Frosty Mountain West Summit Hike
Frosty Mountain West Summit Hike Stats:
Length: 14 km
This is the west summit of Frosty Mountain, the tallest mountain in Manning Park. It’s not to be confused with its more popular sister summit—the Frosty Mountain East Summit. The west summit is best hiked in winter due to its lower popularity and steep terrain.
At first glance, the stats above might make it seem easy, but of the 14 km, 6 km is a flat walk across Lightning Lake. That leaves 8 km with 1,200 m of elevation gain. You do the math. In fact, I rate this trail as Very Hard. If you decide to try it, make sure you’re well-prepared and allow plenty of time for the hike.
Frosty Mountain’s west summit shares the same trailhead as the east summit, starting at the Manning Park Lightning Lake day-use parking lot. If there’s one trail where offline maps are essential, it’s this one—there are absolutely no trail markers along the way. Additionally, since you’ll most likely be hiking in winter snow, the terrain can start to look the same after a few hours.
As mentioned earlier, the first few kilometers involve walking across the vast, frozen Lightning Lake. If you’re not comfortable walking on ice, you can follow the Lake Trail Loop instead. At the end of the lake walk, prepare yourself for a steep, relentless ascent until you reach approximately 2,100 m in elevation. Here, you’ll arrive at a plateau where you can take a break and catch your breath. From the plateau, you’ll have a clear view of your destination: Frosty Mountain West Summit.
After your break, follow the ridge and tackle a short but steep climb to the summit. The views from the top are breathtaking on a clear day. Once you’ve soaked in the scenery, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.
