March 5, 2022
In
Outdoor Edventures
Evan Thomas Creek Hike
Where:
- Evan-Thomas Creek
When:
- March 5, 2022
Who:
- Ed, Rod, Bauer, Oak, Jane, Luna, Peter, Craig, Janet, Evan, Sam, Mr. Magoo, Gerard, Carolyn, Julie, Kirk, Diane, Roger, Mike, Brenda, Angela
Trailhead:
- 27 km south on Highway 40
- park in the Evan Thomas Day Use Area (east side of the road)
- the trailhead is on the right-hand side near the end of the parking lot
Degree of difficulty:
- 237 meters elevation
- 12 km round trip to just past the Green Monster icefall
- 3.5 hours total time on the trail
- follow Evan-Thomas Creek trail (logging road groomed for skiing) to a junction at 1.6 km
- turn right onto Wedge Connector (logging road, also groomed) and descend to the bridge over Evan-Thomas Creek
- the foot trail leaves the near side of the bridge and heads left up Evan-Thomas Creek
- at 3.1 km, you reach Chantilly Falls, a popular beginner’s climbing route
- farther on at 3.8 km is the super impressive Moonlight (110 m high) and its sidekick Snowline
- at 4.7 km, you reach the mouth of the canyon
- this is the end of the road for a lot of people as from here you ascend and cross a narrow ridge with chains on Rehab Wall as well as descend it using ropes
- after this tricky section, the trail continues up the creek bed with numerous smaller icefalls until you reach the spectacular Green Monster icefall
- the hike is very flat and moderate other than the section through the start of the canyon along Rehab Wall
- grippers were a good idea as it was slippery in the canyon
- on the return voyage, Brenda slid down an embankment and almost ended up in a pool of open water in the creek
Interesting notes:
- the rock formations and icefalls along Evan-Thomas creek are spectacular
- the trail offers views of Old Baldy Ridge, Mount McDougall, The Wedge, Limestone Mountain, and Mount Kidd
- Evan-Thomas was named in honor of Rear Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, Royal Navy commander of the 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet during the Battle of Jutland in World War 1