Zupjok Peak Hike – KamloopsTrails
We drove south on the Coquihalla Highway to the Coquihalla Summit Area. We parked at the Zopkios Rest Area and walked over to an unsigned trail that starts as a grown-in single track, then opens up as an old double track route which follows streams flowing from the cirque between Zopkios Ridge and Zopjok Peak. It winds over to the top of Ottomite Hill. A cairn marks a single track that goes through the forest and meadows, bearing west. An unmarked junction is hard to see, but we have hiked both routes – the faint trail going west heads to Iago Peak; the trail going north is the trail to the top of Zupjok Peak. We wound up the ridge route to the summit.
As we climbed, we had good views of Zopkios Ridge and a glimpse of Yak Peak.
At the summit, we stopped for lunch and took some photos. To the north was Alpaca Peak (in cloud) Vicuna Peak, and Guanco Peak. We have previously hiked to Llama Peak (between Zupjok and Alpaca), and Guanaco Peak.
To the west were the Anderson River peaks, imposing summits and a climber’s destination, but they are hard to get to.
We enjoyed the views at the top, took some photos and some video, then hiked back the way we came, a 12.3 km day.
Zupjok Peak is not well-known and additionally there are some minor navigating challenges, but it is one of the best hikes in the area, not as steep as the better-known hikes (like Yak and Needle), but just as rewarding.
A few more photos are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption/ID.
A YouTube (RambleOn Channel) video of this hike is also shared here.
Doug Smith
Doug writes for Kamloops Trails, a not-for-profit (and ad free) website, offering information on trails, waterways, routes, featured spots, viewpoints, and explorations in the outdoors in the Kamloops area (and beyond).
Doug started exploring this area in 1976 and continues to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, he chose to share this information.
The Kamloops Trails website has a massive number of interesting posts and would be of interest to anyone in Kamloops who enjoys the outdoors. Visit the Kamloops Trails website at: http://www.kamloopstrails.ca/
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