Flatiron Mountain is another fine hike in the Coquihalla Summit area.   We followed the Needle Peak Trail to the meadow, then we headed over to The Flatiron.

The parking area for The Needle and The Flatiron are the same.   Start at Zopkios Rest area, go through the underpass, and go up toward the works yard.   Turn right onto a dirt road and parking area.   The trail starts to the west and is signed.   The trail climbs steeply through the forest up onto a ridge.   The route then follows the ridge south through a subalpine zone.   At 2.5km at the top end of a meadow, a junction is reached.   The left fork goes up The Needle.     The right goes down into a saddle dropping 87m in elevation, then follows a narrow ridge over to the Flatiron.   At 3.75km, we arrive at Flatiron Lake, a beautiful tarn fed by snowmelt, set in a rocky cirque below the peak.

The slopes above the lake rise for 100 vertical metres.   We can wind our way up the rock bands to the meadows on top of the mountain.   Wide views are the reward for the extra climb.   The Needle stands east and Yak Peak to the northeast.

Ptarmigans were spotted near the snowmelt zones at the top of the mountain.

Either the lake or the alpine meadows seemed to be a perfect spot for an overnight backpack.

The lake made a nice spot for a dip on a hot day.

The Flatiron Trail is a 9.5km out-and-back route.   The first 2 km is very steep, but once we are on the ridge, the route is a fine one with open views for much of the route.

On the way back down, Alpaca, Vicuna, and Guanaco Peaks were directly north.   We will be hiking over to the Zupjok Ridge on the ridge to Alpaca Peak in the next week.