Logging Camps Waddington/Monarch Access

[peter_s]

Hi!

 

Does anyone here know of logging camps in the Monarch or Waddington area that are served by scheduled plane flights? We are looking for fairly cheap access options into these ranges. We are willing to do long hike-ins, just getting somewhat close to the peaks would be neat.

 

Thanks,

Peter

[steller]

white saddle air will get u close. http://www.whitesaddleair.com/ pacific coastal airlines has a sched into anahim lake. i am goin to do sum work in the pantheon next week. i will snoop around and get back to ya. Hope this helps.

 

chris.

[mattp]

You can hike into the Monarch Icefield area from the Nusatsum Road and do without air support altogether. I think it may only be 10 miles, and maybe less, to Ape Lake.

[peter_s]

Hi!

Thanks for your replies, Matt & Steller! I did look into that Ape Lake approach before, this was my plan B actually, I was just a bit unsure how long this would really take to hike in there, as I have no experience with this range at all.

 

Would be awesome if you could get back to me after your stay at Pantheon, Steller.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[G-spotter]

There's usually no sched flights to logging camps unless they are active. Flights to Scar Creek and Klinaklini are usually done from Campbell River side of things.

[John_Scurlock]

These guys - http://www.bellacoolaair.com/ - might be able to put you somewhere close to the N end of Monarch. They are flying a beautiful amphib 185. PCA goes into Bella Coola as well.

[Don_Serl]

peter,

there are several companies listed in the waddington guide (pgs 24-31), altho i'm not sure how current the info is. i'd suggest phoning those on the list - they'll pass you along if there are other options and they're not serving the camps. keep in mind the coastal forest industry is on the rocks right now, so many camps will be shut down.

good luck,

cheers, don

[G-spotter]

not to mention no one is logging on the coast right now cause its the winter and plowing roads costs money

[Bigtree]

Hi!

Thanks for your replies, Matt & Steller! I did look into that Ape Lake approach before, this was my plan B actually, I was just a bit unsure how long this would really take to hike in there, as I have no experience with this range at all.

 

Would be awesome if you could get back to me after your stay at Pantheon, Steller.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

Peter S, I lived in the Bella Coola valley for a couple of years in the 90's. The Nusatsum Rd. access via the Noeick meadows is spectacular (have flown and hiked the area), but can be deadly at this time of year. I played a very tiny part in a search and rescue operation that turned into a body recovery operation of a husband and wife who got chopped by avalanches en route to Ape Lake. The event turned into an even bigger bummer when the Chinook kacked and dropped out of the sky and onto a fellow who was being long-lined in from below the machine.

 

All that said, if you decide on this route I suggest you start with a phone call to the Ministry of Forests and Range Field office in the valley (1-250-982-2000). If you can connect, I'm sure they would help you out with a road access report as well as other info like the tel nmbrs for VIH and Bella Coola heli.

 

Cheers.

[peter_s]

Hi again!

 

Thanks for all the replies, I slowly get an idea about the situation. I am in contact with the Ministry of Forests, thanks for that hint!

@Don Serl: Great to have a reply from you! I have your book (planned a Waddington climb with it for next year), but not with me, gotta get that soon.

 

Btw - these ideas are for this April, I never mentioned the month.

 

Thanks again,

Peter

Edited March 4, 2008 by peter_s

[peter_s]

Also - what is the deal these days with Waddington hike-ins? Even if one would be willing to hike from the coast, there seems to be no way to get to the starting points on the Knight and Bute Inlets, or even from the East, or am I mistaken? I cannot find any recent accounts of ascents w/o heli-drops....

 

 

[PaulB]

Even if one would be willing to hike from the coast, there seems to be no way to get to the starting points on the Knight and Bute Inlets, or even from the East, or am I mistaken?

Both sailboats and kayaks have been used.

 

I cannot find any recent accounts of ascents w/o heli-drops....

I'm pretty sure there is at least one account of a sailboat based trip in the CAJ within the last 5-10 years.

 

Edit: See CAJ 1998, p.93 Sailing To The Sky: False Creek to Mount Waddington by Brian Pegg

Edited March 5, 2008 by PaulB

[stinkyclimber]

The other access to the Monarch area, although longer, is coming in from the Hunlen Falls trail, across the lakes (Junker, etc.) and then up to the end of the icefield just below Monarch itself. With the sounds of the snowpack this year, this might be safer than the Ape Lake approach in April. I think it took us 3 days from trailhead to the icefield. Not really sled-terrain (not ski-doos...pulks/crazy-carpets) thou so you have to be ready to carry everything for at least part of it. Anyway, you can get to Cereberus in 4 days (with good weather and good trailbreaking conditions), and from there only 1 day to Ape Lake. So you can easily do the traverse without an airdrop, even with bad weather days planned in. But you'll want to spend some time up there - it is great.

[jordop]

We are willing to do long hike-ins

 

Also - what is the deal these days with Waddington hike-ins? Even if one would be willing to hike

 

Btw - these ideas are for this April, I never mentioned the month.

 

You mean ski ins right?

 

 

 

 

 

[G-spotter]

Don't forget that fun part of spring ski mountaineering on the Coast where the alder is so thick it catches the skis on your pack, so you throw them ahead of you through the bush then fight your way up to them. If they don't bounce back and hit you in the face that is.