walk up it to my vehicle.
I poured a bottle of Coke over the snow I'd collected way back up on the ridge and sat down to think about the day. Bugs were present up to the alpine but only mildly annoying when I stopped (didn't do much of that). Elevation gain was about 1450m with a bit of cumulative.
Burnabyhiker and I did Twin Lakes and Crystal 4 years back in late summer hoping to enjoy the colours of late season meadows and rocky peaks rising above. Fresh snow didn't allow the colours to happen (but it was very pituresque anyway) so it was nice to see things differently this time.
http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23747 That TR.
 |
Edited by - simonc on 09/07/2011 2:59 PM
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
1111 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 2:56 PM
|
| Ya, I agree. Nraiteskel looks like a good one. How many KM would you have to bike now you figure? |
|
|
|
Outdoors addicted flyfishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking car crooner and resident motormouth
Da'Wack, BC
Canada
5368 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 2:58 PM
|
Looks like a great day Simon. I really love that upper lost photo, I wouldn't mind getting a little lost there myself. I imagine it would be a nice place to spend a few days. Great views from Halymore. Haylmore. |
Edited by - exscape on 09/08/2011 11:25 AM |
|
|
|
Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3995 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 3:05 PM
|
Thanks. Haylmore is the correct name. I got it right all through the TR but screwed up the title. Fixed it now.
Thecamel, for Haylmore Road it is 2km or so to the Twin Lakes turnoff from the landslides. The road is 2wd HC and a little rough in spots to km 14. The creek crossing the road around km 10 isn't too bad. |
|
|
 Best grilled cheese maker ever
Whitehorse, YUKON
Canada
2142 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 3:19 PM
|
If you show these pictures to Duddy Kravitz, this area is doomed!
Sweet TR. |
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
1111 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 3:25 PM
|
quote:
for Haylmore Road it is 2km or so to the Twin Lakes turnoff from the landslides. The road is 2wd HC and a little rough in spots to km 14.
No, I meant the road (Gott FSR?) to Nraiteskel. I think I read it's blocked now and was wondering how many KM you'd have to bike to approach Nraiteskel? |
|
|
Burnaby, BC
Canada
667 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 3:35 PM
|
Very nice!
Next year I will have to spend some time in that area. |
|
|
|
Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3995 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 3:40 PM
|
quote:
thecamel Posted - 09/07/2011 : 3:25 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
for Haylmore Road it is 2km or so to the Twin Lakes turnoff from the landslides. The road is 2wd HC and a little rough in spots to km 14.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, I meant the road (Gott FSR?) to Nraiteskel. I think I read it's blocked now and was wondering how many KM you'd have to bike to approach Nraiteskel?
Downton is the road to Nraiteskel (and Melvin, Lost, Seton etc). That's 2wd to near end. Gott Creek FSR (Elusive, Wonder, Russell etc. is blocked around km 7.5. Waterbars start about 4km up that road. |
|
|
|
Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13025 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 4:49 PM
|
| Just plain inspiring! |
|
|
|
Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13441 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 6:35 PM
|
Beautiful Mountain Landscape Shots.
You get up to a lot of great high places to contemplate the world, for us all we are all small. Many climb, why . Because it is there.
Great work on another first class adventure.
K |
|
|
Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1005 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 6:44 PM
|
| Looks like a perfect day for it. Nice one. |
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
1111 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 7:40 PM
|
| Ah, I see. My bad, got them mixed up. Thanks. |
|
|
Abbotsford, BC
Canada
1005 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 9:18 PM
|
| Beautiful! Satisfaction is right! |
|
|
|
Fast hikin, carrot chompin, always grinnin, gear scatterin recipient of the Theta Lake manouver
Burnaby
2039 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 9:23 PM
|
Glad you got back there.
The lake photo from that trip still is hung on the wall here.
Think the flowers will still be blooming this weekend? Might go myself. |
|
|
|
canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6768 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 9:58 PM
|
| Simonc could publish the best scrambles book around here for sure, the online real data and true pics are to be deeply respected by any user group, much tought and detail in all trips, highly appreciated. |
Edited by - Aqua Terra on 09/07/2011 10:01 PM |
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
559 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 10:47 PM
|
| Just stunning clear pictures of non ending alpine peaks! And look at those gorgeous green mountain shots. Loved that pristine old growth valley, too. Thanks for the report. |
|
|
|
Night owl posting,Subie driving, backpacking Dad who is perpetually trying to catch up to his kids on the trail.
Vancouver, BC
Canada
3052 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 11:29 PM
|
| Great report. Really makes one think about more possibilities in a great area. |
|
|
831 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2011 : 11:43 PM
|
The gas expense aside -- a great outing!  |
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
1126 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2011 : 11:03 AM
|
| Nice meadows there. Inspiring photos. Thanks. |
|
|
|
Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3995 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2011 : 4:06 PM
|
Thanks for the comments. Chris, there should be some flowers left (and some crickets too). A Halymore to Crystal to Twin Lakes and out would make a great loop over-nighter.
|
|
|
Whistler, BC
Canada
1174 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2011 : 9:15 PM
|
| Great photos and comprehensive description, Simon. Surprised that quad trail is already growing in. I believe the folks who engineered it originally were interested in accessing hunting terrain. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
The Haylmore (Peak) - Lost Valley Divide Sep 02 11
