Sunrise Hill to High Knoll (B.C.)
Summits #68 & #69 of 70--January 14, 2024
Sixty-nine down and one to go!! I gotta let that sink in a minute. . .
In the first five months of my crazy little quest for 70, I made it to just ten summits. Not so great. But the pace picked up in the summer and went into overdrive this fall and winter. Over the past five months, I’ve scampered up forty.
Oddly enough, this month, January, has been the most productive, with a total of 11 summits reached in the first 14 days, and one more on the horizon. I was having doubts early December whether I could succeed this time around, especially with all the other stuff I’ve had going on at the same time. But rather than wimp out, I shifted things into high gear. The renewed focus has obviously paid off. That said, I do have to credit the mild weather for giving me plenty of windows to get my butt out there. And Kris too for putting up with all this peaknuttery.
After a couple of days of record cold, the forecast today called for moderating temps—meaning highs in the teens and 20s rather than single digits at elevation. And sunny and calm to boot! With most of the coming week looking like significant rain and snow, how could I not run up to B.C. again and snag one more?
Not long ago, My buddy Mitch had suggested that lower B.C. might just save me. He was right. This month, seven summits, including today’s, were in Canada. Since I’ve hiked up most reasonably accessible peaks near Bellingham, and quite a number between here and Mount Rainier, I realized just how numerous the options still were north of the border. Many I’d never hiked are within easy driving distance.
So today, sights were set on Sunrise Hill in Belcarra Regional Park northwest of Port Moody, with a backup plan for the much easier High Knoll near Coquitlam. It must have been 9:30 am when I left the house, and I was at the trailhead near Buntzen Lake at 11:00 am—my first time visiting the area.
Sunrise Hill is better known as the Diez Vistas Trail, as in ten views. However, I’d read that only the first view (from the south) was really worth the trouble. It was just beyond the summit, so there was my plan.
As I’d read online, the trail was a bugger, with plenty of roots and rocks to clamber among, and more than a few patches of water ice. Then it got really steep toward the top with gnarly switchbacks, though nothing an experienced hiker in reasonable shape can’t manage. Only a handful of others were on the trail today.
The view was just as advertised and well worth the trudge. After a ten minute break, I was already cold, stuffed half my sandwich back in my pack and headed back. I tagged the actual summit this time, a few paces off the trail: Number 68! I was back at the truck by 2:45 pm. The five-mile round trip hike had a total gain of around 1,600 feet.
Given our short winter days, I presumed I was too late to make it up my backup peak, High Knoll, also. This little objective is within Minnekhada Regional Park, only a 20-minute drive away. I should at least go take a look, I thought. When I arrived and did a quick calculation . . . three-miles round trip, 600-foot gain . . . I realized I had just enough time to go for it. The catch was that the gate would be closed and locked at 5:00 pm. No dilly-dally allowed.
I zoomed through the woods, over good trail and bad, up a nicely constructed stone staircase, and upward to a fabulous view atop a rocky crag overlooking the Pitt River. Mount Baker lit up the horizon to the southeast. Beauteous. I’d managed another B.C. twofer and Summit #69.
I should note that when I was reading up on this hike, there were a great number of reports of bear sightings this past summer and fall, including sows with cubs. One guy was apparently charged by a bear. The info kiosk at the trailhead also mentioned abundant habitat for bear and cougar and posted warnings.
Where the trail circles below the high rock face, one wonders if all that talus and the grottos that I saw might provide some nifty bear dens for these furry beasts? I wasn’t about to go looking, even if the critters were likely to be snoring their paws off this time of year. But something to keep in mind should you/we go up there in warmer climes.
Bottom line: Just one more summit to go! I have some ideas, but may wait a week for the grand finale.
You can read the first installment of my 70 Summits whiz-bang journey here.
That's awesome Ken. I imagine you'll finish with time to spare. Would love to do the last one with you.. know I'll be there in spirit.