DIRECTIONS: From Vancouver: Drive east on Hwy #1 to Hope (160Km). Take Coquihalla Hwy (Hwy #5) and drive north for ~20Km. After you go through the avalanche tunnel, drive for 3Km and take exit 217. create
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Flatiron Peak (via Needle Peak Trail)
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Sep 16, 2020
Weekdays honestly feel like the best time to hit up certain hikes; with flat iron being one of them. After seeing the swarm of cars in the parking lot for the long weekend, I had anticipated a similar turn out. However, there was only a singular vehicle parked in the gravel parking lot which meant that social distancing was going to be a lot easier than anticipated.
Each time we made our way up the grind to the ridge of this trail there was always a wasp nest in the ground. This might have been the first time that neither of the two nests seemed active. Shortly after climbing onto the ridge and toward the saddle we encountered the other group on the trail. Since we did not cross paths with the trio after this point; we assumed that they had gone off to attempt to tackle Needle Peak.
From the saddle the trail is a nice stroll along a ridge connecting the two mountains. There are multiple narrow trails; some coming closer to the cliffs than the others until finally sloping up to the lakeshore. We planned to make a full day of this adventure, so my usual hiking buddy and I both packed swimwear and books. It was not until quite late into the afternoon that a pair of backpackers arrived; right when we were departing.