Tricouni Peak

Trip and route

After reading about this scenic peak in Matt Gunn's book 'Scrambles in Southwestern BC', we thought we'd give a try. Marjan, Alen, Goran, Magnum (our American Staffordshire Terrier) and I left Vancouver at 8 a.m., and we were at the trailhead by 10:45 a.m. The last part of the road was rough and had big rocks, but we didn't have any trouble to get there with Alen's 4WD vehicle.

According to the book, the first part of the trail is muddy, but it wasn't too bad for us as the area early in the season had still lots of snow. After we reached the first lake at 1385 m, trail became a bit steeper and more challenging. The deep snow made the route finding very easy, so we didn't always have to follow the instructions in Matt's book. For those who are heading there in the summer, check the route descriptions in the book. I was enjoying lakes and beautiful views while the sun and the mosquitoes were enjoying me. I still have sun burn marks on my skin. We had a quick stop at the third lake from where we could already enyoy the gorgeous views on the surrounding mountains. From this lake a pointy sub - summit is visible just west of the true summit. Climbing the final ridge involved moderate scrambling, with some exposure, so our dog, Magnum, couldn't make it quite to the top. From the summit, there are amazing views on Mount Garibaldi, Wedge, the Tantalus Range, Sky Pilot etc. This was a great daytrip into fascinating alpine area that I would recommend to anyone who enyoys the beautiful world of the mountains.

Directions

Reset your odometer at the Cleveland Avenue traffic lights in Squamish. Drive north on highway 99 for 10 km and turn left onto Squamish Valley Road. Keep left at the fork at 13 km. At 33 km the gravel surface starts and you will see that the distance signs on this road, which is called S-Main, are in miles from Squamish. At 38 km, about 1.4 km after High Falls Creek bridge, Branch 200 starts uphill on your right. Reset your odometer again here. Branch 200 climbs steeply from the Squamish River Valley and most likely requires 4WD. At the 2.3 km fork, go right. As you lose elevation at 5.1 km, the High Falls Creek Trail comes in from the right. At the 6.0 km fork, go right. Do not go left go left at 6.9 km. If you go too far you will come to the bridge over High Falls Creek in 200 m. The road has recently been cleared; so at 8.0 km swing left onto an older, bushier road. High-clearance 2 WDs should drive 1 km to just before a creek crossing. A serious 4 WD may be able to drive to the landing. Follow the very rough road over loose rock and cross-ditches to landing at the end at 3.5 km. The trail begins here. [Scrambles, Matt Gunn]

General Information

Summit: 2122 m
Difficulty: short moderate corner, minimal exposure
Ascent Time: 3-4 hours
Elevation Gain: 922 m
Because a significant section of the access is on a steep, loose road, thsi route is best approached with 4WD vehicles. Some powerful 2WD vehicles will be able to make it most of the way to the trailhead.
[Scrambles, Matt Gunn, page 56]

Images

View Tricouni Peak Image Gallery - 14 Images