Hiking the Linton’s Trail to the top of Mt Washington Ski Resort

by Keith and Heather Nicol

      Mt Washington Alpine Ski Resort is a great place to see alpine wild flowers and so far this

Enjoy the wildflowers in bloom along the trail

summer we had not been up to check them out. So when my brother, Bruce and his wife, Mary Ellen (who were here for MusicFest) wanted to head up we jumped at the chance. They had never been to the top of the mountain and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Mt Washington Ski Resort is just 30 minutes for the Courtenay-Comox area and offers great views of the Salish Sea as well as the Mt Albert Edward and the Comox Glacier. There are several hiking trails to the top of the mountain but the only one open at this time was the Linton’s Trail which is about 2.1 km to the top. Although you gain 1650 feet the trail is generally not too steep and is suited to a wide range of hikers. We wore either running shoes or light hikers but bring a wind shell since temperatures and wind can make it cooler at the top. Allow anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to do the hike depending on often you stop to take pictures. 

View toward Campbell River and Quadra Island

     We were not disappointed with the large variety of wildflowers in bloom and the views were very

The jays are ``friendly``

impressive. Both Bruce and Mary Ellen said the vistas were much better than they expected `` I had no idea they mountains up here are so rugged`` Mary Ellen said. We had lunch at a picnic table on top of the mountain and even fed the pesky jays. You can look back to the Courtenay- Comox area, north to Campbell River and Quadra Island but the most impressive views are to the southwest of Mt. Washington.  Here you can see Mt Albert Edward and the Comox Glacier as well as many other rugged peaks. Be sure to bring your camera since the vistas are spectacular. A great bonus is that once you reach the top you can ride the lift down (last ride is at 5:00 pm) which is a fine way to end a hike. For more information on summer activities at Mt Washington see: https://www.mountwashington.ca/

View to the south toward the Comox Glacier and Strathcona Park