NOTE from late July, 2011: There are quite a few downed balsam trees on the lower trail which need to be climbed over or skirted. They will persist until someone with a chainsaw makes them go away. Also, there is still considerable snow in the alpine. Wax your boots and bring gaiters.
NOTE: above the first lake, there is limited marked trail and routefinding skills are needed.
Synopsis: It can be confusing getting to the ridge, but the close-up views of southern Glacier National Park are worth it.
Access: From the lights in Golden, drive south on Highway 95 and turn right on the Parson River Crossing road. Set your odometer to 0k at the Radio Call sign. Cross the Columbia River and its back channels on the three bridges and head up the hill on the Spillimacheen FSR. Do not turn right on to Thomas Road or left on to Sanborn Road.
There are many branches off this road, but stay on the main road. At 17 km, take the north fork (straight ahead.) Past 57 km, cross the Spillimacheen River on a bridge. Stay left at the first junction immediately after the bridge at 57.4 km (don't go to Baird Lake). Stay right at 58.1 km. Stay left at 58.7 km. Stay right at 60.6 km (don't cross the creek). After 62.5, the road is a bit rough. The road ends at 67.5 in a parking area.
Trailhead: There has never been a trailhead easier to find. Some hoe operator with way too much time on his hands has built two enormous cairns, one on each side of the trail at the south end of the parking area. There is also the old forest rec site sign leaning against the left hand cairn.
Trail: The trail is easy to follow. It follows the west bank of Caribou Creek for several hundred metres before turning right and climbing steeply up the hill. When the trail goes from steep to flat, (850600) you can see a small pond on your left. But you actually want to turn right, climb over the downed balsam log, and follow the faint trail to a lovely little lake about 300 metres to the north. Skirt the lake on the right, cross the creek at the far end, and sit and enjoy the scenery for a while. That's the glacier on Silent Mountain you see beyond the lake.
The rest of this trip requires some routefinding, but the reward is well worth it. Take a minute and look at the rocky bluff on the west side of the lake. You need to get to the top of that, but obviously you have to go around. Head north from the end of the lake, and start angling to the left, towards the end of the rocky hill. There is an old faint trail here, marked in spots with various colours of flagging tape. You will soon come across an old campground, with some very old firewood stacked up between trees. Beyond the campground, follow the faint trail until you reach a logged clearing at the edge of a steep dropoff. Now you want to start angling to the left as you work your way uphill. This is subalpine, so it's easy to work through the trees. You can hear a creek on your left, and you want to get to the spot where it flows out of a small lake. (848606). Cross the outlet creek at the lake and you'll find a bit of a gully heading up the hill another 20 metres further on. Head up the gully.
When you get to the top of the gully, you'll find a lovely little lake with a hill behind it. You'll be repeating that scene a number of times now. Each time you get to a lake, go around, climb the hill behind it, and repeat. There are too many lakes here to count, but the landscape is open and routefinding is pretty easy. Generally, once I get to the top of the first gully, I head for the lowest bit of sky. One lake has an especially steep hill behind it; it is easiest to stay to the far right. Eventually, there will be no more lakes or ridges above you.
This ridge forms the eastern boundary of the southern end of Glacier National Park, and the view you are looking at is rarely seen. You are perched over the the upper Beaver River Valley, but it is the peaks and glaciers across the way that will grab your attention. From the left, you are looking at: Mount Duncan, Duncan Glacier, Beaver Mountain, Duncan Neve, Sugarloaf Mountain, Beaver Glacier, Grand Glacier, Grand Mountain, Deville Neve, and Mount Wheeler. The non-glaciated peak to the north is Beaver Overlook, and further north is Mount Topham, then the gap for Glacier Circle, a glimpse of the Illecillewaet Neve, and finally Mount Macoun.
Once you've absorbed all that, if you have the energy, climb the steep grassy slope to the north for the really great views. From this lofty point at 2500 metres, you can look all the way north to the Trans Canada Highway up the Beaver River, as well as way down south along the Duncan River. You also get a great view of the Battle Range. In fact, there isn't much you can't see from up here.
Cautions: