Welcome to Mother’s Day Hill in the East Kootenay region of BC and out near Cranbrook. It’s an easy trek up the top of this little hump and while the summit is treed, there’s a superb viewpoint later on. You can gaze down at the St Mary River below and off in the distance to a great wall of rock called the Steeples. The grade is pretty moderate and most of hike is along old roads.
It begins along St Mary River Forest Service Road (South St Mary’s Creek Road on Google) off the Perry Creek Road, just a little west of Wycliffe. Go just about two clicks down the gravel, and park at a widening near the cattle guard. The trail is quite obvious and can be seen heading off into the bush on your left.
Mother’s Day Hill (East Kootenay BC): an easy hike with nice views. Another Chris & Connie adventure.
Expect to share the trail with motorized equipment and in our case, one group passed by near the viewpoint. We heard them coming and we made ourselves obvious so as not to startle. Otherwise we had the trail pretty much to ourselves and saw only one other hiker. Based on droppings seen, equestrian riders (coming in from the nearby Three Bars Guest Ranch?) also use the trail.
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Head up the road, which soon bends left and maintains a steady but never too steep ascent angle. There’s some loose material underfoot at times, and ATVs have chewed it up in places, but otherwise nothing of note. There’s the occasional meadow to break the monotony of the forest and stop and take in some giants along the trail. If these ancient trees could speak, what amazing things they could share. Look for strawberries, if in season, off to the side of the road. We heard many grouse, but they kept hidden from view.
Balsam Root clumps grow well in grassy spots and are lovely when in flower, but that shipped had sailed by the time we visited. Note how well the lichen grows in these parts and some tree trunks were coloured a bright green. Look down for patches of stonecrop and their little clusters of yellow flowers.
There’s the occasional offshoot trail, but just look for the most well used path to keep on track. You’ll be always heading up for the most part and if you find yourself dropping down quickly, or attacking a steep and loose slope made by ATVs head on means you’ve likely gone astray. The summit is on the eastern side of the hill, and you’re presently south of it, and keep this mind as you go.
Mother’s Day Hill isn’t that big, in any sense, but with Connie’s ongoing health problems, presented a real challenge. Cheer her on and know that the issue’s been addressed and hopefully not permanent. It’s transient side effects from post Cancer treatment and makes walking extremely difficult at times.
Do a large sweeping curve and continue eastward-ish now, right at a large meadow, then soon after turn left (north-ish) and it’s back in to the trees. Where they thin again, note a singletrack trail heading off to your right. This is the way to the viewpoint and I guess you could make it your singular goal, but we like to summit. Just because. Haha, summit – that’s what you call it on this little hill? Trees block view up there for the most part, but it’s still a worthwhile destination – to say you did it.
Bend right (east-ish again) and enter another meadow, then it’s back into the trees and soon after arrive at a small rock outcropping that marks the top of Mother’s Day Hill. Here’s a nice lunch spot and sit back for a while to enjoy the peace and quiet. There’s some limited views to the southeast but better ones to come, so we’ll chat about the scenery then. There’s wine to drink, after all, and we’ll raise a toast and offer up a high five for a certain brave person.
Retrace your steps and then take the spur trail described earlier heading east-ish. It rises and falls with the land and emerges atop a little bench above a minor cliffband. It’s completely wide open to the east and south. The car, as the crow flies, is not far away, but hundreds of metres lower.
Look across the Rocky Mountain Trench and take in the Steeples, a range of mountains looking as though a wall. Fisher Peak is the highest of them all. Below, it’s the St Mary River and note the prominent bluffs on its east bank. To the south, Mount Baker is most notable, but nothing compared to the precipitous Steeples. Cranbrook is not far away in that direction, but blocked from view by a low ridge. This is a beautiful scene and we could stay all day.
The little community of Wycliffe is not far away, there’s pastures and if you look close, the Kimberley to Cranbrook highway can be spotted. It’s busy with traffic, but here you’ll be far removed from all the chaos. Where are they all going, and for what reason, and why the hurry, guys? Vast swaths of forest to the south are broken by the occasion cutblock here and there.
Mother’s Day Hill is accessible all year round and wouldn’t make for a bad bike ride either.
What’s in a name? Mother’s Day Hill is unofficial, but why it was given this title and by who is a bit of a mystery. I’m sure there’s a good story here.
Once ready (no one really wants to leave such a wonderful spot, right?) retrace your steps to the last junction and once hooked up with the old road, follow it down to your car. We noted in some trip reports that people have bushwhacked it down, for variety.
Arriving…damn, the BIGDoer-mobile’s still there. Should have left it open and running but even then no one will touch it. Bwahaha – zip ties! I guess we should splurge and buy a new wheel cover. Setting up a Go-Fund-Me as we speak!
On the way out, we stop in Wycliffe Regional Park and play a little disc golf (thanks Sonny Bou for the idea). That is one challenging course (for us neophytes), with extra long fairways and difficult lines. It ate us up, spit out and left us licking our wounds. The final tally was so far over par that we don’t dare mention the numbers for fear of embarrassment, but we’d do well if style points were considered. Anyway, we’re not very good at it and the sore arms that came this, a reminder for days.
If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!
Date of adventure: July, 2022. Location: Near Cranbrook BC. Distance: 8km total. Height gain maximum: 330m. Height gain cumulative: 430m. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
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