Evan Thomas Creek Climbing

Approach to the main climbing area (Moonlight wall) is straight forward and well travelled with an obvious trail set in the snow from the fall to the spring. From the parking area follow the trail, up the obvious wide trail for about 1.0 mile, at the first intersection and take the right hand trail which drops sharply down hill to the creek. At the bridge the ice climb access trail is usually on the left bank of the creek (looking upstream). Usually by mid December a donkey trail aims straight up the frozen creek. Hike the creek upstream to the climbs, about 1 to 1.5 hours to reach the Moonlight wall.

Upper Evan-Thomas Creek approach

The approach to upper Evan-Thomas Creek is not as well travelled or as straight forward. At the climb, Combo Falls, the creek takes a sharp turn to the east, soon the creek narrows into a tight canyon. When I first visited this section of the creek valley in 1995, we stayed along the steep wall, (left wall looking up stream) immediately adjacent to the creek, not recommended. When I returned in 2006, we found an excellent game trail on the south bank, right side looking upstream. This trail travelled up and over the tight canyon, just where the terrain flattens out, a light bush bash reaches a broad slope, upstream of the canyon, allowing access to the creek bed.

At some point, perhaps in the summer of 2013, this trail was upgraded substantially, including guardrails to protect the drop off into the creek canyon. In January of 2014, a newly cleared trail continued from this canyon edge, higher up hill than the usually light tree bash, through the forest and re-entering the creek bed between the climbs WD40 and Slurpee.