Easy hike, idyllic setting, loooong approach. (Of course, if it wasn’t at the end of the proverbial 40 miles of bad road, it would be utterly overrun, wouldn’t it?)

Trailhead
Descend to the creek and begin hiking along the decommissioned road..

Trail
Follow the skid road for 850 metres until you come to a junction. There is a vertical post that shows McMurdo Hut is to the left and Silent Pass to the right. Follow the old logging road to the right for another 1.9 km. It climbs to the right, and then switchbacks to the left. When you reach the landing at the end of road, go to the end of the landing and follow the very obvious track that climbs sharply up the hill on your right. This is the second steepest stretch on the trail.

The trail winds through the forest and is fairly easy to follow. After about 800 metres, you will come to a section where a wide path has been slashed through the trees. The slash has been carefully positioned to fill holes between rocks. This is the snowmobile trail. The altered surface makes smooth sledding but terrible hiking. At this point, the hiking trail turns sharply to the left. Look for it.

The trail then enters a flat, boggy meadow where the track is faint before the final climb to the pass, up a lightly treed draw. Once in the pass area, the trail heads to the west end of the meadows, past several smaller lakes, to Silent Lake. If you follow the trail around the lake, you can gain the height of land and look over at the peaks on the west side of the Duncan River, including the Battle Group and Schooner Ridge. [read more]

Note
The trail ends at Silent Lake but the pass begs to be explored. Experienced backpackers can route find their way south to International Basin and eventually exit via McMurdo hut. Contact the Columbia Valley Hut Society if you would like to reserve either of the two huts found in the area.

From Golden, drive south on Highway 95 for 36km to the hamlet of Parson. Turn right on the Parson River Crossing road. Set your odometer to 0k at the Radio Call sign. Cross the Columbia River and its back channels on the three bridges and head up the hill on the Spillimacheen FSR. Do not turn right on to Thomas Road or left on to Sanborn Road. [read more]

There are many branches off this road, but stay on the main road. At 17 km, take the north fork (ie. stay right.).  At 46 km, turn left on the McMurdo Creek FSR and cross the river on a bridge (this is the first left after the very sharp corner). Follow the road for another 10.4 km. It is rough and muddy in spots. At 55.5K, the bridge is gone, and you need to make sure you don’t drive into the creek. The road turns rocky and grassy with a slight rise, but there is no other indication the bridge is gone, so pay attention.

1. From Hwy 95 turn right on the Parson River Crossing Road
2. Set your odometer to 0 at the Radio Call sign
3. Kilometer 6.0 – Stay left
4. Kilometer 6.7 – Stay right
5. Kilometer 12.0 – Stay left
6. Kilometer 14.0 – Stay right
7. Kilometer 17.0 – Stay right (Don’t take CMH turn-off)
8. Kilometer 27.0 – Stay right
9. Kilometer 46.0 – Stay left (Cross McMurdo Ck)
10. Climbing to your right, follow McMurdo Creek proper
11. Kilometer 55.5 – Parking area.  Please don’t obstruct any roadways.