Trophy Mountain
Encyclopedia
Trophy Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park
. The Clearwater River
flows to the west, Raft River to the east and Spahats Creek to the south. Trophy Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland
. There are nine summits in the group and the highest is 2577 m (8,455 ft). Battle Mountain and Table Mountain are the closest summits to the north and Raft Mountain
is immediately south.
Trophy Mountain is easily accessible by road and trail. It is a popular summer tourist attraction and is especially noted for colourful alpine meadow
s. Numerous hiking routes are possible beyond the end of the trail at Sheila Lake.
. The gravel road is steep and rough, and usable by all vehicles except those with very low clearance. It is 13 km (8.1 mi) to the parking lot.
A well-used trail starts here and climbs 300 m (984 ft) through a band of trees to the alpine meadows. The leisurely hike of 3.1 km (1.9 mi) takes about 75 minutes to reach an abandoned shepherd's hut. During the last 30 minutes, there are views of the north face of Raft Mountain across Spahats Creek Valley to the south. This section of the meadows has colourful flower displays in late July and early August, as well as an earlier bloom of glacier lilies in late June. The trail continues past the hut for 30 minutes to the Sheila Lake Lookout. This viewpoint encompasses Sheila Lake to the north, Plateau of Lakes with numerous tarns to the northeast, and four of the nine Trophy summits beyond that. Raft Mountain and the spire of Dunn Peak are to the south.
A few primitive campsites and an outhouse are located near Sheila Lake for the benefit of backpackers. The trail ends at Sheila Lake and hikers who want to go further can walk across the meadows. The hiking season on Trophy Mountain is from late June through September.
The south boundary of Wells Gray Park was originally established in 1939 through Grouse Creek Valley just north of Trophy Mountain. In 1997, the park was expanded to include the mountain above its treeline.
to Adams Lake
and into the Quesnel Highland
. No age has been established, but it was intruded
by the Raft Batholith about 100 million years ago. The glaciers of the Pleistocene and earlier ice ages have scoured Trophy Mountain creating numerous bowls now filled by lakes and the rugged north face which is 1500 m (4,921 ft) high.
Much of the lava which accumulated in the Clearwater Valley near Spahats Creek was spewed out from fissures
on the west side of Trophy Mountain between 500,000 and 300,000 years ago. Evidence of a more recent volcanic era is seen in the Buck Hill
cinder cone
at the 1600 m (5,249 ft) level of Trophy Mountain and in what is possibly a water-filled volcanic crater
at the headwaters of Third Canyon Creek.
Wells Gray Park's southernmost glacier is on the north side of Trophy Mountain and can be seen from the West Summit.
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...
. The Clearwater River
Clearwater River (British Columbia)
The Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the North Thompson River, joining it at the community of Clearwater, British Columbia. The Clearwater rises from glaciers in the Cariboo Mountains and flows in a mostly southerly direction for to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the...
flows to the west, Raft River to the east and Spahats Creek to the south. Trophy Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland
Shuswap Highland
The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area of in British Columbia, Canada. It spans the upland area between the Bonaparte and Thompson Plateaus from the area of Mahood Lake, at the southeast corner of the Cariboo Plateau, southeast towards the lower Shuswap River east of Vernon in the...
. There are nine summits in the group and the highest is 2577 m (8,455 ft). Battle Mountain and Table Mountain are the closest summits to the north and Raft Mountain
Raft Mountain
Raft Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located north-east of Clearwater and just outside the south boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Raft River to the east, Spahats Creek to the north, and North Thompson River to the...
is immediately south.
Trophy Mountain is easily accessible by road and trail. It is a popular summer tourist attraction and is especially noted for colourful alpine meadow
Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
s. Numerous hiking routes are possible beyond the end of the trail at Sheila Lake.
Access
Trophy Mountain Road turns east off Clearwater Valley Road (also called Wells Gray Park Road) 11.3 km (7 mi) north of the Yellowhead HighwayYellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
. The gravel road is steep and rough, and usable by all vehicles except those with very low clearance. It is 13 km (8.1 mi) to the parking lot.
A well-used trail starts here and climbs 300 m (984 ft) through a band of trees to the alpine meadows. The leisurely hike of 3.1 km (1.9 mi) takes about 75 minutes to reach an abandoned shepherd's hut. During the last 30 minutes, there are views of the north face of Raft Mountain across Spahats Creek Valley to the south. This section of the meadows has colourful flower displays in late July and early August, as well as an earlier bloom of glacier lilies in late June. The trail continues past the hut for 30 minutes to the Sheila Lake Lookout. This viewpoint encompasses Sheila Lake to the north, Plateau of Lakes with numerous tarns to the northeast, and four of the nine Trophy summits beyond that. Raft Mountain and the spire of Dunn Peak are to the south.
A few primitive campsites and an outhouse are located near Sheila Lake for the benefit of backpackers. The trail ends at Sheila Lake and hikers who want to go further can walk across the meadows. The hiking season on Trophy Mountain is from late June through September.
