I have been hiking the area above Pineview Valley for 35 years. In the 1970s, there was little development below and the Pineview Valley had a horse corral at the top of what is now Copperhead Drive and Python Lake sat in a bowl on the east side. The double tracks went up the hill above, access routes from one hundred years of mining the hills above. On the west side, TransMountain Pipeline was built in 1953, leaving a 1150 km clearcut path and new fences. For the last 15 years, mountain bikers have cut new single tracks and new fences appear from time to time, but with Ajax Mine pending just over the top of the hill, the trails are status quo, at least for now.  There are dozens of tracks to navigate and finding your way is not easy, and we have taken different routes to the top.   A favorite route is shown here.

This track was 4.4 km to the top, with a 414m elevation climb. The trail had an average slope of 6 degrees and it took one hour and 20 minutes to go up. The lower route follows a double track past the last mine workings on the hill. Remains of the miners home is passed and the horizontal shaft, now filled in, can be seen on the hillside to the south. the route climbs through tailings and test pits before emerging onto the plateau. There are some grazing fences at this point so the trail angles east for a while before picking up on a double track from the upper Aberdeen area. Mountain bike tracks wind up the hill to the top and hikers emerge into open grasslands a few minutes from the top. From the top of Coal Hill, the grasslands stretch over to the Goose Lake Road and beyond. All of this open terrain will be mined once Ajax is given the go-ahead. The top has wide views over to Rose Hill in the east and to Greenstone-Chuwhels Mountain west. Grasslands give way to the forests of Hull Hill south.

Over the years I have hiked to the top about 50 times. Once the mine starts, this quiet route will be changed forever as excavation, blasting, extraction, and movement of earth and ores starts. Hike the trails now while it is still an enjoyable experience.

Note – There are newer posts on Coal Hill on this site. Ajax Mine was cancelled and all is well for the time being.