up mount hays

On our first weekend back from the holidays, we were invited to brekkie at a friend of Ty's that lives in town.  She fed us, supplied us with an amazing view, and shared info about great local hikes.  It was lovely. On her advice, the next day we ventured out to climb Mount Hays.

Mount Hays is the mountain directly behind Prince Rupert, the larger of the two mountains on Kaien Island (yes, Rupert is on an island).  It is named after Chales Hays, the general manger of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.  He has a quite the story (Mr. Hays, that is) and apparently perished in the sinking of the Titanic.

According to this article, his mountain namesake also has a storied history.  There were far-fetched plans to remove that top at one point to try and reduce the poor weather, or barring that, to place an airport up there.  During the 1970s and 1980s there was a gondola and a ski hill on the mountain, although the enterprise unfortunately succumbed to a lack of snow.

We took the Kiwanis trail up the mountain and while the hike starts off fairly steep, the grade declines about half way up and you traverse some very muddy muskeg.  Our boots were soaked and mud-logged quickly and eventually we gave up trying to tip-toe around the edges of the puddles.  I'd definitely recommend some gaiters. Wet feet aside, the views were spectacular - snow-capped mountains, peeks at town, and near the top, a view of the surrounding islands.  Apparently on very clear days, you can see all the way to Haida Gwaii.

A series of boardwalks wind their way through the alpine meadows at the top, though many are succumbing to the same forces that all wooden structures face in Rupert: too much water. I learned this the hard way with a tough bail off some slimey wood.

Evidence of the former ski hill is still apparent at the top.We stopped to have lunch on the foundation of the old chalet and as the day was waning, we decided to hike down the road to get back to the car.  There is a road the makes its way up to the cell towers on the top- although I wouldn't recommend it as an alternate hike for the way up, it appears to be used primarily by dirt bikers and, sadly, people who use it as a dumping ground.

Peering down from the top was a perfect way for us new-to-towners to get a better lay of the land and I am sure that this won't be our only time up Mount Hays.  If you are visiting and want to head up yourself, Trailpeak has more information or check out the excellent 'Outsider's Guide to Prince Rupert'.