NOTE: This hike was planned as an access to the ridge above 12 Mile Creek. Unless you are up the Spilli valley, it is easier to access the ridge by the Twelve Mile Creek South Fork route.
NOTE: There is no marked trail.
Synopsis: A steep, unmarked route to a spectacular panorama.
Access: From the lights in Golden, drive south on Highway 95 for 35 kilometres and turn right on the Parson River Crossing road. Set your odometer to zero here. Cross the Columbia River and its back channels on the five bridges and head up the hill on the Spillimacheen FSR.
There are many branches off this road, but stay on the main road. At 17 km, take the north fork (straight ahead.) At 39.3 km, turn right on to the Fool Hen Creek FSR. This road is in remarkably good shape. A car can probably make this drive, although you will be hitting bushes and grass on the way.
Follow the road until 40.8 km and turn right onto Branch A/B. At 41.2 km, curve left. (This is Branch A, although it is not marked.) At 43.1 km stay left and do not take Spur A. At 44.1 km stay right and do not take Spur B. At 44.8 km stay straight and do not curve right into the cutblock. Shortly after this, the road switches back. At 46.0 km, there is a fork. You want the right hand road, but it is very rough so I suggest you park here off the road and walk.
Trailhead: Walk or drive the last 500 metres up the right hand fork to the end of road. Go all the way into the turnaround, and on the left you will see a piece of yellow flagging tape on a tree. Go to that tree.
Trail: At the tree with the yellow ribbon, you will see a piece of blue flagging on a tree further in. There is a survey line run here. Roughly follow the blue tape until you find some orange "Cutblock Boundary" tape. At this point, the hill gets sharply steeper. Follow the game trail up the rib between two gullies. You will gain 150 metres elevation in about half a kilometre here.
As you approach the top of the rib, you will see the gully on your right is not very deep and covered in grass and wildflowers. Drop down to the gully at this point and pick up the game trail. (If you miss this, you will reach a rocky knoll and you'll need to drop down at the end of that. No big problem.)
There is a notch at the end of this rib, and you can find the game trail here. It heads to the left of the hill in front of you. Follow it for about 200 metres until the vegetation on your right has thinned out and has become gladed. More work ahead. Grind your way up that hill. Your work will be rewarded with better and better views as the trees thin out. There are some great wildflower meadows up here.
Don't go all the way to the peak. Once you reach a flat area with a great view into the MacLean Creek drainage, wrap around the hill to the right, aiming at the lower group of trees you can see. A bit further, and you are at a col between two peaks. Now you have to make a decision.
You can head up the ridge to the peak, or you can do some sidehill gouging, aiming uphill slightly and to some point where crossing that band of loose brown rock looks possible. Yes, this is a very steep sidehill, and I'm not sure I'd want to do this when it was wet. But the sidehill gouging will get you to the next col without the needless elevation gain of going straight up to the peak.
Whichever way you go, once you get there the work is over and the fun begins. There is a huge area of gentling rolling meadow and rock. Head northeast to get to the ridge that looks down on the two bowls at the top end of 12 Mile Creek. You can see the Certainty Mine trail from here, and the lovely lake in South 12 Mile Creek. As well, you have a view of about 300 degrees, including the peaks and glaciers at the south end of Glacier National Park. The views are stunning, and make the hard work getting here seem worthwhile.
Cautions: