The route over two of the summits of the Trophy Mountains is a complex one involving hiking, scrambling and route-finding.   We hiked through the meadows to the top of Trophy Two, then followed the ridgeline down to the high col between the two mountains and scrambled up Trophy One to the summit.  We then followed the broad ridge south to Cwem Cwem Lake, then did the long traverse back to Plateau of the Lakes and finally back down the meadows trail to our vehicles, a long day covering many miles.   Since the route is well-explained elsewhere on this site, only a few of the highlights are featured for this current article.

Some stormy weather was moving through the area and the western pasqueflowers were blowin’ in the wind.

Up near the peak of Trophy Two at 8200+ feet, clouds blew along the rocky ridgeline approach.

The ridge down to the high col and the ridge up to Trophy One is a slow-going and challenging route.

A glacier lies on the north slopes of Trophy Mountain.   With global warming will this be here in a decade?

The meltwater tarn had some fresh bergs in July.

Another Plateau of Lakes lies in the northeastern end of the Trophy Range.   These tarns are very hard to get to, but would make an outstanding camping area.

At the outlet stream from Cwem Cwem Lake, Trophy 3 stands to the east.   This is the start of Silvertip Creek.   Silvertip Falls is 5 km downstream.

Willowherb always deserves a stop for a photo.

In Upper Silvertip Creek Valley.

On our return to Trophy Meadows, it is already dinner time.   The weather has begun to clear in the west.

Pink mimulus grows in wet pockets in the meadows on the way down the mountain.

We have done this long loop route a few times now and we will return to the Trophies to do it again in 2-3 years.   It is a long and demanding route, but one we continue to hold in our hearts as the best of our area.