WARNING! All Information here is YEARS OLD!

   Home
Overview Planning
1.Sarah Point-Malaspina Rd
2.Malaspina Rd-Powell Lk
3.Powell Lake-Fiddlehead
4.Fiddlehead-Eagle River
 To Tin Hat Summit
   Tin Hat Up Photos
  To the Tin Hat
 Spring Lake via the Road
 Tin Hat Down Photos
 Lewis Lake Photos
 Tin Hat To Lewis Lake
 Elk Lake Photos
 Spring Lake to Suicide Pass
 Granite Access Photos
 Walt Hill Photos
 Blue Ridge Descent To Lois River
 Suicide Pass Access Photos
 Suicide to River Photos
  Eagle River Photos
 Lois River By-Pass From The West (North) Side
5.Eagle River-Saltery Bay
Internet Stuff
 
 

Wilderness:

 
 

Raising the Bar

 
 

The last structure of Fiddlehead Farm at 0 mins.

 

The trail starts off through berry bushes, quite wet after last night's rain, and prickly enough to leave scratches on my legs at 1 mins.

 

KM 85 at 6.3 mins.

 

The ascent begins gently at 17.3 mins.

 

Rueben's Crossing at 23.7 mins.

 

Blister Bypass at 30.9 mins.

 

KM 83 at 36.3 mins.

 

Shake Bolt Dam at 37.7 mins.

 

Shake Bolt or Boll Dam at 38.5 mins.

 

The trail crew ends with ... and dead on site, Ed (guess you had to be there) at 40.7 mins.

 

The marked route to the Tin Hat straight ahead, the well marked trail to the Tin Hat takes a right at 42.6 mins.

 

More berry brambles, these are taller leaving scrathes on my forearms at 50 mins.

 

This is a dry year, and the trail is wet after last night's rain at 51.8 mins.

 

A high and dry foot bridge at 53 mins.

 

Cedar Xing is that previous bridge at 53.6 mins.

 

Looking down to the left on a trail that crosses our trail that traverses back and forth with switchbacks at 55.2 mins.

 

Another bridge (also a Xing'er) at 58 mins.

 

Evidence of logging and burning on the left just on this side of another little bridge under which the water is trickling downward at 58.8 mins.

 

Small bench at 59.9 mins.

 

.5 KM in the quiet of the woods at 63.1 mins.

 

Another little bridge with water under, the trail descends here through the quiet of the wood at 64.3 mins.

 

KM 84 on the ascent at 79.8 mins.

 

Any log will do as a place to stop for lunch at 82 mins.

 

Descending at 440 metre after a half hour lunch at 124.8 mins.

 

An interesting rock formation around the bottom (right) of which the trail winds at 130.8 mins.

 

84.5 KM in the opening that the trail will soon turn left to ascend at 133.7 mins.

 

The trail switches upward at 140.7 mins.

 

A level area provides a short respite at 153.1 mins.

 

A bit of level spot under the tree at 156.7 mins.

 

Six foot bridge over the trickle of water. From here the views of Haslam Lake are filtered by the trees at 159 mins.

 

KM 85 at 161 mins.

 

Trail descends through this area at 161.7 mins.

 

3.5 k through the ferns with a more reasonable ascent at 171.8 mins.

 

.5 KM at 186.9 mins.

 

A welcome level area, with filtered views to the right of Haslam Lake and Mt. Mahony at 193.9 mins.

 

Down to cross a little creek that has already run dry this year at 195.8 mins.

 

KM 86 on a traverse that continues up the mountain at 207.3 mins.

 

Moving onward and upward around the switchbacks at 213.5 mins.

 

The sign is illegible though it may be a .5 marker at 219.7 mins.

 

Haslam Lake at 230.9 mins.

 

KM 87 in front of a burned out stump behind it at 263.2 mins.

 

Old grey stump at 268.6 mins.

 

A resting spot on the stumps at 279.5 mins.

 

A bit of a view at 280.6 mins.

 

Looking up to Confederation Lake gap at 280.8 mins.

 

After a break the close up view toward Confederation Lake (the ridge east of the lake closer up, the ridge to its west behind) at 288.8 mins.

 

.5 KM barely visible at 294.6 mins.

 

Trail levels and then emerges onto a road, taking it to the right at 309.2 mins.

 

Moving on this road, through what looks like a great puddle of water dried up at 309.8 mins.

 

KM 88 at the junction with the Tin Hat road, which used to provide access to the tower on it's summit (thus the name) at 310.6 mins.

 

The rocky road up from KM 88 at 312 mins.

 

The sign pointing back to Fiddlehead Farm, and down the road to Sunshine (?) at 312.7 mins.

 

First view up to the summit at 327.2 mins.

 

Another view of the summit at 336.4 mins.

 

A muddy spot in the road at 338.3 mins.

 

A fireplace on the side the road where the trail turns left off the roadway that pretty much ends here at 340.1 mins.

 

Beginning of the trail at 340.4 mins.

 

Looking across the meadow and up at 342.8 mins.

 

The place where the trail ducks under the brush and follows a drainage route upwards at 345.2 mins.

 

Bringing us to this view of Haslam Lake as a pheasant and a deer move out of the way 349.2 mins.

 

The trail winds upward at 350.8 mins.

 

Passing a little meadow at 362.2 mins.

 

A view out over the canoe route lakes with Mt. Troubridge off to the left in the distance and Walt Hill to the right at 363.4 mins.

 

A small collection of water near the top when there is snow it is a preferable source at 367.1 mins.

 

Rain in the background past the alpine near the top at 368.1 mins.

 

Lake on top Goat Island at 382.4 mins.

 

A bit of snow on the NE side of the second, lower summit at 382.9 mins.

 

A set of canoe route lakes between the Tin Hat and Powell Lake and Goat Lake at 384.3 mins.

 

A view just right of the previous photo at 384.6 mins.

 

The rain on the giants at 384.9 mins.

 

Dressed warmer after a few minutes on the top at 431.4 mins.

 

Smith Range, which includes Walt Hill at 433.6 mins.

 

Canoe Lakes at 433.9 mins.

 

Small greenery at 435.8 mins.

 

An old stump between deformed live trees at 437.7 mins.

 

A photo log tells the old story 438.7 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 378.6 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 381.5 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 381.0 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 380.9 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 380.5 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 380.1 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 379.9 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 379.6 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 379.2 mins.

 

Tin Hat series at 378.9 mins.

 
 

This trail, easily six hours up, ascends with a rigorous climb from Fiddlehead Farm to the summit of the Tin Hat. The bottom is through areas of berry brambles, crossing a number of small and not so small bridges. After a steep set of switchbacks the trail descends as it wraps around to the south side of the mountain, before resuming its long upward slog. With more than one great view along the way, the trail finally levels and joins the old rock road upward to the alpine area just below the summit. The final climb ascends the last nub of a rock to which a bit of dirt and vegetation has managed to cling to. At the summit, the higher of two peaks, a tremendous 360 degree panoramic view of the Powell River shoreline, Texada Island, Georgia Strait, Powell Lake Goat Lake, Lois Lake and the Canoe Route lakes, and most impressively of the white capped peaks of the tall mountains further in coast.

 

The Proverbial Bottom Line

 By Using You Agree ...