Mount Roderick Dhu

BOU AVENUE
Mount Roderick Dhu

On 23 April 2025, Zosia Zgolak and I ascended Mount Roderick Dhu located near British Columbia's Jewel Lake Provincial Park. The mountain is topped by an active fire lookout--Jewel Lake Lookout--which is easily accessed via a forestry service road as documented in a number of online resources. Similarly with our recent hike up Mount Kitchener, we had some concerns about lingering snow, but we decided to give the ascent a try anyway. The origin of the mountain's official name is seemingly mysterious, but "Roderick Dhu" is an important character in Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake.

From Highway 3, turn west onto Boundary Creek Road 1.4 kilometres north of the intersection with Gowrie Street in Greenwood or 33.0 kilometres west of the intersection with BC Highway 41 in Grand Forks. Drive 920 metres and veer right onto Jewel Lake Road. Drive 4.6 kilometres and keep right at an intersection with Boundary-Jewel Forest Service Road (this FSR is conceivably drivable all the way to the top of Mount Roderick Dhu but takes a significantly longer and more roundabout route). Drive another 3.3 kilometres and turn left onto the start of a gravel road with an information sign board. Park here or drive up the gravel road as far as comfort and/or vehicle capability allows.

From the information sign board, Zosia and I hiked up the road, and almost right away, we continued straight through a four-way intersection. About 850 metres further, we made a hairpin right turn onto a rougher road which basically takes a 300-metre short cut before reconnecting with the main road. At an elevation of about 1400 metres, the road suddenly became choked with a mess of deadfall and deep snow. Initially, we tried detouring via a power line right-of-way just past a scenic turnoff, but thick bush and more deep snow stymied our progress there. As a result, we had to backtrack to the main road and muddle as best as we could through the deadfall. The deep snow was partially supportive which helped immensely, and despite some brief moments of misery, we managed to get through the blocked section of road. Past the blockage, we enjoyed a brief stretch of snow-free hiking, but as we climbed higher, the road inevitably became completely snowbound. Again, the snow was mostly supportive which was a godsend for us, and in fact, the snow improved considerably as we broke out of the trees into a cut block on the west side of the summit. Impatient with continuing on the long-winded road, we abandoned it and headed directly for the summit up through the cut block. The snow pack was solid here which made it easy to walk on, and the only issue we had was where the slope steepens just before the top. Cleats or ice axes would have been helpful here, but without these items, we still managed to surmount this last section albeit with some difficulty. The top of Mount Roderick Dhu is cluttered with all sorts of infrastructure including a fire lookout tower and a rustic cabin. After briefly poking around the inside of the cabin, we sat down outside for a nice break in the sun.

For our return, Zosia and I followed a power line down the south side of the summit for a short stretch before ultimately veering westward back to the road. The snow pack was already starting to deteriorate, and I began to sink with more regularity. This continued even as we regained the road, and as such, the bulk of our descent was fraught with tension as we tried to minimize sudden deep plunges into the snow. Only when we passed the aforementioned blockage in the road could we relax knowing that the worst of the snowy sections were behind us. The remaining walk back to our car at the information sign board was easy.

	Zosia reads a community bulletin board at the start of the road which goes up Mount Roderick Dhu.
	The initial climb up the road is very straightforward.
	The road has been obliterated here by a mess of deadfall. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Higher up, the road is thoroughly choked with snow and frequent deadfall.
	Zosia has to fight through some overgrown bushes along this part of the road.
	Zosia is happy that the snow is still supportive as the road enters a cut block.
	The road takes a long-winded route around the west side of the upper mountain.
	Zosia abandons the road and heads straight for the summit.
	Sonny and Zosia stand on the summit of Mount Roderick Dhu (1839 metres).
	Among the many structures on top of Mount Roderick Dhu is this rustic cabin.
	Shockingly, the cabin has electric power.

Mount Bonaparte has caught my eye!

Here is the view to the southwest from the summit.

	Zosia drops down the south side of the summit.
	A small clearing lower down grants a partial view of Jewel Lake. Also visible at left in the distance is Phoenix Ski Area.
	Zosia follows a power line down the south side of the mountain.
	Zosia regains the main road but still has a long and challenging descent ahead of her.
	A small marmot stands on its hind legs on the side of Jewel Lake Road. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Total Distance: 11.2 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 5 hours 38 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 679 metres GPX Data