Golden Ears Peak- Maple Ridge, BC

Golden Ears Provincial Park will always hold a special place in my heart for so many different reasons. Growing up in Maple Ridge, it felt like a part of my backyard. It was in this park where I was able to explore and discover my passion for the outdoors. Every time I drove down Dewdney Trunk Road and looked over at those snowy peaks in the distance, I would dream about standing atop of them.

In elementary school I ran cross country through the trails around Alouette Lake, and years later began hiking through these same forests. Soon after, Golden Ears Peak became my first overnight hiking experience and really, the first “big” hike I ever completed. In hindsight, it was certainly an ambitious first backpacking experience for a 19 year old girl just dipping her feet into the world of hiking, but hey, go big or go home.

My first time climbing Golden Ears was late July of 2017. The snow was just beginning to melt on Panorama Ridge. Although there were enough snow-free spots to pitch our tent, the route to the summit was still buried and thus we had decided not to venture beyond the emergency shelter. I knew for my next ascent I wanted to make sure there was as little snow as possible, and so almost four years later, early on a September morning away we went.

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Golden Ears can be climbed either as a day hike or an overnight hike. There are campgrounds at both Alder Flats (6km) or Panorama Ridge (10km) which offer first come first serve spots. None of the backcountry camping sites in Golden Ears Provincial Park require specific reservations, all hikers need is a backcountry permit purchased from the BC Parks website ($5/person). While this offers hikers the flexibility of choosing where they camp on the fly, it poses a problem when it comes to overcrowding. Due to increased popularity in recent years, a nice Saturday night can bring in swarms of hikers and campers. I have seen photographs of 30+ tents pitched up on Panorama Ridge (I believe there was close to this on the Saturday night we stayed here).

I personally think that this hike is best done as an overnight trip for two reasons. Number one, it’s a very long hike and it can be tough to complete the whole trail, plus the summit, in one day. More importantly, the sunrise/sunset from Panorama Ridge is absolutely insane. It’s so spectacular that I have endured this hike twice already and still plan to go back many more times!

On this trip we actually took one of our friends with us who had been eager to experience backpacking for the first time. We decided to spend two nights, instead of one, in order to give him a better experience (we knew the hike up would be gruelling and so an extra day of rest before hiking out might be nice). We set out early on a Friday morning and booked permits to spend Friday and Saturday night at Panorama Ridge. Unfortunately for us, the weekend we chose happened to be the same weekend that the forest fires in Washington turned BC skies grey. As our group of three headed out that morning the smoke was just beginning to accumulate and blue sky was still in sight.

The hike to Golden Ears starts off gradual from the parking lot as you follow the West Canyon Trail. There isn’t really much too see for the first few kilometers until you reach the Gold Creek lookout about 3.5km in. As the name suggests, hikers get a peak of Gold Creek running through the valley below. Beyond this point the trail heads back into tree cover. Just over 5km into the hike you reach Alder Flats, the first of the two campsites along Golden Ears Trial. In the dry summer months there is not water source at this campground, and in fact, the last stream crossing you will come across between here and Panorama Ridge is about 500m back down the trail. I highly recommend overpacking water, it will be worth the extra weight!!

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After passing Alder Flats the elevation gain grows exponentially and the hike turns into quite a workout. For the next two kilometers the trail seems endless. To me this is worst part of the entire hike, and the portion that still haunts me from the first time I hiked it. After some twists and turns the trail meets up with a dried up river bed. I’m pretty sure this section lasts for less than a kilometer, but the steep grade and loose rocks make it feel never ending.

Eventually, a second lookout point appears out of seemingly nowhere. This is a terrific place to stop for lunch and soak in some views of the surrounding mountains.

By the time we reached this lookout, the smoke had began to thicken and there really was not much to see besides the base of Edge Peak right in front of us. After taking some time to catch our breath we continued upwards in hopes that we would climb out of the haze.

Beyond the plateau, a set of steep stairs protrude upwards and back into the forest. From this point onwards, the terrain does a 180°. Steady elevation gain transforms into a full-on scramble up roots and rock. In front of you lays 800m of elevation in just under 3km. Hands become a necessary tool as you embark on a slow ascent upwards. Gradually tree cover begins to thin and hikers are rewarded with spectacular views that will only keep getting better!

