A relatively unknown hidden gem called Mt. Becher lies about 12km SE of Mt. Washington.  It falls within the extreme western edge of a small offshoot of Strathcona Provincial Park and features plenty of snow, skiable terrain and grand 360 degree vistas of Strathcona peaks, the Comox Glacier and the mainland coastal mountains.The route to the top of Mt. Becher is about 6km (one way) with an elevation gain of 600m.  Except for some steeper sections (which get your heart pumping) the terrain is pretty easy to travel.  There are no sharp drop offs or rock scrambling required on the main route up (but if you want you can find these off to the sides of the trail if you walk a short ways).  Depending on your fitness level, trail conditions, weight of your pack and how distracted you get taking photos of the marvellous scenery, travel time to the top ranges from 2 to 4 hours and about 1.5-2 hours back down.  The route is fairly popular but if you are one of the first up after a snowfall and have to break trail be prepared to spend more time on the ascent.

The trailhead is located at the parking lot of the old Forbidden Ski hill.   From there head straight up the hill following the old ski lift.  This part of the route has some of the steeper sections you will encounter on the trail.

Once you get to the top of the old ski hill the walking is easier as you traverse a gently up sloping plateau through majestic trees.As you gain altitude you start to encounter views of Mt. Becher.

Continuing up the trail brings you to a very spectacular bowl housing Boston Falls and Boston Lake.  Local ice climbers use Boston Falls so there is a trail down to the lake. There is a very good viewpoint here so spend some time and enjoy the view.

Past Boston Lake the trail becomes steeper again as you approach the summit.

The final approach to the summit is largely open with scattered clumps of trees.If the conditions are right the trees may be covered in wind-swept snow making the whole area a winter wonderland.

The summit itself is dome shaped without a clearly defined top.  Walk around the summit and take advantage of the views.

To the North-East you will see Georgia Strait (Salish Sea) and the Coastal Mountains.To the South-East is Comox Lake.

To the South-West is the Comox Glacier and other spectacular peaks in Strathcona Park.

To the North-West you should be able to see the ski runs on Mt. Washington.

The route is popular with both snowshoers and skiers (and hikers in the warmer months). Some of the steeper sections can be a little tricky on skis so consider your level of expertise before heading up.  The summit sections and the old ski hill sections are favored by the skiers to get some turns in.  In the early part of the season when the snow pack is low the old ski hill sections can be challenging due to the growth of Alder trees on the old runs but with enough snow these become covered.

Getting There

Travel North on Highway 19 (Island Highway) from Nanaimo until you pass the first exit to Courtenay/Comox (don’t turn into Courtenay, stay on the highway).  Turn right at the lights at Piercy Road and after a few hundred meters take another right on Forbidden Plateau Road.  Follow this road all the way to where it ends in the parking lot of the old Forbidden Ski Area.  Although the road turns into gravel it is very well maintained and passable by any 2wd car.  The lower slopes of the old Forbidden Ski hill are very popular with families and they seem to keep the road well cleared in winter.

You can download a GPS track of the route here:

GPS Track

More details on the route up can be found here:

Detailed Route

Warnings

Although this location is relatively easy to get to and many families play on the lower slopes of the old ski runs, keep in mind that Mt. Becher is a backcountry location and subject to all the usual perils.  Take appropriate precautions by bring the right gear, letting someone know of your planned route and assessing the avalanche danger.  Although I have no personal experience, I have heard from others that you can get cell phone coverage from the tower on Mt. Washington.  Most of the photos I’ve posted here are of lovely sunny days but it can also be cold, blowing, foggy and offer white-out conditions (see photo below).  Check the weather forecast before you go and always be prepared for inclement weather.

Equipment

Suggested equipment will depend on time of year, local conditions and your mode of travel but some common equipment will be useful no mater how you travel.  A GPS is a very good thing to carry (with the track available above loaded).  In good weather the route up is fairly obvious but if the weather closes in landmarks can disappear making navigation difficult.  Hiking poles are useful as there is a lot of up hill travel.  I consider a camera as essential but that may just be my bias as a photographer.  It’s an excellent idea to carry some sort of communication device as well should you get into trouble (Cell phone, radio, Spot Messenger). Take clothing appropriate to the conditions.

The post Mt. Becher – Hidden Gem first appeared on Pack & Trail.

A bead of sweat runs off my forehead and down my nose. I’m doubled over leaning on my hiking poles. My heart is hammering and my lungs are wheezing like an old vacuum. I’m thinking “Holy Crap, this is a steep hike”. I check my GPS, more to give myself a few more seconds rest than anything, but it’s given up the ghost claiming ‘no satellite reception’. Looking around at the steep and towering mountains surrounding me I guess I’m not surprised it can’t get a signal.

