East Trophy Ridges
There are at least seven Trophy Peaks and the eastern ones are not easily accessible from the Trophy Mountain Trail. Fortunately, there is a good trail to the easternmost ridges and peaks and 3 can be reached by going up this well-defined trail. The route is used by Wells Gray Adventures to access the Trophy Hut (link) . Start on the road that runs between Raft Mountain and the Trophies and climb to the alpine.
Start by driving up the Trophy Mountain Road (set your odometer at 0.0) and at 4.5 km junction, stay right. At about 12.7 km look for an unsigned trail on the left (vehicles may be parked along the road side). The trail is level at first and crosses a creek, then starts to climb the hill. Over the next 90 minutes, the trail follows a single track through the forest, a wet meadow, and then aims northeast to an alpine meadow before switching back to the Trophy Hut. The privately-owned hut sits in a meadow next to a small tarn. Trails branch out north and northwest. Follow the northwest trail as it contours around a ridge and climbs a drainage to the top of a series of ridges in the East Trophy Range. From the top of the ridge, there are no trails. Tarns lie below, a cool swim in the summer. Exploration in this area is unlimited. We plan to bring a tent and camp at a large tarn, a basecamp for climbing the East Trophies. This is a rewarding area, best visited on successive visits. More to come…