Monashka Mountain Loop

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

You'll enjoy running through spruce forests, on alpine rocks and tundra, and bushwhacking through salmonberries taller than you.

Definitely not recommended for children or dogs.

From the summit of Monashka Mountain head NW down and up and along the ridge that leads to a land bridge that bears down and west into some brushy areas (aka The Valley of Death). From there it's up an obvious stream bed up to Reservoir Ridge and then down the Reservoir Ridge Trail. There's a bit of bushwhacking through salmonberries in the last mile to the parking lot.

It's roughly seven miles and about 2,900 feet. Route-finding is basically looking for sawed off trees and limbs and being able to follow a tread that is firm but often obscured by brush, especially descending Reservoir Ridge. Up higher, much of the time there is an obvious tread to follow, clearly visible sawed trees/branches, and there is an occasional flag; the pioneers of the route request that you not add any flags.

Part of the challenge of the route is the route finding. The middle bit (Valley of Death) as you come down the land bridge is probably the most difficult section. A keen eye and sensitive feet are the keys to success. Note that there are various routes one can take that are not necessarily the "brushed" route.

The route is shown as Trail #35 on the KIB Trails Map.