Trip 267 - September 6, 2022 (Tuesday)Boulder Canyon Trail HikeNear Muncho Lake BC Page 1 of 2 |
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Boulder Canyon Trailhead Location:
Just North of Muncho Lake, off BC Highway 97
(Alaska Hwy), approximately 268 km
North of Fort Nelson.
Of Note: No tree cover. The trail is semi-dangerous and is for (semi)-experienced and well-equipped hikers only, especially if hiking up the mountains past the creek bed. Some minor scrambling is required. Hiking on the creek bed is required for much of the trail, and may not be possible in high water. Very windy on the ridge in the alpine. Most of the trail is composed of loose stones of various sizes and dirt. Hiking poles and boots are essential. Northern BC Backroad Mapbook (3rd edition) Approximate Trailhead Coordinates: Page 79 (Muncho Lake) E2. Boulder Canyon Trail (not to be confused with Boulder Gardens Route near Tumbler Ridge) is located in Northeastern British Columbia off BC Highway 97 (Alaska Hwy) just North of Muncho Lake, and approximately 268 km North of Fort Nelson, the last town with major services of any kind. Muncho Lake has two gas stations and Northern Rockies Lodge (ice, eatery, lodging), and that's about it. Boulder Canyon Trail is located 16.5 km North of Old Alaska Highway Trail South, which we covered in the previous trip report. Boulder Canyon is not as spectacular, but has enough good views to make it a very worthwhile hike for a properly equipped and (semi-)experienced hiker. The trail is composed of stones, large and small, which are frequently loose, mixed with dirt past the creek bed. The creek was dry during our hike late in the season, but any presence of water would make it complicated, if not impossible, to pass a few obstacles where some scrambling is required. Also, once the first split arrives at about the 2.4 km mark of the hike, the going gets very tough, and the steepness of the terrain combined with a mix of loose stones and dirt would provide a real challenge. That said, the higher you climb, the better the views, so there is a good incentive to keep moving. Today, we hiked past four splits, and climbed up for a bit, for a total one-way distance of about 5 kilometers. It is certainly possible to hike much further for potentially even better views. The distances are as follows: Trailhead to Split 1 (end of relatively easy hiking) - 2.4 km. Split 1 to Split 2 - 400 meters. Split 2 to Split 3 - 300 meters. Split 3 to Split 4 - 310 meters. Split 4 to hike end (possible to hike much further) - 1.5 km. *All trail distances are based on a GPS odometer and are approximate. 1. Here is a Google Maps location of Muncho Lake. Boulder Canyon Trail is located about 5 km north of Muncho Lake.
2. En route to the trailhead, we have encountered several wild goats licking ground on the side of the highway.
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Other Trips in Fort Nelson Area:
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ihikebc.com Trip 267 - Boulder Canyon Trail Hike (Near Muncho Lake BC) Page 1 of 2