Mount Webb

August 30, 2024

Distance: 21km round-trip

Elevation gain: 1677m

Time required: 9.5-10 hours total

Mount Webb is a well-known peak in Chilliwack that sits high above Chilliwack Lake.

This was my second attempt at summiting this peak. The first attempt was almost exactly two years ago during a period of heavy wildfires when thick smoke made it hard to see more than a hundred meters in front of you. On that journey, I made it to the saddle in between Mount Webb and Macdonald Peak and decided to end it there.

The trail to Mount Webb starts from the day use parking lot at Chilliwack Lake. Note that the gate opens at 7am and closes at 11pm. From the parking lot, you get onto the Trans Canada Trail which crosses the point where the Chilliwack River meets the lake. After following the river for a couple of kilometers, it starts to switchback up and comes to the beginning of the Radium Lake Trail.

The trail to Radium Lake climbs fairly steeply and steadily through the forest, following Radium Creek. It is well marked and easy to follow. I passed over many suspension bridges as the trail crisscrossed the river.

One of many bridges that crisscrossed the river

I saw tons of mushrooms along the way which was lucky for me as I love mushroom hunting. Right before Radium Lake, I saw a big patch of what I think are king boletes. These mushrooms are huge. They are choice edibles and I would have loved to take one with me but I didn't have anything to carry it in.

A huge king bolete bigger than the size of my head

I found quite a lot of other mushrooms along the way. I also found a barred owl feather.

It took me two hours and 45 minutes to get to Radium Lake. This is a BC Parks maintained wilderness campground. As such, it features two tent pads, a toilet, and a bear cache. There was no one there when I reached it.

Radium Lake

Past Radium Lake, the trail continues through the forest for a little bit until it reaches an exposed gully below Mount Webb and other peaks. You can go pretty much any way up the gully that you want. Some pathways followed slippery dirt, others stuck to the vegetation and rocks. I did a combination of all of it.

After climbing the gully, I found myself at the saddle between Mount Webb and another unnamed, rocky peak. This is where I stopped my journey the last time I attempted Mount Webb but today was a perfect day to continue on.

Mount Webb from the saddle

The final 700m is a scramble up to the summit. There are rock cairns and flagging to guide the way. The peak offers beautiful 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains.

Panoramic view of Chilliwack Lake

The valley with just-visible Radium Lake below. The Mount Corriveau ridgeline sits above the valley and other Chilliwack peaks lie behind that. Mount Baker is visible on the left.

Looking back towards the saddle. Macdonald Peak is in the middle and Mount Lindeman is on the left

An interesting observation I made at the peak was the presence of thousands upon thousands of tiny ladybugs that were flying everywhere. Anywhere I stepped, I was swarmed by them. I have never seen that phenomenon before.

While at the peak, I came across two birds. One was a female sooty grouse and her adolescent child (child unpictured). The other was a tiny Northern pygmy owl. I was particularly excited about the owl. I had never before seen any other owls in the wild except barred owls.

The journey back down was relatively quick. I came across two parties close to the lake, one of which was headed to Macdonald Peak. There is no official trail to that peak but it looks easily accessible along the ridgeline.

For an experienced hiker, Mount Webb is not too difficult of a journey. The elevation gain occurs over a long distance and although some scrambling is required, the exposure is not that intense. If you wanted to take it slower, camping at Radium Lake along the way splits the journey up into manageable sections.