Elk Thurston - October 8th 2022
Louise writes:-
Six hikers had an early morning start. The sun was a spectacular ball of orange as we headed to the Fraser Valley while the smoky skies had a spooky feel.
Much to our surprise the parking area was full when we arrived with more cars arriving as we geared up. Although smoggy the temperatures were in the mid 20’s and by early afternoon the skies had cleared.
We set off at a steady pace climbing through an old growth forest. After about an hour we arrived at the first viewpoint. Alas, due to the forest fires south of the border we didn’t get much of a view. At this point the trail became even steeper, after about ½ hour we climbed a set of wooden stairs. At the top we emerged from the trees giving us a limited view of the Fraser Valley below us.
The trail continued to steadily climb, a little further up the trail we reached the rocky outcrop which is the Elk Mountain Lookout. At the lookout we found ourselves above the cloud but still had a limited view of the Fraser Valley, Cultus Lake, and the city of Chilliwack.
After a snack/water break we continued to hike along the Elk-Thurston ridge. The trail was undulating meandering in/out of the forest with occasional views. Whilst we did not get clear views, on a clear day you get a 180-degree view to the north, with Mt. Cheam in the distance. There isn’t a view from Mt. Thurston, so we stopped short of the peak for a leisurely lunch on the ridge, and all agreed it wasn’t worth going any further.
The trees had started to change color and there were a few wildflowers in bloom. The trail is well marked although very dry and dusty. Given the number of people on the trail heading to Elk Mountain lookout we concluded it was Chilliwack’s’ equivalent of the Grouse Grind.
See the route here from Iain’s Garmin GPSMAP 66sr and the original route here
