Semaphore Lakes - Locomotive Mountain (Pemberton)
Late July, 2023
Henning and I arranged to do an overnight backpacking trip with John Richmond, in part to test our packing readiness for our upcoming trip into Edziza Provincial Park. Locomotive Mountain was chosen and two others, Doug and Bill, joined our group. Due to the current wildfire situation, the date was changed a few times, but we finally hiked in, not more than 2 hours, and camped at one of the Semaphore Lakes. It was a sunny Wednesday in late July and we had our pick of lovely campsites. Things didn’t seem to get busy until Friday when we hiked back out and passed numerous groups coming in. Unfortunately, the bugs were really bad on the trail and in camp, or was I the only one excessively bothered as is often the case? And I didn’t sleep a wink, possibly due to the huge, super fudgy brownie from Mount Currie Coffee Co. that I consumed before bed.
The day hike to the peak of Locomotive Mountain was challenging but rewarding. There seemed to be trails and cairns everywhere, so it was difficult finding a sound route. We often found ourselves scrambling up patches of boulders or navigating narrow rocky ledges, and there were numerous false summits. The scenery was pretty stunning! We managed to find an alternate, somewhat less demanding route on the way down, and I felt refreshed taking a quick dip in one of the smaller, clear aquamarine lakes.
Photos are courtesy of Doug, John and Henning.
The day hike to the peak of Locomotive Mountain was challenging but rewarding. There seemed to be trails and cairns everywhere, so it was difficult finding a sound route. We often found ourselves scrambling up patches of boulders or navigating narrow rocky ledges, and there were numerous false summits. The scenery was pretty stunning! We managed to find an alternate, somewhat less demanding route on the way down, and I felt refreshed taking a quick dip in one of the smaller, clear aquamarine lakes.
Photos are courtesy of Doug, John and Henning.