Jag Hill Jaunt
The Jag Hill Jaunt is a moderate hike to a wonderful viewpoint on the rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment. All of the hikes from the Dewdrop Range to the hilltops on Red Plateau are harder hikes with lots of elevation gain, but there are a few routes from the Red Plateau Forest Service Road that are more moderate and still quite rewarding.
Red Plateau FSR starts on the Red Lake Road (Tranquille Criss Creek Road) on the uphill side of the road across from The Pimple. It is a narrow steep road for the first 2.5 km. In wet conditions, this can be a difficult drive, but in dry conditions, it is suitable for most vehicles although caution is required. On this last venture, we drove out the Road past the 7 km mark, but snow had covered the forest after 4 km and the road was quite muddy. There was active logging in the area after the n6.5 km mark. The lower east end was drier and okay for driving and hiking. The Jag Hill Jaunt starts 3 km up the road (N50 46.436 W120 33.120) at a small grassy pullout where it was relatively dry.
The first 1.2 km is along old backroads bearing southeast. Jag Hill is really a long north-south ridge so the route is along the top of the ridge to the end. Jag Hill itself is an open hilltop with 360 degree views. It is one of the best places to see all of the the three peaks overlooking Tranquille River – Mt. Mara, Mt. Wheeler, and Opax Mountain.
The top of Jag Hill is a good place to have binoculars or a long camera lens to see the volcanic and glaciated terrain of the area.
 glaciated landforms below Mt. Wheeler |
 Tranquille River Delta |
 the Dewdrop Trail from above |
 the open Jag hilltop |
In the middle of October snows were covering Tod Mountain 47 km to the east, Porcupine Ridge to the north, and in the distance the Lilloet Ranges across the Fraser River.
Tod Mountain from the ridge to Jag Hill
The hike is an out-and-back route of about 5 km. Some route-finding will be required. There are no signs or trails to follow. The route follows backroads to the “strike-off point” (N50 46.436 W120 33.120), then just follows the ridgeline to the end.
More Information on the Jag Hill Jaunt: