Mt Spieker Hiking Route
- 3-4 Hours
- 6km Return Distance
- 330m (1085 ft) Elevation Change
Routes on flat-topped Mt. Spieker make for excellent hiking through intriguing geological scenery. The summit plateau, and the vertical cliffs which support it, are formed from rocks of the Gates Formation which were deposited in the Lower Cretaceous Period. Coal seams from this rock formation have allowed for the development of the metallurgical coal resources in the Tumbler Ridge area.
The finest scenery is reached by ascending to the saddle ahead, then keeping right and heading northeast and then north, to the end of the mountain. This route leads past areas of thickly bedded sandstone and conglomerate bedrock, deeply cracked in many places to create small grottos which are suitable for rock scrambling and exploring. There are a number of alpine tarns amongst the rocks.
Towards the end of this route the mountain is bounded by vertical cliffs on its east and west sides, which tend to separate and break off to create fine rock scenery. The ridge narrows to the north, until it squeezes down to a narrow strip just a few metres wide, dubbed the Neck. This has an impressive pattern of intersecting cracks. Below the cliffs on the east side are two small lakes. The summit beyond the Neck forms a worthy turnaround point, and offers good views. It is then possible to return via the actual summit, 1971 metres above sea level.
There are areas with large quartzite erratics strewn on conglomerate bedrock. In other areas thinner-bedded rock layers predominate, with impressive cross-bedding, an indicator of ancient river or tidal currents which deposited sand grains.
Grizzly bear, marmot, white-tailed ptarmigan, willow ptarmigan and golden eagle are all frequently seen. Details on these routes are available on the WNMS Mt. Spieker brochure.
From 12.6 km on the Wolverine Forest Service Road turn right and head 15.7 km up the Perry Creek Road keeping right at the fork; ending at a gas site.
