Joss Mountain is a fine hike in the Monashees.     It features alpine meadows, open ridges, and impressive scenery.

Driving Directions (for the west approach):

• Drive east toward Revelstoke, but at Three Valley Gap (lake), turn right onto the Wap Forest Service Road.
• Follow the good gravel road for 6.0km and turn onto the Wap Spur Road #5
• Follow this backroad up the mountain for about 10km where you arrive at a signed parking area at 1585m

Trailhead:

• the trail starts right at the parking area at the end of the road

Trail:

• the trail climbs steeply through cedar-hemlock forest for about 2km before emerging into subalpine glades
• wildflowers greet the hiker in the meadows
• the trail follows a ridge, winding through open areas southeast; watch for flagging tape to stay on track
• the route bears south to avoid the cliff band, then ascends steeply up an open slope onto a ridge
• continue to the open summit
• the main viewpoint is to the east; continue along the ridge, then drop through a gully and up to the old lookout
• return by the same route

On the Top:

• the Dominion Forestry Lookout on Joss Mountain Lookout was built in 1921, then restored in 1960
• views extend south to Tsuius Mountain and beyond toward Mabel Lake
• the impressive peaks to the east are part of the Gold Range and include Mt. Begbie, Mt. Tilley, Mt. English, Blanket Mountain (and Blanket Glacier)
• to the southeast, the crest of the Monashees features Mt. Thor, Gates Peak, and Mt. Odin in the distance
• we spotted Eagle Pass Mountain to the northwest and the Northern Monashees in the distance
• the end of Three Valley Gap Lake can be seen from the summit too; when we drove out we stopped to look back up at Joss from below

Blanket Glacier	Mt. Tsuius
Mt. English	The view through the window.

Notes:

• the return trip was 9.2km
• the elevation gain was 815m (2674 ft.)
• the trailhead is at N50 50.369 W118.29.941
• the summit is at N50 49.819 W118 27.243
• the summit is at 2374m (7789 ft.)
• this is a highly recommended hike