(October 2024)
If you have been reading my blogs a while then you know I like to write about something as soon as I get back from something epic. Rohr Mountain was that for me this past Thanksgiving. You would also know I have summitted Vancouver Island's tallest mountain the Golden Hinde which stands at 2195M. I am now happy to say I have gone higher on the mainland at 2423M on Rohr Mountain. Thank you to my friend Tim who brought this mountain to my attention, as I had never even heard of this one before. You picked a really great one that I will now always remember for years to come.
DISTANCE: 16KM ROUNDTRIP
ELEVATION: 1,167M
TIME: 7 HRS+
The trailhead is accessed off Duffey Lake Rd, we were in a Subaru Forester and got to the second parking lot with no problems. I can see how a higher clearance would be required as there are many potholes. If you do not make it to this point this will add around 4KM if you park lower. This area is in the Lillooet and Pemberton area. It features Rohr Lake in the beautiful alpine setting. The hike starts off pretty casual, I did read that many said it's muddy and can confirm it is in some spots for sure.
You don't gain much elevation right away, you walk in the beautiful forest where you cross some mini bridges and once you get to the fork where some would head to Mount Marriott or Lower Marriott Lake you will stay right to Rohr Mountain. From here you will start gaining elevation but it's pretty gradual still. Tim has wanted to do this hike for a few months now and I always love to see people tick off the hikes off that have been on their mind. I know that feeling as that was Wedgemount Lake for me the day prior.
Soon after heading up the valley with the Cayoosh Creek nearby you will head into a stunning meadow and boulder field. The boulder field features a tiny waterfall nearby and from here it's not far from Rohr Lake. The lake took us about an hour to get too and it was stunning. The water was so clear and such a gorgeous blue colour.
From the lake we started hiking on the left hand side which has a really nice established trail, we went off track a little after the lake but nothing too bad. We found the correct one on the way back. We filled up our water nearby as there is ample water everywhere. The scenery was breathtaking. The rolling valleys of the moutains surrounding and the huge boulders layed across the landscape. It felt like we were in Washington or Mt. Rainer, from the pictures I've seen online.
My body felt strong and I was leading my wolf pack, I love the route finding aspect of being in-front. Tim being a fine gentleman was keeping Jess company and Oren was not far behind me. We all had a really nice pace and took in the scenery every chance we got to catch our breaths. I wouldn't say this is a super challenging hike or really technical it's just very long. The summit looks close but it isn't once your up there. We rarley took breaks once approaching the moutain and gaining huge amounts of elevation, the last 350M were pretty crazy. No ropes are required or gear to get up, there is some scramble sections to get to the summit but it's all there and really stable.
I was surprised to see as many people up there as we did, I was happy to see another guy fly his drone as I was skeptical because it was so windy and I mean windy. I had a summit drink as a success to getting there, flew my drone and got some wicked photos. We had a little photoshoot and really took in the moutain ranges around us. We took in the rest of our snacks and started our descent. I believe it was around 2PM when we started heading down, and it's just crazy how much the trail kept changing. It went from rocks to alpine meadows to a lake then the boulder field and trees. I really loved how it kept changing, that was my favourite part about this mountain and I think everyone else's too.
We got to Rohr Lake around 3:30PM and from there made it back through the very muddy wet sections near the boulder field, meadow and came out back to the vehicle just after 5PM I believe. Such a great hike and one I will remember for a long long time. The company was so good for my soul. Just being around people who can truly appreciate these mountains and trails like I do and nothing but good conversations. Thank you Tim, Oren and Jess for the grand adventure, the conversations and laughs.
I was truly in my element here and this entire weekend really made me reflect on the good, the bad and everything in between. You all welcomed me with such grace & love and it felt really nice to have that sense of community. The mountains will always teach me something when I am dying and trying to catch my breath. That I am alive and I can do hard things and there's always going to be another mountain and I'm always going to want to make it move. I may be referencing "The Climb by Miley Cyrus" but it's a great lyric because I truly felt like this trip awakened something within me. That the struggles I face or chances I take might knock me down but I will never break and I will always continue to keep going.
We ended this trip by going to Sloquet Hotsprings which I have been to before and have a Youtube video from back then. This was a long weekend, so it was a bit of a different experience with how busy it was when we got there but nontheless a beautiful way to end a hiking adventure. My friend Jess and I soaked in the morning while the boys slept in and it was such a beautiful morning and vibe this AM. Such a great way to wake up, there was definitely a few people there around 7:30AM but it got less crowded quickly and I was able to take out my drone. Thank you for being such a great friend Jess, I really needed this time to reflect on some things and this weekend did that for me.
Thank you again Jess, Tim & Oren I will never forget this trip and that's why I chose to write about it. What beautiful people you are. I laughed so much with you all and I can't wait until we are do something together again.
I love how you write about your experiences. I got so motivated to try this mountain after reading your blog! Thank you for sharing with us! 🌻