Bushwacking the Koots - 0813

I had the chance Wednesday to go for a hike with one of the more longer-time locals, someone known for long bushwacking routes into the Kootenay backcountry. Knowing this in advance, I was able to be somewhat skeptical when I was told that we'd be back by 3 pm and that it was "just a hike" up an old mining trail in the Sturgis Creek drainage. I packed some extra food, carried my headlamp, gaiters and brought the bush loppers, an apparently essential piece of Kootenay hiking equipment.

We traveled up Keen Creek and into Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park (this is the north "entrance" which is seldom used these days). It took some time to even find the old mining trail as it was very overgrown and the beginning wasn't obvious at all. Using the map, the GPS and Tom's memory, we eventually found the place and, loppers in hand, headed up the "trail".

In the Kootenays, any trail not used much soon grows over with Devil's Club, Thimbleberry, stinging nettle and lots of alder. Not to mention cedar, fir and spruce seedlings on their way up. Add to that regular deadfall to crawl under or over. We traveled slowly, clearing a trail as we went. After several km, the trail narrowed somewhat, but actually improved - you have to admire these early 1900s miners and the trails they built into this kind of country.

Eventually, we reached the old mine site: a couple of decaying log buildings and the refuse of mining in a bygone era. Another 500 ft higher in elevation was supposed to be a lake, so up we went, nearly straight up - clinging to branches and what stable rock there was. The lake was very nice, very peaceful, and we were literally only just "over the hill" from the Silverspray Cabin. If we had climbed to the top of the next hill, we would have been able to look down into that valley. As it was, though, we had gained over 1000 meters of elevation and didn't feel like adding the extra hill to our daily total.

All of this, including a lunch break by the lake, took from about 7:30 am to 1 pm. Heading down was easier since we now had a trail and gravity was working for us. We were back to the vehicle in less than 2 hours and back in town by 3:30 pm. Not bad for a day of bush thrashing in the Kootenays.