Sumas Mountain (Chadsey Lake) Hike Review, Abbotsford, BC Canada

The full traverse of Sumas mountain (Abbotsford BC)

This is a trail that I have hiked on for over 15 years but keep coming back to because I am a cheap dutchman who doesn't want to drive any further than he has to. Another reason to hike it was to scout the whole length for a new hiking club outing. You just never know what condition a trail will be in from year to year with all the blow downs, washouts, and exploding bear and cougar populations:) We found the trail to be in reasonable condition, except for one spot. Coming from the north side of Sumas mountain, just past Chadsey lake, there were a lot of fallen trees across the path. These trees could be a big problem for someone that is injury prone or a little unsteady on their feet. This is really the only real problem I can see with the whole trail, though other more fussy hikers may think differently. There were also a few fallen trees before the lake, but I can't remember them being a big deal. This is a great hike with many different changes in the forest and one place where the trees have recently disappeared altogether. Don't worry, the logging slash isn't that big. Chadsey lake itself is nothing to write home about. It would look great in Ontario or Manitoba but over here we're used to alpine lakes with mountainous backdrops. It is a pleasant place, however, and very relaxing after the hike up.

It is my opinion that hiking the north end of the trail to Chadsey lake and coming down the same way is a little nicer than starting at the pump station on the south side. The south end of the trail starts out in nice forests, but after that you are going to mainly be following a logging road. We did get some nice views of the valley from the south end of the mountain, but those will disappear when all the leaves start coming out. Of course, doing the whole traverse with a two car system is the nicest, because you don't have to back track. I think the whole trip took under five hours to do and we were not rushing it at all.

by Reuben V.