We have climbed Opax Mountain in the winter now for a few years.   The route is a good one and the views are outstanding.    It is a demanding winter trek for most people, but a rewarding one too.   The route is 10km return on the snow with 357m elevation gain.   Opax can be a confusing mountain to navigate, but anyone who chooses to do this route can follow the snowshoe track we set, out and back.

We were able to follow some snowmobile tracks for a long ways, which made the surface firmer.   We broke trail for the last section.   We saw many signs of wildlife, including two predation sites.   The last section up to the viewpoint is off-trail, but we took our time and found it fairly easy.   From the viewpoint are marvelous views south and east.

Vehicle Access:

• Drive north through Lac du Bois Provincial Protected Area
• Park at the kiosk/cleared area just south of the McQueen Lake fence boundary (at N50 49.275 W120 26.697)
• Walk along the road for 375m north to the trailhead (the only sideroad on the west side)
• This backroad (Mud Lake Road) is unplowed in winter

Snopax Route

• follow the road for 1km to the Forest Service Kiosk (sign, information, parking)
• routes go north, south, and west here, but you should go west
• stay on the route heading west towards Opax Mountain
• the trail/backroad starts to climb and continues toward a low pass on Opax
• at the top of the pass, the track is relatively flat
• there were a few trees down on the route due to the heavy snowfall
• continue to head west
• there are no real junctions until an obvious one at N50 48.979 W120 29.219
• at this point a large logged bowl lies southwest
• snowshoers can turn around here or can choose to turn left and follow the sideroad for a short distance
• to get ot the viewpoint, you have to leave the trail and wind up through the forest
• a trail has been flagged, but you can also just follow our snowshoe tracks
• the route leads to the highest point on this south-facing ridge, your spot for lunch
• the viewpoint sits above an east-west lava wall that runs for 4km over to Tranquille Canyon
• return by the same route
• it took us 2 hours up and 1.25 hours down
• this is backcountry; be prepared with the Ten Essentials (including a headlamp and space blanket)