This short section of trail feels endless but I promise it is well worth the struggle. Eventually, after a handful of hours, travelling a mere 1.5km, you can catch a glimpse of the emergency shelter atop Panorama Ridge on the left. This will be the first and only sighting of your destination, as the trail wraps around the mountainside and into the final ascent. The last 500m to the emergency shelter involve a bit of scrambling. It may look intimidating for some but it is nothing too technical or dangerous.

Upon arriving at the shelter we took off our packs and snagged two open tent pads to set up camp for the next two nights (there are 6 wooden pads on Panorama Ridge). As far as the smoke was concerned we definitely lucked out as you could still make out most of the nearby mountains, as well as Pitt Lake below. Sadly, conditions did get progressively worse over the next day and a half so I am very thankful we arrived when we did.

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Being that it was our friends first backpacking trip he was pretty exhausted and so we decided to save the summit for the following day. Instead, we spent the afternoon playing cards, soaking up the hazy views, and talking to other hikers passing by.

After watching the sun dip down beneath the smog, we set our alarms for 5am and hurried to bed in hopes to watch the sunrise in the morning. Fast forward six hours later, our rather unenthusiastic trio crawled out of bed as the sun slowly rose from behind the mountains. The brisk morning air condensed the smoke low enough to allow a few neighbouring peaks to make an appearance along the horizon. Curled up with coffee and our sleeping bags we watched mesmerized as hues of yellow and orange layered the sky.

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Not long after the sun settled into the sky the first of many hikers made their way up the mountain. We sat and enjoyed conversation as more and more people began to flood Panorama Ridge. Sadly it did not take to long for the smoke to rise back up into the sky and before we knew it there was not much of a view to be seen. We tried our best to wait out the smoke before embarking on the summit of Golden Ears, however visibility seemed to get worse by the hour.

We ended up deciding to hike to the peak for sunset and so with headlamps and dinner packed in our bags we set off.

As mentioned it is about 1km from the emergency shelter to Golden Ears peak. Directly past the shelter is a small grassy section leading to a wide rocky plateau. There are orange trail markers and rock formations created by other hikers, scattered along the path, to help guide you in the correct direction. It is important to pay close attention as many hikers have gotten lost trying to reach the peak (especially in the last 200m of ascent/descent).

It is not until the very end of the hike where you can finally see the true summit. There were many times on the hike up where I was concerned we may be travelling the wrong way, as the trail curves to the right, and takes you in behind what appears to be a potential destination. The final stretch to reach the summit requires caution as hikers must scramble up the side of the mountain using roots, rocks and ropes to pull themselves upwards.

It took us about 30 minutes to reach the summit and once we did we were met with a thick layer of smoke. A little disappointed, we sat to make dinner and crossed our fingers that perhaps conditions would improve. After washing down a warm bowl of Chana Masala with a few swigs of fireball we sat and waited in anticipation. It didn’t take long to realize that the sun was already trapped beneath the smog and there would be no colourful sunset display.

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The cool evening air did lower the clouds a tad but they still sat well above the horizon. After relaxing for about an hour atop Golden Ears it was time to head back down to camp. Although I have to say I was pretty bummed we didn’t get to see clear views from the top, I did take some pretty unique photos and it provided a neat perspective.

During the descent back to Panorama Ridge darkness began to take over and it was pitch black by the time we reached our tents. Overnight a bit of a windstorm rolled in, drawing more smoke into the region. We awoke Sunday morning to white-out like conditions. It was crazy how much things changed over night! You could barely see from one side of the ridge to the other. We fought against the chilly winds to roll up our tents and get out of there.

I am pretty sure it took us just under 3 hours to hike back to the parking lot — compared to almost 7 hours up (I’d say about 50% of that time was spent taking breaks). Although this hike is tough it is one I highly recommend and cannot wait to do again and again. I might be biased considering I grew up beside these mountains and even have the range tattooed on my arm but that’s besides the point.

Must Knows:

Distance: 22km roundtrip
Elevation: 1,700m
Accessibility: 2WD accessible, overnight parking at West Canyon trailhead parking lot
Water Availability: Streams for first 5km, no more water until Panorama Ridge campsite!!
Food storage: No storage available, tuck food under rocks or can store in emergency hut (I don’t believe there have ever been bears on Panorama Ridge however there are many mice)
Facilities: Outhouse at Alder Flats and pedal flush toilet in the emergency hut
Reservation Needed: BC Parks Golden Ears Backcountry Permit ($5/person)