A hike through two beautiful alpine bowls, past a tarn, and onto the ridgeline at 12 Mile Creek. This hike is a gem. This trail provides a relatively easy, short access to the alpine. For those with route finding experience, it can be linked with the Certainty Mine trail to create an alpine loop as both share the same parking area.

UPDATED NOTE Aug 2018.  This description for the start of the trail has been updated since the logging this past winter.  Kiosks are planned to be installed in 2019.

Trailhead
Do not cross the bridge.  About 80m before the bridge an obvious steep skidder trail on your left (south) marks the start of the trail.  Follow the path steeply up this skidder trail leading into a cutblock.  The trail become more distinct as you go.  In the upper right corner of the cutblock (about 500m from the parking area) the trail heads into the forest.  The intials “EA” are carved into a tree at the entry point into the forest.

Note: the trailhead to Upper Certainty Mine parks just on the other side of the bridge.

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Trail
Upon entering the forest, the trail continues to climb and you will be accompanied by the south fork of 12 Mile creek.  After 1.5 km the trail breaks out of the forest to a boulder field with open ground at its lower edge.   The trail is relatively easy to follow; watch for slash marks and green paint.  Stay below the edge of the boulder field for easier walking.  At the far end of the boulder field work your way up and under a rocky cliff (again watch for green markings).  Above the cliff the trail eventually cuts back into the forest below a second boulder field.  Stay to the inside edge of the forest and after about 100m the trail emerges from the forest to follow a trail along the bottom edge of this second boulder field.  After 50m green markings will lead you away from this boulder field to your right and back towards the creek. Step over the creek; a large boulder marks this spot on the other side – remember this point for your return. Follow up along side the creek on firm ground keeping the creek 1 -2m on your left. As you reach the boggy flat section keep to the right on a faint trail on firm ground just inside the trees.  Continue up to the base of the waterfall.  Traverse to the left under the lower cliff of the falls until a walkable ramp leads you up right to the upper part of the falls.  A short, steep, walkable section gets you to a tarn (actually 2 tarns) above. A tarn is a small alpine lake. This is a great spot for lunch. The GPS (KML) file ends here.  However, one can continue up the obvious gully on the south end of the tarn to the ridge above.

If you choose to continue past the tarn, there is one last push up to the ridge. It’s a grunt on loose shale, but you’ll be there in about 40 minutes.  The ridge offers spectacular views (see photos).

Once on the ridge there is a good and easy ridgewalk to the north. The first fifty metres has some rocky outcroppings that are easy to get around, and then it is just strolling on the grassy ridge for a long ways. You can go all the way to Maclean Creek before the going gets a bit more difficult.

As well, there is a great ridgewalk to the south leading to a lake, but getting there is a bit of a chore. The quickest route to the grassy ridge is to scramble up the steep shaley slope right next to the col; the gentler grassy slope starts just past the rock outcroppings you can see. The bad news is you have to ascend that steep shaly slope first (and descend it later.)

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