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ALPS ALTURAS
Goat Range Provincial Park, in the Selkirk Range of British
Columbia, is a relatively recent addition to the provincial
park system. Most of the park is wilderness, with little access
by either road or trail. Alps Alturas, on the southwest side
of the park, is one of the few access points. The long logging
road access starts a few kilometers north of New Denver on Slocan
Lake, eventually
arriving at the trailhead at an elevation of 1760 meters just
outside the park boundary.
There was still a significant amount of snow at Alps Alturas
when we did this hike in August 2002.
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Small tarn below Mount Dolly Varden [508 Kb]
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The trail initially follows an old mining road, eventually
leaving the road as it ascends through a meadow leading
toward a grassy saddle.
The trail continues through some beautiful alpine scenery,
passes an old collapsed miners' cabin, then traverses
a scree slope on the flanks of Mount Dolly Varden
high above Marten Creek Canyon.
From here one can
see the distant peaks of Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park
and Valhalla Provincial Park, but Marten Mountain and Inverness Mountain
dominates the the view directly across the canyon. The trail comes
to an end at a boulder field, elevation 2330 m, just above a
lake basin with Marten Mountain directly across. The lake was
still frozen when we visited. From here, one can
scramble up to a notch on the ridgeline running east from
Mount Dolly Varden to gain further views north
towards the interior of the park.
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Ridge line east of Mount Dolly Varden [374 Kb]
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Staying warm [400 Kb]
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