This is a must trip for anyone’s bucket list. This is a fly in and out backpacking trip in Northern British Columbia’s Mount Edziza Provincial Park.
It’s hard to find information on this backpacking trip but we managed to get topo maps from a store in Smithers which enabled us to plan our route. The one charter float plane service that flew into the area cancelled on us at the last minute as they couldn’t find pilots. We managed to find an outfitter that could fly us in. The few who do manage to get into the park generally fly into Buckley Lake (hike around Mount Edziza & the Tencho Glacier) and over to Mowdade Lake to be picked up. This is 3-4 day trip. However, you miss the incredible colours of the Spectrum Range seen in the photo above. We flew into Little Ball Lake on August 16th and did a 7-day backpack to Buckley Lake to be picked up on August 23rd.
While we had incredible weather, leave yourself some time for bad weather days, have lots of warm clothing and water shoes for river crossings.
The following images are just a glimpse of this incredible adventure. Please feel free to contact me if you are looking for more detailed information on this adventure.
Rough outline of our routeDoug is checking the route before we head out on day 1 after being dropped off at Little Ball Lake around 11 am.Colour & Patterns in the landscapeThe wildflowers were spectacular!Evening light with our tent in the distanceFirst views of the Coastal RangeEvening light on the Coastal RangeOur first day of hiking from our drop off point on Little Ball Lake to Little Arctic Lake Plateau where we set up our first camp. Day one was about getting used the our packs and the additional weight we were carrying. The hiking was relatively easy on tundra and gravel. We will be hiking with the Coastal Range to the west and the Spectrum Range to the east for the next several days.
Day 2 and Yaggi Ridge
Day 2 is a bit more challenging. We work our way between Kuno Peak and Outcast hill before crossing Tadekho Creek. Then the challenge of ascending Yaggi Ridge and making our way down the other side to camp 2. The decent is generally harder and more treacherous with navigating loose rocks, gravel, and scree.
The infamous Yaggi Ridge. Hard to pick a route up around all of the cliff bands until we began our climb.White Tailed Ptarmigan were abundant.Looking back the way we came between Kunu Peak and Outcast HillOur camp above Nagha Creek looking at our first climb for the next morningThe morning started with the low rising fog against the backdrop of the Coastal Range. White Tailed Ptarmigan are in abundance! We set up camp just above Nagha Creek just in time for a bit of rain. We hung out in the tent for an hour then the rain stopped and we came back out to cook dinner and look across at our climb awaiting us for day 3.
Day 3
We started the day crossing Nagha creek up and working our way up the ridge to Kitsu plateau and Obsidian Ridge. Here we crossed the plateau heading northeast down to Rasperry Pass and our camp for the night at Bourgeaux Creek.
On Obsidian Ridge looking down at Kitsu PlateauWorking our way down the rocky slopeThis descent down to Raspberry Pass was one of the most challenging of the trip. Loose gravel and scree, wet rock, and then willow bashing at the bottom. We camped with the small bubbling Bourgeaux Creek just below our tent. The last picture with the ridge behind our tent will be the first challenge of day 4.
Day 4
This is the longest day of the trek – 3 ascents and descents, big distance – 11.5 hour day. We ascend the fist ridge above Raspberry Pass, hike our way across the tundra onto Cache Hill, up a pass at Tadeda Peak, down the other side, cross 2 rivers, then ascend Chickma Pass before our final descent to our camp spot at Walkout Creek North.
Climbing the first ridge of the dayOn Cashe Hill booking towards Tededa PeakKate’s Needle in the Coastal RangeMountain SheepOur camp at Walkout Creek NorthImage 1) Doug ascending the first ridge above Raspberry Pass. Image 4) Doug on Cache Hill looking at Tadeda Peak in the distance. Image 7) Doug crossing the tundra after Tededa Peak. Image 8) the Coastal Range. Image 10 & 11) Mountain Sheep coming up Chickma Pass. Image 12) looking down to our camp for day 4 at Walkout Creek and the ridge that will be our first climb of day 5.
