Sulphur Mountain (Peaks 1 & 2)

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Sulphur Mountain is heavily trafficked thanks to the gondola that allows tourists an easy way up… For $90. I decided pretty quickly on the evening of July 17 that I wasn’t paying that! I have legs and trekking poles.

Instead, I headed for the switchbacks after cycling to the trailhead, and grunted my way up the mountainside. Including a brief stop at a nearby waterfall for some gorgeous flower pics, I reached the upper gondola station in 1 hour and 27 minutes from the trailhead. Traffic was light, given that most people hike Sulphur earlier in the day if they’re opting out of the gondola.

There is a waterfall about halfway up Sulphur, on a small offshoot of the trail. There is a waterfall about halfway up Sulphur, on a small offshoot of the trail. ✕

Wildflowers growing in front of said waterfall. I probably wouldn't drink from this without a filter thanks to the summit restaurant. Wildflowers growing in front of said waterfall. I probably wouldn't drink from this without a filter thanks to the summit restaurant. ✕

From there, I headed SE along the ridge, hoping to find a way to summits 2-4 based on an OpenStreetMaps trail that I later realized was taken directly from Vern DeWit’s trip report Sulphur Mountain
Vern DeWit - Explor8ion.com
[Archive] [No Archive Link] . That quickly turned out to be a bad idea - as it turns out, the “trail” is actually upper moderate scrambling, and fairly exposed at that.

Given that a fall would have resulted in severe injury, I decided to turn back after reaching a particularly difficult section where anchors indicated I wasn’t alone in my discomfort. I tried several routes but couldn’t get onto the upper ridge without far exceeding my comfort zone, and decided I’d settle for some amazing photos of light shafts over the parkway lieu of reaching all five summits.

A beautiful display of light shafts over HWY 93. My return route is lower right. A beautiful display of light shafts over HWY 93. My return route is lower right. ✕

Sundance Peak has had my eye for a while now. Unfortunately the only viable ascent route is ~5.3 per Devan Peterson - not a scramble! Sundance Peak has had my eye for a while now. Unfortunately the only viable ascent route is ~5.3 per Devan Peterson - not a scramble! ✕

I was in a pretty good mood as I headed back - I’d found my new scrambling practice area, and had quite a bit of fun on the challenging terrain. I passed the restaurant at the second summit, quickly traversed the boardwalk, and enjoyed some glorious views from as close to the first as I could get, since Parks Canada had closed the last few steps of the boardwalk for some maintenance work.

Summits to the NW of Sulphur. The peak at close right is particularly interesting thanks to the tiny offshoot on its right face.

Summits to the NW of Sulphur. The peak at close right is particularly interesting thanks to the tiny offshoot on its right face. ✕

Unfortunately, at this point things took a turn for the worse, as did my mood, and unfortunately as does the tone of this report. I had no sooner started taking photos from the boardwalk boundary than I heard the whine of a drone, and looked down the boardwalk to see two guys around my age flying one. It took a brief conversation with them to determine that they knew the rules and were simply trying to get around them; I threatened to call the wardens and give them the photographic evidence I’d just taken, they packed up and headed for the gondola, and that was that.

Summit panorama featuring a gorgeous sunset. Oh, and two young idiots with a drone.

Summit panorama featuring a gorgeous sunset. Oh, and two young idiots with a drone. ✕

I headed back along the boardwalk, and passed a couple dressed for a wedding photo shoot. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw pink and blue smoke bombs going off, as the photographer jumped back and started furiously shooting! The smoke eventually drifted into the Spray River Valley between Sundance and Sulphur, and filled the entire region with a purplish haze. I consulted with a few other bystanders; none of us thought there was any chance this was legal (all that particulate doesn’t just disappear once it lands!), so after being ticked off by the miscreants earlier, I decided it was time for a call with the wardens.

The wardens, as one might expect, did not seem pleased. Dispatch quickly confirmed that no, the park would not issue a permit for such behaviour, and sent a warden to the site. Satisfied that action was going to be taken, I started my descent.

The smoke bombs stained this area of the boardwalk pretty badly. The smoke bombs stained this area of the boardwalk pretty badly. ✕

Blue stains from the other smoke bomb. The mark is still there several months later, and hasn't faded all that much. Blue stains from the other smoke bomb. The mark is still there several months later, and hasn't faded all that much. ✕

As it turns out, the trail up Sulphur is at the perfect incline to make trailrunning on descent an absolute joy - and so I did. It wasn’t long before I arrived at the parking lot, where - surprise, surprise - the couple and photographer had been apprehended by a Parks warden. (Maybe don’t violate the Parks act in a place with only one viable escape route in a wedding dress? Lol.) I stuck around for a bit to give a statement, and then headed home.

Drama aside, I’ve been back to Sulphur several times since then - mostly in winter, to minimize how much my fitness drops. I have yet to head SE and try for the true summit again; that is on the bucket list for 2026…

And the smoke-bombing wedding couple? I spent some time that night compiling photos, pulling coordinates from my GPS watch, and recording a video journal before my memory faded, and sent that to the warden. It took a few months, but eventually I heard from him; the group were in fact fined via the Parks act, and had the photos from that night confiscated. Not a bad showing at all IMHO.

And people ask me why I assume tourists aren’t great until I see them putting some effort in on a trail. Ha!