UNNAMED 2610m (8563′)
Located above Avalanche Lake on the watershed, SSW of Cranberry Mt.
Drive: From Revelstoke, Hwy 23 goes south down the west side of the Columbia River to the Shelter Bay Ferry 50km (31mi). Ferry goes to Galena Bay 6am to 2am.
48.6km 30.2mi Turn west on a logging road that accesses the road systems on the west side of Upper Arrow Lake.
From Shelter Bay Ferry. Drive 1.4km north and turn left (west).
0.0 Start on road that terminates at Coursier Lake – Dry Creek Road.
2.4 km. Turn right (north) on Dry Creek Rd, 90 degrees from Shelter Bay FSR, the main road that goes south down the west side of Arrow Lake.
4.5 km. Go left on Dry Ck Rd, go left of shacks. Stay on this main road.
8.8 km. Go straight. (left goes up Longsworth Road for Odin Creek)
13.0 km. Go left (south) for Coursier Lake. (right connects to Cranberry FSR)
14.2 km. Go straight on the main road.
19.0 km. Go right (left connects to Killeen Rd off Longsworth Road for Odin Creek; washed out? Note this possible alternate.)
19.5 km. Go straight on the main road (left for Thor Creek; washed out)
25.6 km. Turn left (west) to Pingston Lake. (straight continues to Coursier Lake). Continue on Branch 58 to TH to Pingston Lake Trail.
Pingston Lake Trail. 5kms, easy 2 hours return hike. Part of a popular ATV and snowmobile area. Pingston Lake is a pretty mountain lake.
Approach to Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake lies in a high valley southeast of Cranberry Mountain.
From a camp near the end of the logging road to Pingston Lake (water), walk up the road and then trail to Pingston Lake. Continue on a game trail 100 meters, then turn sharply right up the hillside; the beginning of the trail is not well marked. Traverse at the 30 meter level above the north side of Pingston Lake to the base of a cascade at a wooded headwall, then cross the stream; the trail is beside the stream.
Above, on level ground, keep to the south side of the valley. As the valley narrows the trail is at the water’s edge (rough, alder and rock) until the bottom of the cirque. In the cirque, climb up and right partly on snow to the east end of Avalanche Valley. Camp at Avalanche Lake (1920m) after about 5 hours with heavy packs.
The trail is now badly washed out above the headwall as of 2001, by an avalanche and then a flood.
1. Southwest Slopes, Traverse.
From camp at Avalanche Lake, ascend the valley to a small pass (about 2190m, 7200 feet) 500 meters east of the peak and on the ridge lying south of Avalanche Lake (some glacier travel). Ascend southeast slopes and the ridge above to the junction (about 2440m, 8000 feet) with the main ridge (which continues west and then south). Scramble northeast to the summit.
Traverse the peak to the northeast notch by descending ledges (Class 4), then traverse snow slopes towards the northeast (cornices above in early summer). Eventually descend via southeast snow slopes to Avalanche Valley (glacier). Glacier (II,4,s).
Leon Blumer, Don Skuratoff, June 2, 1985.
Ladybird Ridge runs southwest from Unnamed 2610m, between Gates and Vanwyk Creeks. Approach as for Unnamed 2610m, pass southwest of it, and rope up. Climb along the interesting narrow ridge, at times only a meter wide, pass “Spooky Spire” on its south side and descend to just below a notch. Climb to the summit of Unnamed 2550m. Glacier (III, 5.0,s).
Leon Blumer, Gordon Stanley, September 4, 1989.