Day 5
Big mileage today but relatively easy trekking. We climb the first ridge onto Big Raven Plateau and get our first really good views of Mount Edziza and the Tencho Glacier. Here the topography really changes to more volcanic with lave rock, cones, craters, ash and Puma.
The coastal rangeMount Edziza, Tencho Glacier Cocoa Crater way in the distanceOur camp behind Mount EdzizaIncredible beauty with Mount Edziza, Tencho Glacier, Coffee and Cocoa Craters. We work our way through the lave rock, around cones and craters and Koosick Bluff to the backside of Mount Edziza. The grey rock you see in the pictures is actually the toe of the glacier with ash and Puma that we are walking on. We camped just above Sezal Creek.
Day 6
We woke to a bit of drizzle and clouds moving in and out. This was a short day working our way around the backside of Mount Edziza to our camp spot at Oasis.
One of many river crossingsEve Cone in the distanceOur last camp at OasisImage 3) great view of the glacier covered in Puma and Ash that we walked on for most of day 5. Image5) Eve Cone.
Day 7
In all honesty if I was to recommend this trip I would say fly into Little Ball Lake and then get a helicopter to pick you up at Eve Cone or Oasis. I would skip the hike on day 7. You follow lava rock for quite a distance before descending into tall, thick willow, mud bogs, swampy areas, then thick spruce forest before reaching Buckley Lake. Not a lot for views and impossible to not get your feet soaked!
Following the lave rockThe beaver coming to pick us up on BuckleySilas ConesDoug on the ‘road less travelled’Image 3) our plane landing on Buckley Lake. Image 4) Silas Cone that we missed hiking out it the fog. Image 5) Doug on the ‘road less travelled’ – taking it easy on our way home with a side trip to the Bear Glacier and Hyder Alaska.
Growing up in Northern British Columbia, I have been an outdoor enthusiast all of my life. I enjoy hiking, biking, and backcountry ski touring. You will find a combination of all of these activities within my blog. I find myself at my best when I am in with wilds enjoying the landscape.
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5 thoughts on “Mount Edziza & the Spectrum Range”
Hi Bernie, take you for sharing your amazing adventure and beautiful pictures!. I was wondering where you took the charter plane from?
We flew in from Tatogga Lake. Not sure what charter companies are currently flying into Little Ball Lake. When we did the hike there were some helicopter companies applying for permits to fly into the park. You can check with BC Parks to find out who currently holds permits to land in the park.
We flew in from Tatogga Lake. Not sure what charter companies are currently flying into Little Ball Lake. When we did the hike there were some helicopter companies applying for permits to fly into the park. You can check with BC Parks to find out who currently holds permits to land in the park.
Thanks for sharing your story. We intend to hike in the Edziza mountains from the end of this week. Do you have a GPS file of the itinerary that you could share with us? Thanks very much for your help.
Sorry I don’t have a GPS – we used a set of maps that we picked up from the book store in Terrace. The map that was on the homepage for the trip came as a series of maps for each section of the hike – incredibly helpful.
Hi Bernie, take you for sharing your amazing adventure and beautiful pictures!. I was wondering where you took the charter plane from?
We flew in from Tatogga Lake. Not sure what charter companies are currently flying into Little Ball Lake. When we did the hike there were some helicopter companies applying for permits to fly into the park. You can check with BC Parks to find out who currently holds permits to land in the park.
We flew in from Tatogga Lake. Not sure what charter companies are currently flying into Little Ball Lake. When we did the hike there were some helicopter companies applying for permits to fly into the park. You can check with BC Parks to find out who currently holds permits to land in the park.
Hello
Thanks for sharing your story. We intend to hike in the Edziza mountains from the end of this week. Do you have a GPS file of the itinerary that you could share with us? Thanks very much for your help.
Olivier
Sorry I don’t have a GPS – we used a set of maps that we picked up from the book store in Terrace. The map that was on the homepage for the trip came as a series of maps for each section of the hike – incredibly helpful.