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| Photo | Trail Name | Hike Date | Trail Status | Comment | Submitted By |
Description:
This was an epic, but one of the most challenging journeys we’ve faced to date. The Kiwa Glacier is a pristine area that has been on our list of places to explore, and finally, after a recon and early season access attempts, we made it to the Lake! Some of the challenges that we faced:
1. Started with a flat tire
2. Check Engine light
3. Grizzly bear at the trailhead
4. 12 km of the worst alders I’ve pushed through
5. Very sketchy river crossing (all the water goes into this 1 river)
6. 4 km of the wettest meadows we’ve ever circumnavigated
7. Bliss at the lake
8. Attacked by a porcupine at 1 am, almost punctured my sleeping pad
9. Could NOT cross the river as it had risen a few feet (even with the tiny amount of rain, less than 1 mm) that fell during our stay
10. Hiked 16 km on the wild side of the river, making 100 meters every hour for the last 3 hours with headlamps in the dark, cliffs above, and raging river below
11. Bliss at the truck, our bodies long ago gave up but our spirits pushed onward.
This is a very challenging place to navigate and should only be attempted by experienced and prepared backcountry enthusiasts due to the need to route find and deal with quickly changing water levels, abundant grizzly bears, ever-changing weather near the glacier, and a 99.9999% chance you will not see another soul the trip. The route trailhead is located around these coordinates
*Note: As of April 2026, it should be noted that a large landslide is occurring on the east side of Kiwa Lake/Glacier:
Here is an image of the slide in progress. It’s being monitored by satellite and is moving measurably, but slowly. They have no idea when it might go (they said it could be a long time or at any time), and they don’t know if it will be fast or slow. Worst case, if it’s fast, it could send a tidal wave of water, ice, and debris out of the end of the lake and downriver. Given its remoteness and access difficulty, the chances are probably small of anyone getting caught in it, but it might be wise for anyone going in there to limit the time spent in the valley. It’s the triangular area near the bottom middle of the image.
Photos:
Videos:
July 2024:
Multiday trip day 1:
Multiday trip day 2:
Multiday trip day 3:
Trekking with Taz: