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northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hikes · Valemount & Mount Robson · Valemount / Mount Robson

Carson's Peak / McKirdy summit extension

Carson's Peak adds450m climbing from col; main McKirdy summit more technical.

Sources reviewed . This is a research date, not a trail inspection.

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The locations GPX contains sourced points with their recorded roles. It contains no trail track or connecting route.

Distance
Not publishedTrip basis unconfirmed
Elevation gain
Not establishedCarson’s Peak adds about 450 m from the col; this is not total trailhead gain
Walking time
Not published
Difficulty
Not rated
Snow-covered southeast face of Mount Robson seen from Mount McKirdy summit
A telephoto winter view of Mount Robson from the summit of Mount McKirdy, photographed in February 2012. The photographer identifies the summit viewpoint; this does not show the lower meadow or cabin routes or establish summer trail conditions.Mount Robson SE (opens original source) · Rufus Hawthorne · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens original source) · 2012-02-06. Source display image downloaded without content edits; page presentation may resize. No people removed or imagery generated.

Map & elevation

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Elevation profile

A full-route elevation profile is not available yet.

A reusable trail line has not yet been verified for this outing. Any location pin shows the published location described above; it does not draw the hike or establish a navigable approach.

Getting there & parking

Use the small trail parking area near the upper end of 5-Mile Road above Valemount. The local guide says the road is usually passable by ordinary vehicles when dry, but it has grades of roughly 15 percent and can be demanding on the descent. Confirm the road condition and use the signed hiking start; the lower bike-park trailheads on the same road are different destinations.

Map position: 52.84883, -119.21828 · trailhead. source-published; not field-verified

On the trail

Climb the McKirdy trail through mixed forest, passing openings toward Valemount and Kinbasket Lake. Near the subalpine, follow the signs distinguishing the meadow route from the YORA cabin. The main trail crosses the meadow to a further junction with several possible extensions. At the upper junction, the right branch descends toward a col; Carson’s Peak is an additional climb of roughly 450 m from that area. The full Mount McKirdy summit is beyond the ordinary meadow/cabin hike and is described for people with mountaineering and route-finding experience. Loose rock is a concern on the final summit approach. Do not apply the cabin or ridge trip statistics to the full summit without a separate route plan.

Terrain: route finding · loose rock · alpine extension.

Conditions & seasons

Summer and autumn are the normal hiking seasons. The cabin is also used for backcountry skiing, but winter road access and avalanche terrain require a separate plan. Mosquitoes and alpine flies can be persistent from late spring into summer.

These are dated research notes. Open the trip planner for current available weather and advisory feeds; no alert found does not establish that a trail or road is open.

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Camping & overnight plans

The YORA cabin is an overnight facility and has an outhouse nearby. Confirm booking and access arrangements with the operator before relying on it. The nearby creek is the only published water source; treat water and do not assume every meadow or ridge branch has a suitable tent site.

Photos of Carson's Peak / McKirdy summit extension

Snow-covered southeast face of Mount Robson seen from Mount McKirdy summit
A telephoto winter view of Mount Robson from the summit of Mount McKirdy, photographed in February 2012. The photographer identifies the summit viewpoint; this does not show the lower meadow or cabin routes or establish summer trail conditions.Mount Robson SE (opens original source) · Rufus Hawthorne · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens original source) · 2012-02-06. Source display image downloaded without content edits; page presentation may resize. No people removed or imagery generated.

Original photo galleries

These galleries stay on their photographers’ original websites.

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Sources, dates & research notes

Descriptions are written for this guide from the linked evidence. Source review dates, published reports and field observations can differ. Photographs and route lines retain their own attribution and reuse terms.

  1. https://hikevalemount.com/mckirdy-cabin-meadows-ridge/ (opens original source)
  2. https://peakbliss.ca/2023/09/04/carsons-peak-and-mount-mckirdy/ (opens original source)
Details still being researched
  • Total distance and cumulative ascent for the complete summit itinerary are not published.

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