Hiking Conway Peak near Chilliwack
Contents
Conway Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 19.20Km
Elevation Gain: 1,310m
Highest Elevation: 1,996m
Average Gradient: 13.65%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 6.5 – 7 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~April to November
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Conway Peak Trail (Summer)
Conway Peak Trail (Spring - With Snow)
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°12’47.1″N 121°35’46.8″W
Conway Peak Overview
Conway Peak is one of the lesser sought after summits within the Cheam range, and unlike all the other peaks that are accessed south of the range from the Chilliwack Valley, Conway is accessed via the north from Jones (Wahleach) Lake. While most of the Cheam range peaks involve some sort of scrambling (except for Cheam itself), Conway Peak is a nontechnical ascent, however it still sees little traffic, likely due to its rugged and oftentimes bushy approach. This is unfortunate as Conway Peak offers outstanding views from the summit for those willing to put in the effort.
Much of the trail follows the “Lucky Four Mine Trail”, an historic trail that leads to the remnants of an old miners building and cave. More information on locating the mine can be found here for anyone interested. The hike also passes through the “Mile High Campsite”, with space for a couple of tents, allowing you to overnight this hike if you prefer.
In terms of seasonality, Conway Peak is mostly a spring and summer hike, assuming the FSR to Jones Lake is snow free and driveable (hence mid-winter is not very feasible). While most parties will complete this hike in the summer, a spring ascent is also quite popular with more experienced parties as snow coverage may assist with any overgrown/bushy stretches, and the views from the summit are superior with snow than without.
Jones Lake FSR is technically accessible for 2WD vehicles, and indeed we saw a few on the day we went, however the road is incredibly potholed and rough throughout, so an SUV or 4×4 is preferred. While the trail linked above begins the hike from the junction of Jones Lake FSR and the FL1000 spur, you can often drive a portion of this spur as well, shaving off potentially a few kilometers round trip. Unfortunately the old trailhead further along the road is inaccessible for all but the most customized off roaders.
This is a dog friendly hike.
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Is Conway Peak worthwhile?
Conway Peak can typically include a bit of an ugly approach, oftentimes with some alder/bush to contend with, and there is a decent amount of tedious forest sidehilling to get through before you reach any payoff. That being said, once you’re out of the dense forest and into the alpine, the views are absolutely breathtaking, especially of the rest of the Cheam range (I’d argue this is potentially the best summit to be on to see the entire range up close), but also of the surrounding area. The summit views are 360 degrees and unobstructed. Once again I would argue this as an example whereby being on top of a smaller peak next to the giant peaks offers excellent views. Conway Peak, at least in the spring, is a fantastic hike.
How difficult is the hike to Conway Peak?
With a little over 1,300m of elevation gain Conway Peak is right at that sweet spot of being a good challenge but enjoyable. It’s far from easy while not overly strenuous.
Technically speaking the hike is mostly straightforward but does involve some rugged sections worth noting. The FSR climbs to around 1,200m and can often have sections of thick alder if it hasn’t recently been cleared by a volunteer. If you go in spring with a decent snowpack this alder will be more manageable if not a non-event. You’ll also cross a few creeks along the way, which can be challenging during the snow melt season, but these should be manageable for the most part with rock hopping. At 1,200m you’ll enter the forest, and shortly ahead you’ll begin a sidehill traverse along some narrow ledges. There will be one section with ropes where the trail narrows with a steep drop on one side, but it’s short and relatively straightforward even without the rope. There’ll also be a few more creek crossings. After you break out of the rugged forest and reach the subalpine things will get much easier, where it’s mostly just steep hiking to the summit with exceptional views.
Conway Peak Route Information
The “trailhead” for Conway Peak is essentially as far as you can drive along the FL1000 spur from Jones Lake FSR. Jones Lake FSR is covered in deep potholes that makes even the most capable vehicles crawl at times, but somehow people do still bring 2WD’s up here, not that I would personally recommend it. You may be able to shave several kilometers off the hike if you can drive along the FL1000 spur a good distance, which should be manageable as the road is mostly good initially. We were able to drive ~1.5km down the road to 700m elevation before stopping due to snow, however shortly ahead the road was severely damaged enough that almost all vehicles would have to stop anyway.
