Fast Facts
Winter Sledding to E Kootenay Trailhead 17 km
Hiking/Skiing to Hut 5.5km
Cabin Elevation: 2350m (7710′)
Elevation Gain: 670m (2200′)
Maximum stay: 4 nights
Sleeps 6 comfortably, 8 maximum in 2 double bunks and the loft floor.
Mattresses, cookware, propane stove & lantern provided. Bring 1 lb propane canisters. No summer firewood provided, bonfires are prohibited.
Photos
Check out the Jumbo Hut photo gallery.
Map Reference
82 K/7 Duncan Lake
Latitude & Longitude Coordinates:
50° 21′ 37″ N 116° 37′ 27″ W
CAA Bulletin
Location Map
Topo maps may be ordered from several places, including HERE.
Or try an online intereactive map showing extensive detail. Use the Tutorial on your first visit!
It is advisable to check with the Rocky Mtn Forest Service Roadworks Webpage for Jumbo Ck conditions approaching from the East, or Selkirk natural Resource District – download Current Road spreadsheet (link updated May 2019) and see: Duncan Glacier Creek – Jumbo Pass, prior to heading in.
Our Access Updates tab at this homepage may also help on the current status (ie. open or closed) of the roads.
Details
This hut, constructed in September of 1997, replaced a small 30 year old structure that had seen its better days and was too small to meet the demands of an ever-growing interest of hikers and skiers to see the beautiful vistas of Jumbo Pass. The new 8 person cabin was a joint project involving the Columbia Valley Hut Society and a Forest Renewal B.C. grant. It sits on the ridge along the Purcell divide, about .5 km north of Jumbo Pass. There is quality hiking, scrambling and ski touring available in this small alpine location. Views are superb and include Karnak and Jumbo Mountains to the north-east and Cauldron/Horseshoe glaciers to the south-west. A nearby tarn, just to the east of the cabin, is the summer season drinking water source.
Please use firewood sparingly, during winter only. It is very expensive to fly in!
Bonfires are prohibited. The sensitive subalpine ecosystem of the Jumbo Pass area craze nnot sustain any firewood cutting, please refrain from this damaging practice.
Access
Trailhead parking (roadside) will vary from one year to the next as it is dependant upon current government funding for back-country road maintenance and the existence of active logging in the area. Drive the Toby Creek road for 18 kms past Panorama Mountain Resort, then turn right onto the Jumbo Creek road. For winter access, this junction generally marks the end of the plowed portion of the road. For summer travelers, the traditional parking area is located at the 15.4 km mark on the Jumbo Creek Road. The trail begins by following a skid road that heads off to the left from the road. Jumbo Pass is also accessible from the West Kootenays on the Glacier Creek Forest Service Road. The trailhead and normal parking area is at km 27. A washed out culvert will stop low clearance vehicles near the 24 km. It is advisable to use a 4-wheel drive vehicle on any non-maintained backcountry road.
The summer route up is usually fairly easy to follow from either side of the Pass as this is one of the more popular summer hikes in the Purcells. However, it is always advisable to bring a topographical map with you and know how to use it! Hiking time is usually 2.5 to 3 hours in the summer and up to 6.5 hours ski touring in the winter depending on conditions.
Formal Government Objectives
“Manage the Jumbo Pass Trail Recreation Site for a forested and sub-alpine, semi-primitive non- motorized recreation experience. The cabin and the trail to the cabin will be maintained; the natural vegetation will be conserved. Opportunities for cabin accommodation, ski touring, hiking, and mountaineering will be available at the site. Cabin reservations required. Access is by non-motorized trail.”