A successful summit day, no rain, no forest fire smoke.
The club trip description describes a route from the Boom Lake parking lot via Boom Lake. However, we elected to start from the Fireweed/Continental divide parking lot and ascend Chickadee valley.


Boom Mtn from Fireweed parking area (summit at left)

Either way one has to get to the col west of Boom Mtn from where it is a fairly easy scramble to the summit. In spite of warnings from Kevin, we followed open forest with occasional game trails higher up away from the creek at the start of the trip. However, this took us across several avalanche paths that necessitated some nasty clambering over under and through avalanche debris. After about two hours we found ourselves in a drainage that led right up to the back side of Boom, a fair way up from the col.


Our ascent slope to the col west of Boom Mtn

Carl ascending Boom mountain, Ball and Stanley in the background.

Once up above the trees there is a stretch of fairly nasty scree. Care was required to ensure that we didn't knock rocks down on those at the back of the group.


Scrambling from the col west of Boom to the summit ridge

Once up on the summit ridge, the terrain changed entirely and it is a pleasant walk with great views all the way to the summit.


Last several hundred meters to the summit of Boom Mtn

We were a little over four hours car to summit. And had our main lunch there.


Lunch on the summit of Boom Mtn

Showing unity with one handed Jeannine

On the return we elected to go right down to the col west of Boom and then descend to Chickadee valley. The descent involved some tedious thrashing through new growth, but the return following within a few to 200 meters of the creek was generally fairly easy bushwhacking. However 5 or 6 km is still a long way without a trail and we were all very pleased when we finally heard and then saw the highway!
We were back at the cars in a little under eight hours total time.
The group's consensus is that this trip is worth doing, once.

Many thanks to Kevin for providing route info and to Alda, Jeannine, Sim, Arnold and John for joining me, Carl (C/S).