Overnight at Keith's Hut
D'Arcy, British Columbia
Details
Distance
5.6 miles
Elevation Gain
1312.3 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Tom Cameron
Make the most of beautiful Cerise Creek Wilderness with only small effort! Easy hike, beautiful scenery, and ALWAYS leave the place better than how you found it.
Starting from the side of the highway outside of Pemberton, continue towards Duffy Lake past Joffre Lake trail head. Cross the Cayoosh Creek bridge and pass the work sheds on your right with a green roof, 3.3km from this is a shoulder and between no-stopping avalanches areas, you will see a pull off available (Lat 50.3812967797867, Long -122.412581102679).
The route follows a clear path through the forest to a spectacular hut, Keiths Hut. Note that in the winter with more snow, part of this route would not be possible so you must take the slower winter route. The summer route is short and flat, about 4.0km each way and only 350m elevation gain. After a few km's of relatively flat route, you will get to a sign that points left and says "Glacier", take the right route for a more direct line to the hut which gets a bit steeper and may not be accessible in the winter. The left route is longer but can still loop around (although I do not know how well marked the loop is as we didn't take this trail). The standard route is an easy trot with some dusting of snow and then gets a little deeper but nothing a good pair of waterproof boots won't handle. (extra equipment would be needed later in the season as the snow builds up). This hut becomes a very busy back country ski base.. The eastern end of this pull off the trail head is easy to find although unmarked.
Before sunset we went out to explore some ridges and see the glacier. With extra gear I am sure mountaineers can continue further and summit some of the surrounding peaks. We repeated this again in the morning for sunrise before cleaning up the hut, chopping wood for the next group and trotting back to the car.
This hut is open on a first come first serve basis and runs through donations from public and corporate. Do look after the place and feel free to donate if you enjoyed it. Learn more at the Keith's Hut website.
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Overnight at Keith's Hut Reviews
Please be advised... using firewood outside of the hut is absolutely not permitted. Bonfires have become common, and should be shut down Immediately. Even in winter they are dangerous, wasteful, and deprive future users of wood. And when it goes people have been chopping down trees (illegally) for firewood. Please respect this work, effort and the memory of Keith and use sparingly. Also, be warned this hut is often extremely busy on weekends. Coming prepared to camp outside, in a snowcave, or tent is highly recommended. Also, this hut is used primarily by backcountry enthusiasts. They are often getting up early to chase objectives in the local mountains. This was the original purpose of the hut. If you're coming up for a party make sure to wrapped up by 10pm. Update 2019 Important Update. Until further notice the Cerise Creek area is closed. Two Large landslides have wiped out large sections of trail. There is also risk of further slides. BC Parks has closed the area. For updates visit the Nlhaxen Cosnervancy Website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/cnsrvncy/nlhaxten-cerise-crk/
2.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Hike Vantage Peak
Climb Mt. Matier's Northwest Face
Scramble Mt Joffre
Hike to Mt Rohr
Hike to Slalok Mountain
Snowshoe Joffre Lakes
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