Mount Nutt is in Golden Ears Provincial Park, and the trail was made between 2011 and 2013 by Alan Lizee and the Ridge Meadows Outdoor Club. The first 1.6 km from the parking lot is a very gentle slope on a gravel path (East Canyon Trail), which is a good warm-up. At the 1.6 km mark, you take a right turn into the forest, and the vertical gain really starts — suddenly you find yourself heading up fast — well, not that fast! The trail is very well marked (can be slippery when wet). For a while, the climb follows a small creek, which drains a small lake further up.

The lake is nice, and the area around it gives you a little reprieve from the gruelling climb. Soon after leaving the lake area, the climb continues. Eventually, we reached a viewpoint (680 m), which offered a pretty good view of Alouette Lake.

Continuing along the ridge, you are treated to about 4 more viewpoints overlooking Golden Ears, Evans Valley, Edge Peak, and Alouette Lake, among others. The trail ends before the true summit. We couldn’t find a trail to the summit, but some people have done it.

Interesting Facts

• Golden Ears Provincial Park was established in 1927, originally as part of Garibaldi Provincial Park. The park takes its name from the twin peaks of Golden Ears, which were originally called “Golden Eyries,” likely a reference to golden eagles once seen nesting near the summit
• This trail climbs through two biogeoclimatic zones. Up to around 900 to 1,000 m, you’re in the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) zone, dominated by western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas fir. Above that, near the trail’s high point of 1,150 m, you cross into the Mountain Hemlock (MH) zone, a subalpine zone where mountain hemlock and amabilis fir take over

Trail Stats

• Distance: 10.7 km (return)
• Low point: 160 m
• High point: 1,150 m
• Elevation gain: 990 m

The Route

The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point. Use the layer control in the top right to switch to a satellite view.

Photos

Before You Hike

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged, and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring backup battery packs for extra peace of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device. I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule that hikers follow called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed. To learn more about LNT, please check out this blog by a certified LNT Trainer.

This has got to be one of the most popular hikes in Golden Ears Provincial Park. Due to its easy, flat trail, stunning views and waterfall at the end, this hike is even family friendly. The hike starts at the East Canyon parking lot and follows the Lower Falls Trail. The trail is mostly shaded by the trees and follows Gold Creek. Stop every so often to check out the views, and even go in the creek on a hot day. At the end of the 2.6 km trail, you are treated with stunning views of Gold Creek Falls. There is also an Upper Falls, but the trail is much rougher than the Lower Falls Trail and is not recommended for family travel.

Interesting Facts

• Gold Creek runs from headwaters deep in the Coast Mountains down into Alouette Lake, and the Lower Falls you’ll see on this hike are one of the most visited spots in the whole park
• Despite the name, there’s no major mining history tied to Gold Creek itself, but the area is close to Pitt Lake, long associated with the legend of Slumach’s lost gold mine, one of BC’s best-known treasure stories. Small-scale gold panning is still done in the Alouette area today
• This trail sits in the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) biogeoclimatic zone, the zone that covers most low-elevation forest in this part of the Coast Mountains, with western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas fir as the dominant trees

Trail Stats

• Distance: 5.2 km (return)
• Time: 1 to 2 hours
• Low point: 160 m
• High point: 237 m
• Elevation gain: 77 m

The Route

The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point. Use the layer control in the top right to switch to a satellite view.

Photos

Before You Hike

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged, and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring backup battery packs for extra peace of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device. I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule that hikers follow called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed. To learn more about LNT, please check out this blog by a certified LNT Trainer.

Another trip back to beautiful Golden Ears Provincial Park. To find the snow caves in Evans Valley, you have to have good timing. Too early in the year, there may be too much snow (and also avalanche risks); too late, and the caves are all gone. I find social media, such as Instagram, a great resource to find recent conditions — that’s what I did, and with a great weekend in the forecast, I set out for the snow caves.

The hike starts at the West Canyon trailhead. After a 2 km hike up the West Canyon, you will need to take a left turn at the Evans Valley Trail, which is not marked well. At times the trail goes through thick salmonberry, but it’s not too bad. The trail continues climbing up Evans Valley, alongside the creek. After another 1.5 km of hiking, the forest trail ends and you start hiking up the boulder field — there is no set path, just go and watch for loose boulders. You will hike up the boulder field for over 1 km and reach the head of the valley — this is the magical place. All of a sudden, we saw two huge snow caves. The first one, on our right, was inaccessible, but we stopped for a bit before going on. The second snow cave is up a small valley to the east. After a short climb up boulders again, we were standing beside a giant snow cave. As I walked in, water was dripping like rain from the edge and ceiling of the cave, and the temperature dropped like being in a refrigerator — refreshing for a hot day! We spent some time in the cave for some photos and then proceeded down again. We met no one else on the trail today!

