We camped in Lillooet and drove up the Duffey Lake Road to access the Downton Alpine Area.   We turned off the highway onto the Downton Creek Forest Service Road 24 km from Lillooet.

 

 

 

The road crosses a number of bridges over Downton Creek, some of which are signed as “closed.”

 

This backcountry road becomes narrow, rough and a bit grown-in, then at 11 km, we needed to turn onto the Branch 2 Road,  a decommissioned track.    It was a rough high clearance road, grown in with alder. with cross ditches (waterbars) to go through.   Although 4WD was not required, we used it to get through the waterbars and rocky areas.   It is not a road for SUVs.    At a landing area  (before it crosses a stream), we parked and saw a sign on a stump above the road, the trailhead for Holly Lake.

 

 

The trail winds through the forest following Downton Creek to its source.   After climbing for about half the distance, the trail emerges into subalpine meadows and winds around wet areas on its way to the lake.

 

 

Holly Lake sits at the edge of alpine meadows and talus slopes under Soprano Peak.   There is a small campsite on the north side of the tarn.

 

We hiked around the lake and above for the view.   To the west was a series of peaks with cirques leading up to ridges between them.   The peaks here are Contralto, Schroeder, and Linus Peaks, with Faulty Tower on the right.   This would be a fine area for a few days of exploration.

 

 

From the far (west) side of the lake the views ranged back east to Seton Mountain, Saddlebag Peak, and Modal Peak, more areas to explore.   Seton Mountain has a series of open ridges and satellite peaks to climb.

 

 

We were pleased to do this first exploration of the Downton Alpine area and we look forward to returning to do some more hiking in the area.   We do not recommend trying to drive into the trailhead without a high clearance truck or jeep.   It is too grown in, rough, and the waterbars are too deep for most vehicles.   Two of the other trailheads in the area  – Downton Alpine Trail and Viola Lake Trail do  not require driving up Branch 2.   Check out the book Canyon to Alpine – Lillooet Hiking Guide for more information.