One of the premier hikes in our province is the hike from Murtle Lake to the top of Wavy Crest Ridge.   It is a very remote spot that takes some planning and time, but the trail is good and is always rewarding.

From Blue River, take the Murtle Lake Road (look for the Blue River Campround sign) and follow this Forest Service Road for 24 km before entering Wells Gray Park and the parking lot.   Follow the portage trail for 2.5km to Murtle Lagoon.   Launch your canoe or kayak and paddle 1.5km through the lagoon out to the lake.   Once on Murtle Lake, paddle north for 1.5 hours (7.7km) and land at the trailhead just north of the Straight Creek Campground.

Secure your boat and start the hike.   The first half of the hike is in the forest with a winding trail through an old cedar forest to a junction with the Strait Lake Trail.  The trail becomes steeper as it climbs through white pine and a wetter biozone.   After 2 hours the trail starts to emerge into a subalpine zone.  We spotted lily of the valley, queens’s cup, lupine, false solomon’s seal, and arnica in the open  areas.   A number of mushrooms and fungi lined the trail.

The trail emerges onto the crest of the ridge and the entire hike is now above treeline on an undulating ridge that arcs north towards the Wavy Range Peaks.  Pink heather, pussytoes, and Alaskan saxifrage can be seen along the trail as it continues to wind toward the crest.   At one point the ridge is only 5 metres wide above two cirques.   On the east side, Strait Lake sits at the bottom of the valley.

The trail stays on the crest as it climbs to an arete between three cirques.

Wavy Crest Peak is a scramble to the west following a route on loose rock.

To the north lie a number of tarns and an inviting route to the north goes to a large tarn and beyond to the Wavy Range.

Our only regret is that we had not brought overnight gear in a backpack. We saw the perfect place to camp overnight for a few days of exploration in the alpine. The Wavy Crest Trails is a destination hike for those who want solitude, wide expanses of open terrain, and access to miles of exploration.