Trip 091 - July 31, 2015 (Friday)Holzworth Meadows Hiking RouteNear Tumbler Ridge BC |
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Liked: Mountain views, creek views, whistling gophers, the hike can be done as a circle. Of note: Remote wilderness area, some potholes on the access road, mosquitoes, flies on top of Theropod Peak, no tree shade in the alpine, some wet sections, very windy on the ridge. Hiking poles and boots are highly recommended. Northern BC Backroad Mapbook (3rd edition) Coordinates: Page 43 (Mount Crum) F4. Related Trip: Bullmoose Mine Road & Windfall Creek FSR. Other Trips Off Bullmoose Mine Road: Cowmoose Mountain Trail Hike, Windfall Lake Trail Hike, Pinnacle Peak Route Hike. Holzworth Meadows trailhead is located off Windfall Creek FSR, which, in turn, branches off Bullmoose Mine Road. Check out our Bullmoose Mine Road & Windfall Creek FSR trip report for directions on how to get to Bullmoose Mine Road. Holzworth Meadows Hiking Route is (arguably) a more spectacular and substantially safer alternative to Pinnacle Peak Route Hike, which is located further along Windfall Creek Forest Service Road. 1. We start with a photo taken from the same spot as photo #7 of the Bullmoose Mine Road & Windfall Creek FSR trip report, where Windfall Creek FSR is seen on the left side branching off Bullmoose Mine Road.
2. Now driving on Windfall Creek FSR. It's a fairly smooth road, though occasional potholes are deep enough to make you want to watch your speed.
3. About 14 kilometers after turning onto Windfall Creek FSR, right after crossing a small bridge, you would see Holzworth Meadows trailhead on the left side. Driving a bit further would allow you to use a small parking area on the right side of the road.
4. At first, the path goes through a forest, but, soon, the terrain opens up.
5. Looking back.
6. Twenty-five minutes into the hike, there is a split. The (barely visible) path on the left is where you would come from at the end of the hike, after completing a circle.
7. Within several minutes of taking a path on the right, an arduous climb begins. It is steeper than it looks.
8. In thirty minutes, we are on top of a ridge. Coordinates: N 55⁰01.588' W 121⁰31.552'. Elevation: 1,834 meters. It's windy up there, and mosquitoes, finally, left us alone.
9. Looking right.
10. Zooming in to check out an impressive mountain.
11. Looking left. We would pass in front of these mountains on our way back.
Here is our video of the views from the ridge:
12. Now we are going straight towards the Theropod Peak, seen in the middle-left of the photo below.
13. The Theropod Peak is quite steep, and is a good challenge. It is possible not to climb this mountain, and still complete the circle hike.
14. Numerous gophers kept us entertained with their high-pitched whistles.
15. Still climbing the Theropod Peak.
16. Took about forty minutes to get to the top, and here it is. Hundreds of some strange flies made the top of Theropod Peak their home, and started buzzing around and landing on us in a hurry.
17. Looking straight from the top of Theropod Peak.
18. Looking right. Windfall Creek FSR is visible below on the left side. The FSR to the right, seen in the middle of the photo, branches off Windfall Creek FSR soon after the Holzworth Meadows trailhead.
19. Looking back. The light-green ridge in the middle is the one in photo #8.
20. Now looking left from Theropod Peak.
21. Looking back and left we see the same mountains as in photo #11. We are going to hike in front of them upon descending from Theropod Peak.
Here is our video of the views from the top of Theropod Peak:
More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel. 22. Now hiking back.
23. Another gopher.
24. Soon, we started walking along a picturesque creek. The mountains seen in photos #11 and #21 are on the right side at this point.
25. It sure didn't hurt that the flowers were in bloom.
26. Walking along the creek is rather treacherous, due to all the stones and uneven ground. Watch for a sign (seen on the left side of the photo below) directing you back to the trailhead. Once you turn left and start walking away from the creek, in a few minutes you would arrive to a split seen in photo #6.
Quite unexpectedly, Holzworth Meadows turned out to be one of the best hikes we have ever had, due to great views, a relatively easy trail, and the ability to make this a much shorter or longer outing, depending on whether you want to climb other peaks in the immediate vicinity. Most definitely recommended, though try to hike when the ground is more or less dry, as, otherwise, you might be facing a mini-swamp out there.
Other Trips in Tumbler Ridge BC Area:
Other Trips: ihikebc.com Trip 091 - Holzworth Meadows Hiking Route (near Tumbler Ridge BC) |