History
The shepherd's hut was built by brothers John and Frank Ronacher in the 1950s when they herded sheep on the Trophy meadows. At that time, the access was via a rough trail up Third Canyon which the Ronachers widened with a bulldozer. Frank died in 1962 and later that year John sold the Trophy grazing lease and 100 ewes and rams to Emil and Ida DeKelver. They arrived in the Clearwater Valley in 1959 and settled on an 80-acre farm beside Candle Creek. At first, the DeKelvers raised dairy cattle then, after purchasing the Ronacher business, were busy with their sheep. Soon they had expanded the herd to 300 and were very successful with the lush Trophy grasslands. In 1969, mounting government pressure against grazing lease-holders persuaded the DeKelvers to switch to guiding and trail-riding on the Trophy Mountains. They built a new trail up Spahats Creek which was much shorter than the Third Canyon route, although strenuous compared to today’s stroll to the meadows. When logging started on the Trophy Mountains in 1979 and roads were built almost to treeline, the DeKelvers’ business was ruined and they retired to their Candle Creek farm. Today, Ida is the unofficial historian of the Clearwater Valley and devotes her time to the Yellowhead Museum. Meanwhile, high on Trophy Mountain, the shepherd’s hut is being ravaged by the alpine weather and soon there will be no evidence of the days when these meadows were home to hundreds of sheep.The south boundary of Wells Gray Park was originally established in 1939 through Grouse Creek Valley just north of Trophy Mountain. In 1997, the park was expanded to include the mountain above its treeline.
Geology
Most of the rock comprising Trophy Mountain is part of the ancient Shuswap Metamorphic Complex which arches across the British Columbia Interior in a wide band from Shuswap LakeShuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...
to Adams Lake
Adams Lake
Adams Lake is a large, deep, coldwater lake. The southern end of the lake is approximately north of the town of Chase in the Shuswap Country region of British Columbia, Canada. The lake's upper reaches lie in the northern Monashee Mountains, while its lower end penetrates the Shuswap...
and into the Quesnel Highland
Quesnel Highland
The Quesnel Highland is a geographic area in the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. As defined by BC government geographer in Landforms of British Columbia, an account and analysis of British Columbia geography that is often cited as authoritative...
. No age has been established, but it was intruded
Intrusion
An intrusion is liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface. Magma from under the surface is slowly pushed up from deep within the earth into any cracks or spaces it can find, sometimes pushing existing country rock out of the way, a process that can take millions of years. As the rock slowly...
by the Raft Batholith about 100 million years ago. The glaciers of the Pleistocene and earlier ice ages have scoured Trophy Mountain creating numerous bowls now filled by lakes and the rugged north face which is 1500 m (4,921 ft) high.
Much of the lava which accumulated in the Clearwater Valley near Spahats Creek was spewed out from fissures
Fissure vent
A fissure vent, also known as a volcanic fissure or simply fissure, is a linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts, usually without any explosive activity. The vent is usually a few meters wide and may be many kilometers long. Fissure vents can cause large flood basalts and lava channels...
on the west side of Trophy Mountain between 500,000 and 300,000 years ago. Evidence of a more recent volcanic era is seen in the Buck Hill
Buck Hill (British Columbia)
Buck Hill is a hill in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located north of Clearwater. It rises from the west slope of Trophy Mountain. Buck Hill is just outside the boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park.-Geology:...
cinder cone
Cinder cone
According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...
at the 1600 m (5,249 ft) level of Trophy Mountain and in what is possibly a water-filled volcanic crater
Volcanic crater
A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a basin, circular in form within which occurs a vent from which magma erupts as gases, lava, and ejecta. A crater can be of large dimensions, and sometimes of great depth...
at the headwaters of Third Canyon Creek.
Wells Gray Park's southernmost glacier is on the north side of Trophy Mountain and can be seen from the West Summit.
Hikes and climbs
Detailed descriptions of these hikes and starting points are in Exploring Wells Gray Park (5th edition) and Nature Wells Gray (2nd edition).- Long Hill - westernmost summit, elevation 2343 m (7,687 ft). About 2 hours one-way from Sheila Lake.
- West Summit - elevation 2515 m (8,251 ft). About 2 hours one-way from Sheila Lake via Lake of the Rock. Garnet Peak. highest in Wells Gray Park, and Mount Robson, highest in the Canadian Rockies, can be seen from here.
- Trophy Skyline - This is a rewarding hike with panoramic views that connects West Summit and Long Hill. About 5 hours round trip from Sheila Lake.
- Trophy Summit - This rigorous hike takes 12 hours round trip from the parking lot or 9 hours from Sheila Lake. The route is via West Summit then the narrow West Ridge with scrambling to the main summit. An alternate return route is via Cwem Cwem Lake and Silvertip Creek.
- East Ridges - The driving access is via Spahats Creek Valley to the pass. The unsigned trail takes about 2 hours to the meadows. A longer hike goes to the East Summits and Wolverine Basin, and takes about 6 hours return.