Interesting Facts

• Evans Valley and nearby Evans Peak are named after Leslie and John Evans, a father and son who disappeared in this valley in the spring of 1966 while exploring potential climbing routes. An extensive search was unable to find them
• Edge Peak, which the snow caves sit at the foot of, isn’t named for its shape. It’s named after Sam Edge, who made an early climb of the mountain back in 1876
• The park’s namesake Golden Ears peaks were originally called “Golden Eyries,” likely after golden eagles seen near the summit. The name was eventually corrupted to Golden Ears, and in the 1930s or 40s the surrounding peaks, including Edge Peak and Blanshard Peak, were formally separated out and named
• This trail sits within the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) biogeoclimatic zone for most of its length, transitioning toward subalpine conditions near the boulder field and snow caves at the head of the valley

Trail Stats

• Distance: 9.5 km (return)
• Time: 6 hours (lots of breaks and exploring)
• Low point: 185 m
• High point: 745 m
• Elevation gain: 560 m
• Cumulative elevation gain: 800 m

The Route

The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point. Use the layer control in the top right to switch to a satellite view.

Photos

Before You Hike

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged, and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring backup battery packs for extra peace of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device. I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule that hikers follow called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed. To learn more about LNT, please check out this blog by a certified LNT Trainer.

Alder Flats at Golden Ears Provincial Park is known as a resting stop prior to ascending Golden Ears peak. The views just above Alder Flats are amazing. This hike ends at a clearing about 100 m over the Alder Flats campsite. The clearing allows for amazing views of Golden Ears. This is one of many great hikes in Golden Ears Provincial Park. With the addition of the new bridge over Gold Creek, it is possible to do this hike in a loop, which is what we did today. We left cars at both the East and West Canyon trailheads. We started up the Lower Falls Trail (which parallels the East Canyon Trail); we then headed through a rugged trail, which is sparsely marked, but then made it up to East Canyon Trail. Shortly thereafter, we crossed the new bridge and started making some elevation gain. About an hour later, we were at Alder Flats. The viewpoint above Alder Flats is a short hike a little further up.

Interesting Facts

• That new bridge over Gold Creek was over 20 years in the making. It was championed by the Ridge Meadows Outdoor Club and cost about $80,000, finally getting built after longtime park advocate John Hume and local MLAs secured the funding in 2013
• There was actually an older logging bridge at this exact crossing, built before the Second World War. It deteriorated and collapsed sometime in the 1960s, after which hikers had to reach Alder Flats via the West Canyon Trail only, making the my loop impossible until the new bridge went in. The new bridge reuses the original concrete pillar from that earlier structure
• Golden Ears Provincial Park was established in 1927, originally as part of Garibaldi Provincial Park, and is named after the twin peaks of Mount Blanshard near the park’s western boundary
• This trail passes through both the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) zone at lower elevations and begins transitioning toward the Mountain Hemlock (MH) zone near its higher points above Alder Flats

Trail Stats

• Distance: 13.4 km
• Time: 5 hours (including rests)
• Low point: 151 m
• High point: 585 m
• Elevation gain: 543 m
• Cumulative elevation gain: 875 m
• East Canyon Trailhead: 49° 20′ 0″ N, 122° 27′ 26.5″ W (Google Map)
• West Canyon Trailhead: 49° 19′ 38.5″ N, 122° 27′ 46″ W (Google Map)

The Route

The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start point and red marks the end point, since this was a one-way loop between the two trailheads. Use the layer control in the top right to switch to a satellite view.

Photos

Golden Ears Peak from viewpoint over Alder Flats:

Viewpoint over Alder Flats:

Creek at Alder Flats:

Gold Creek bridge:

Gold Creek from the bridge:

Gold Creek viewpoint on West Canyon Trail:

Gold Creek:

Golden Ears up close:

Snowfields:

An old sign:

There are many small bridges:

Before You Hike

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged, and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring backup battery packs for extra peace of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device. I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule that hikers follow called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed. To learn more about LNT, please check out this blog by a certified LNT Trainer.