Wherever you park, the first task is plodding along the FSR, which is a simple affair. There are several creek crossings on the lower portions of the FSR but all of them were perfectly manageable. Perhaps in early summer with the freshet they could be more challenging, but I’m sure you’ll find a way over.
The FSR is uneventful until the second switchback (1,050m elevation). Between here and the fourth switchback (1,200m elevation) you could definitely encounter a combination of bush and alder if it hasn’t recently been trimmed back. This covers around 1.5km of hiking and you can consider it a cost of admission to such a beautiful area. If you’re lucky (like us) it will be a nonevent. A spring snowpack may also help cover it if you do go early in the year.
At around 1,200m you will enter the forest and join the official Lucky Four Mine trail. Back in the day you would have been able to drive all the way up to here, but there’s no way you’re doing that now unless you have an ATV or dirt bike.
The forest trail will start off simple enough, but in short order you’ll begin a steep sidehill traverse across some narrow ledges. There will be one particularly narrow stretch with a steep drop on one side where a rope has been installed to provide some extra security, however you can likely manage without as well. The route here is quite rugged and slow going, and you’ll have to cross a few more creeks that may not even be flowing in the summer once the snow has fully melted. There’ll also be a boulder field to navigate, but again it should be simple enough.
Shortly ahead you will break out of the dense forest at around 1,400m, after which the trail becomes a lot more pleasant and the views begin to open up. The standard summer trail will continue to traverse below the northern slopes of Conway Peak, which you will be able to see soon enough. In the spring with a healthy snowpack you can actually take a shortcut and take a more direct approach to the western ridge, rejoining with the summer route on the ridge.
Assuming you continue on the summer route, the trail continues along to the Mile High Campsite at around 1,650m. The views of the Cheam range will now be absolutely breathtaking and this is no doubt a scenic spot to camp. From the campsite the trail continues southeast in the direction of Conway’s southwestern ridge. There’ll be some very steep but nontechnical ascending to the ridge, all the while the views continue to improve.
Once on the ridge, turning left will continue to Conway Peak, and the Lucky Four Mine will be to the right, following the ridge in the direction of Foley Peak and the glaciers below. Assuming you are just going to Conway Peak, it’s now merely a case of following the ridge along to the summit, with some simple route finding through some trees towards the end.
The views form the summit will be 360 degrees and will encompass the entire Cheam range, Slesse Peak, Mount Baker, Williams Peak, Mount Rexford, Mount MacFarlane, the Border Peaks, Tomyhoi Peak, Mount Outram, Silvertip Mountain, Mount Redoubt, Mount Judge Howay, Mount Robie Reid and countless more classics of the valley. You’ll also see Jones Lake way down below. While Conway is one of the smallest peaks in the Cheam range, it certainly packs a punch with outstanding views!
After you’ve rested up on the summit and enjoyed the views, you simply return back the same way you came.
When should I hike Conway Peak?
Most people will hike Conway Peak in the middle of summer, typically July to October, however a spring ascent is also quite popular as snow can help reduce the bushiness of the trail lower down, while also allowing you to shortcut the ascent towards the end. That being said the snow also does make the narrow sidehill traverse a bit more difficult. If you want to go in spring then typically late March or early April onwards is the best time, depending on the snowline that year.
Top Tip
If you are going without any recent beta, give yourself some buffer time in case a) you can’t drive the road as far as you had hoped and b) the bushwhacking is worse than you had expected. Consider it a bonus if both of these are better than you had planned. Essentially, prepare for the worst and hope for the best!
While a spring approach can be more involved in some regards, the views in the winter are outstanding. Several of my friends have done this hike in both seasons and all agree it’s nicer in snow.