Glancing up the trail I see the smiling face of my dog, Chase. He loves this sort of thing and seems to draw a special smug satisfaction in staring down on me from up the trail silently saying “come on….lets go…what’s the hold up?” Ya, ya, ya…I’m coming. If I had his power to weight ratio, 4 wheel drive and built in crampons I’d be way up there too. If the smug little bugger comes any closer I’m going to grab his tail and make him haul me up the mountain!

For the 10th time I wonder how I managed to be here, in my own personal 9 km of vertical pain. It didn’t look this ugly on Google Earth!

The idea for this trip started several days ago. Reading a blog on the Vancouver Island Spine trail lead me to their website. There I saw a photo of some people hiking up near Forbidden Plateau. Thinking this looked like a very pleasant way to spend a day I did a little research on Google which lead me to post about the Century Sam Lake trail with some gorgeous photos. Making this destination even more intriguing was talk of snow caves in a small glacier at the end of the lake…how could I pass that up? A bit work on Google Earth and Fugawi Navigator and I had some tracks laid into the GPS. I was up early on Sunday morning and off to adventure.A quick hour drive brought me off the Island Highway near Courtenay and onto the North side of Comox Lake. I was half expecting to be turned away by the guard at the gate but there was no sign of anyone. After a 20 minute teeth-rattling-bone-jarring-kick-the-crap-out-of-my-truck- haven’t-you-guys-ever-heard-of-a-Grader-stupid-rough-ride, the road turned away from the lake up Cruickshank Canyon and got smoother. Another half hour and I was at the trailhead. Most of the road would be fine in a 2wd but the last km was deactivated and heavily ditched so it was pretty well 4wd territory only.

By this time I was almost an hour into the bush and had only passed one other vehicle, heading out (not a good sign). Parking the truck and strapping on my hiking and photography gear I was feeling a little alone, wondering perhaps if it was such a good idea to be so far in by myself. The feeling was short lived, however, when I walked over a rise in the road and discover a number of other trucks at the trail head.

After my painful 2 hour ascent through mostly dense bush, I emerged out on rock outcropping near the lake….wow! The place was drop dead gorgeous! Towering peaks under a clear blue sky enclosed a beautiful aqua-marine lake fed by a small glacier. Fall colors provided contrast to the predominantly blue and green scene. Ascent pain forgotten, all I could think of is how lucky I was to have such a unique and beautiful place available on a day hike.

I made my way past the lake to reach my true destination…the snow cave. The glacier sits in a pocket of the surrounding mountains. It was high noon and yet I was standing in shadow at the mouth of the cave. Could it be true…had I finally found that most mythical of places…‘where the sun don’t shine’…funny, this wasn’t how I’d pictured it.

The glacier has a large cave hollowed out in it, presumably made by snow melt. As I entered the cave I heard a large, heavy sounding ‘thunk’. A small warning to keep an eye overhead perhaps? A couple of quick pictures and I got out of there. I had no desire to be some future anthropologists ‘20th Century Man’ a few centuries from now. On my way back out I couldn’t resist the temptation to walk on the glacier….bad idea. I hadn’t gone 4 steps before I was on my arse sliding back down. Momma, your boy’s going to be sore tomorrow!

A glance at my watch let me know that it was time to head back down. An hour later my shaky legs finally brought me back to my truck and the trip home. From front door to glacier and home again in time for dinner….you have to love Vancouver Island!

Gear for this trip

GPS:  nice to have but not essential.  The trail is well marked but the GPS was very useful in sorting out which logging roads to take in.
Hiking Poles: almost essential.  This trail has only 2 states: up or down.
Camera:  essential.  How could you not take pictures of a place this gorgeous?  For this trip I carried an SLR body, 10-22mm, 24-105mm and 70-200mm lenses but ended up only using the 10-22mm.  A tripod would be nice since many photo ops in the bush and in the snow cave have low lighting.
Hiking Boots:  nice but not essential for when I went (Oct 4).  The trail was pretty dry reflecting the recent weather so there was only a couple of muddy places.  However, if the weather has been wet I could envision this trail being very muddy.

Travel Times

Nanaimo to Trail Head: 2 hrs
Ascent to Century Sam Lake: 2 hrs (less if you are fit)
Descent from lake: 1 hr

Links of Interest

Other photos by Tim Penney

Directions to the trail head. This links describes how to get the the Comox Glacier Trail but the trail heads are the same.

My Flickr site.

The post Snow Cave at Century Sam Lake first appeared on Pack & Trail.