My interest in this more obscure side of the Chief has also increased because of the Sea to Sky Gondola. There is a good view down over the east side of the third summit from the Gondola's Chief Viewing Platform. From there, the north-east ridge to the third summit looks easy, though from a distance you can never be 100% sure what's lurking in the trees.
The Chief third summit from the gondola viewing platform
The same view rendered in Google Earth with the possible north-east ridge route
Unsurprisingly, asking a few local climbing friends fairly quickly uncovered that there is a trail of some kind up there, though no-one was able to be very specific about its exact line. I filed the idea away in my head under "things to try with the kids some time".
This weekend (a long weekend in Canada because of Victoria Day) I was scheduled to be "in charge" of Leo. He usually has league soccer matches on Saturdays, sandwiched between evening training sessions, so it seems best that he doesn't do anything active the rest of the time. However this weekend was different: no matches and no training. So I insisted he join me for some kind of outdoor exercise. Reluctantly, as given a free choice he would prefer to be indoors gaming online on his PS3, he agreed to go for a hike. I offered a few options, from which he picked what I was calling "the Chief loop", probably because it is nearest to the house. I mentioned that I wasn't sure of the exact route, but I don't think he was listening.
The plan was that we would leave the car near the start of the normal ascent route, with the expectation that we would come down that way after traversing the third and second summits.
Our whole planned route rendered in Google Earth
This meant the hike started with a dusty trudge of about 1.5km along the Mamquam forest service road. Leo was not in a very engaged mood, but it turned out that passing under the recent North Walls rock slide zone was a worthy conversation topic.
The forest service road; Squaw rock behind
The next section is the Squaw Rock approach trail, which I know quite well. As it is completely enclosed in tall trees, it is fairly dull walking, also steep. Fortunately after 30 minutes or so, the trail meets the saddle where there are a few viewpoints and the angle eases.
The approach trail up to Squaw Rock
On the saddle between Squaw and Chief, looking north to our house
The Chief third summit from the saddle
Beyond this point was new terrain for me. There are several trail forks, most of which unmarked, so we chose whichever was closest to the ridge. At one fork there was a "Chief" sign, though placed ambiguously and without any arrow, so that it could apply to either turn.
Starting the north-east ridge trail up to the third Summit
Cryptic signage
The trail gradually steepened up, and we passed two sections with easy rope pulls. Up to this point, we had been entirely alone, but at the next view point there was another father and son team. They asked us where they were. It became immediately obvious that they were very badly lost, having taken a wrong turn off the normal route to the 3rd summit, and continued contouring hopefully around the Chief for at least a couple of kilometres. I suggested they join us though warned that I only had a vague idea of the route.
Just above that point the enigmatic "Chief" sign appeared again, but seemed to want us to head downhill. Instead, I noted a faint trail leading upwards to a ~10m rock chimney full of tree roots, and partially equipped with an (old) knotted rope. I recommended that we tried that. With hindsight it seems unlikely this was the correct way, but everyone got past the obstacle - eventually. Leo was nervous on this section and the other teenager even more so. I ended up descending the chimney to assist him, then had to stand tenuously bridged across the outside whilst telling him where to place his feet. Thankfully his father was a better climber.
The sketchy chimney
Above the chimney our trail converged with another more substantial one. Beyond that point were two more "climbing" sections, equipped both with new'ish ropes and rebar steps, in a european "via ferrata" style. The amount of assistance provided seemed excessive.
Short unnecessary via ferrata section
One of our "clients" on the final via ferrata section, just under the third summit
We then arrived quite abruptly at the third summit, which was predictably (bank holiday weekend ...) busy. No-one seemed curious that we had come up from the "wrong" side. After a sandwich break, Leo and I abandoned our "clients", suggesting that they couldn't possibly get lost again if they followed the crowds down. We then traversed over to the even-busier second summit, where we didn't linger at all. At the narrow gap between the second and first summits, I tried to interest Leo in the via ferrata there, which gives a quick route to the first summit, but he wasn't keen. As I had been that way a few years before, I was not bothered to miss it.
Leo starting down from the second summit
The rest of the descent passed very quickly as we stupidly decided to run, enjoying seeing how many tourists we could pass. I was pondering how embarrassed I would be if I tripped and broke a limb or twisted my ankle, when we bumped into a stretcher party bringing an injured hiker down. However, we ignored the bad omen, and resumed at the same speed. We were back at the car about 3 and half hours after we left.
Clearly this was a very mild adventure by Squamish standards but I thought I would document it as there is very little information about the route on the web. I plan to do it again some time soon and try to figure out where we went wrong. Then see if it can be done with a seven year old ...
EDIT: I did this walk again one week later, with my friend Bob, starting from home, which adds another 1-2km on roads and flat trails. This time I followed the most substantial of the trails rather than trying to follow the ridge directly. The consequence was that we ended up avoiding the sketchy chimney but did otherwise follow most of the previous week's route, including the two via ferrata sections. It is hard to describe this with great precision, but broadly-speaking the ridge is followed apart from one large dogleg away from the ridge contouring around the Chief leftwards for about 200m, until blocked by the large cliff of Above and Beyond, at which point the trail heads back up rightwards. Generally, once on the ridge, looking for combinations of 1. the most well-trodden trail 2. the occasional "Chief" signs and 3. red flagging tape, will find the right route.
Map of our route from Bob's Strava page
Same data plotted on Google Earth
... and zoomed in closer on the North East ridge (note the major dogleg away from the ridge line)
