Glacier Creek provides access to some of the best hiking in the West Kootenay – Monica Meadows, Jumbo Pass and MacBeth Icefields. But there are other equally inviting destinations: Glacier Dome overlooking Lake of the Hanging Glaciers, the Egyptian Peaks and Eyebrow, the easiest 11,000’ mountain in the Purcells.
But an area even less visited is the lateral moraine of Horseshoe Glacier which gives access to the peaks of Cauldron and Truce. The glacier forms the south boundary of Glacier Creek.
Probably the trail and area’s greatest use was in the “old days” when the annual KMC mountaineering course spent a weekend here learning glacier travel, crevasse rescue and then climbing either Cauldron or Truce. There has always been a trail that follows the crest of this moraine. It tops out at almost 8,500 feet before hitting ice. There were several camping spots on the moraine.
Rating: ♦♦♦◊◊
Location: End of Glacier Creek southwest of Jumbo Pass
Difficulty: C2 difficult
Elevation Gain: 915m 3000’
Key Elevations: Park 1675m / 5500’, top of moraine 2560m / 8400’
Distance: 3.5kms
Time: 6 hours
Season: Early July to September
Access: 4WD high clearance
Map: 82K/7 Duncan Lake
Drive: Drive past the Jumbo Pass parking lot. Unfortunately past here, several small creeks cross the road creating vertical water bars. Requires high clearance, a good approach angle to each mini wash out and a shorter than full-sized pickup such as a Tacoma 4X4.
Route/Trail: Cross the top end of Glacier Creek and walk up the obvious moraine.
What to Do: All the following require ice gear – rope, crampons, prussiks and the know-how to do a crevasse rescue. Climb Cauldron or Truce. Less commonly, climb the peaks in the Horseshoe Glacier: Covenant, Tranquility, Squabble, Quibble or Toad Peak. Climb east of Cauldron to the ridge looking down into the Hamill Creek drainage (Earl Grey Pass).
