The Conrad Kain Hut sits below the towering Snowpatch Spire, one of hundreds of spires clamoring for the sky in B .C .’s Bugaboo Provincial Park. The park is located in southeastern B .C ., halfway between Golden and Radium Hot Springs, and west of Highway 95. Access to the park is via a gravel road, open late spring through late fall, that begins at Brisco, 27 kilometres north of Radium Hot Springs on Highway 95. This 45-kilometre road into the park is frequently travelled by logging trucks, so drivers should exercise extreme caution at all times and higher clearance vehicles are recommended.

Trailhead location:
Park visitors should park their vehicles in the public lot 2km past the Bugaboos Lodge (Canadian Mountain Holidays) parking lot, not in it.

Summer access:
Summer access is a steep 4.6km hike that leads from the parking lot through forest, bluffs and moraines to the hut in about 3-4 hours. The trail begins harmlessly enough along the valley bottom for the first kilometre, but don’t let this modest start fool you. The route quickly shoots upwards on a relentless climb for the next 3 kilometres, gaining 720m. En route you will pass through high granite bluffs, skip over glacier runoff, and will likely be lapped by gear-laden climbers trekking up for a multi-day trip. The hike is similar to the Chief trail in Squamish B .C ., in that some steeper, exposed sections of the trail are equipped with bolted chains and a metal ladder to aid hikers. At last you will gain the shelf that cradles the Conrad Kain Hut beneath the Snowpatch Spire, with views of the Hound’s Tooth and the sprawling valley from which you came. Expect a more challenging hike in wet conditions; the Bugaboos are famous for their wild weather!