Mulvey Basin Backpack

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Distance: 6 miles

Difficulty: Difficult

Hiking time: 4-7 hours

Season: Late June through October

Maps: Nelson 82F by Canada Energy, Mines and Resources, plus Valhalla Provincial Park map

Info: British Columbia Parks in Nelson, (604) 825-3500

BACKPACKING TRIP NOTES

Access: From Castlegar, British Columbia, drive north on Highway 3A toward Nelson and turn west (left) onto Highway 6 toward Slocan. About 1/3 mile south of turnoff to Slocan, turn west at street lamp onto Gravel Pit Road. (Note kilometer marker - Canada’s equivalent to U.S. milepost - at first intersection on Gravel Pit Road is “2.” Markers progress from here.) Cross Slocan River, continue straight up hill, crossing Gwillim Creek on Little Slocan Forest Service Road. Beware of log trucks.

At KM 15 (7.8 miles), turn right onto road that leads to Mulvey Basin Trailhead. Go 3-1/3 miles to Y (KM 5) and bear right. Road gets steeper from here with waterbars that get progressively more severe. Road may be suitable only for vehicles with high clearance.

At first major switchback, continue straight. At nearly 7 miles, turn right and up at switchback. At about 8 miles, turn left at switchback and drive 1/4 mile toward impressive view of Mount Prestley to trailhead.

Attractions: From trailhead, one can look upward to north to see towering granite wall of Mount Gimli, or look west for impressive views of Mount Prestley and other alpine features of 124,000-acre Valhalla Provincial Park. But this is mere sampling of eye candy that rewards hikers who endure steep but good trail leading above treeline to haunts that marmots and climbers once had all to themselves. Trail work mostly completed in 1995. Route one of few maintained routes to spine of Valhalla Range in Selkirk Mountains. Mulvey Lakes, elev. 8,045 feet, sit in amphitheater below rock spires - Mount Dag, Wolfs Ears, Gimli, Midgard, Asgard and Gladsheim - all towering around 8,600 feet.

Hazards: Some scrambling on loose rock and snow. Grizzly bears.

Comments: Portions of hike appropriate for any hiker who can carry pack to gain 2,000 feet elevation in about 2 miles. But to continue over col to Mulvey Lakes requires skill in scrambling on loose rock and using ice ax.

Hike begins at about 5,600 feet in open flowered hillside and crosses ingeniously engineered rock footbridge. Then trail heads steadily uphill for more than a mile before heading above treeline.

Cairns mark way toward base of Gimli spire, along treeless ridge, through alpine meadow and angling up and across snowfield that can hold snow year-round. At top of snowfield is broad gravelly camping area where campers have little impact on fragile alpine heather and plants. Unsheltered green latrine is on west side of ridge.

Hikers with ice-axes and climbing experience can push to Mulvey Basin. Head up through scree and angle toward base of Gimli’s southwest face. Faint trail then leads up through talus to col, elev. approximately 8,500 feet, on west side of Gimli. Enjoy impressive and precipitous view down nearly 500 feet into Mulvey Basin, where ice can remain in lakes well into August.

Depending on depth of snow on north side of col, getting off rocky ridge can be easy or scary. With lots of snow, simply angle west off ridge onto snowfield toward Midgard col. Then switchback northeast down creek to upper lake.

If snowfield has waned, one might want to use rope to lower pack off ridge to snowfield. With one exposed move, you can reach a narrow rock ledge that angles down from col onto snowfield for traverse toward Midgard col.

Mosquitoes can be thick anywhere in Valhalla high country. This is grizzly country. Keep camp clean and don’t sleep near food or cooking area.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map: Mulvey Basin Backpack

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