Monkman Pass Memorial Trail

Suspension bridge at KM7 over the Murray River

At times hiking along the Monkman Trail you can see where the "highway" pushed its way through the bush over 80 years ago. The walking trail is a narrow strip flanked on each side by smaller trees and undergrowth. If you imagine hard enough you can picture an old Model T truck being pushed, pulled and dragged along this route in an effort to prove a highway to the BC interior could be built from the Peace Country.

We had cached our backpacks in the bush near the junction of the trail that lead down to the camp site at Devil's Creek and decided before we started heading back to the trailhead to take a walk up to Monkman Lake. We hoped for some clear skies as the last couple of days had been pretty cloudy and rain fell periodically, not enough to drench us, but it was enough to keep a general dampness about. The mountains around us were enveloped in a layer of mist most of the week and had made us hesitant about a planned day hike up to the Monkman Tarns. Instead we had chosen to spend a day exploring the waterfalls in the area, as this was the main attraction that had brought us out here.

View to the south from the limestone ridge around KM10

One of the markers along the trail

At Monkman Lake

Tikwalus Heritage Trail, Fraser Canyon, BC

At the Tikwalus Trail Head

Around us the cedars towered so high their tops were lost in the canopy that blocked the midday sun. We sat in the coolness on a bench constructed from logs. In front of us an information sign had been posted detailing the history of this portion of the trail. The "Lake House" it read, once the site of a cabin that had been used as a resting stop for gold miners trekking through the Fraser Canyon in search of their fortunes. Up on the rise across the little stream was a level spot with a pile of stones at one end. This was the place where the cabin had stood and the stones were remnants of a fireplace. Who would think to put a cabin here in such a remote a spot? In those days I suppose all these places were remote, This one maybe not so much, situated on what was a major route in 1858 and a good source of water about a 100m away in a small lake, hence the name. The story also told of a native girl who had seen her spirit bear around here. A white bear that emerged from the forest and vanished. She tried to follow it but did not see it again. This place is eerie, steeped in history, a sacred place to natives but ancient even before they discovered it.

The Chief Pahallak Viewpoint

Behind us the trail stretched back about 4km to the Trans Canada Highway, not far from the old Alexandra Lodge. The trail goes up a few stairs and then crosses a nice footbridge that had been built by the Hope Mountain Centre volunteers. From there it rises steeply into the forest. Information signs along the way offer a reason to stop periodically and get your breath back.