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After the little hollow, the trail resumed climbing again, still along good well-engineered, switchbacking trail. However, as we started to approach the 4000-foot level, our "trail luck" started to run out: the path became rougher, steeper and more uneven. There was periodic blowdown that needed to be negotiated, some of it quite large. Our overall pace slowed a bit through this section.

A very steep forested slope was surmounted by an equally intense series of short, tight switchbacks, and then the grade lessened. Now at 4250 feet, the land was just beginning to round back slightly towards the eastern edge of Marble Meadows.
Trail Branch
Guarding Dino
Less good again
Soon the trail ran beneath small bluffs and moss-covered cliffs, and a few limited viewpoints out to the surrounding countryside presented themselves. The grade further lessened, and we began a rising diagonal traverse, rather than directly heading uphill. Both from our current elevation and from the trail description, we knew we were close to the end of our big ascent.
courtesy JInnes
Very steep hillside
Starting to level out
Mt Albert Edward
The limited views became more frequent and less limited, eventually presenting us with fine panoramic views of the Buttle Lake valley and Buttle Lake itself. A wide swath of Strathcona mountainscape was opening up above - Mt Albert Edward, Augerpoint Mountain, and Mount Mitchell, to name a few.
Nearing Treeline
Bluffs
First Panoramic View
Shortly thereafter, we emerged onto some sections of open bedrock. Some descriptions of the Marble Meadows trail describe this as tricky scrambling, but in my opinion, it is simply a bit of steep bedrock hiking with a mild bit of exposure (dropoff). We had no problem surmounting this, although the trail seemed a little indistinct here, with multiple suitable options that would carry you up to less steep terrain above.
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
Minor Scrambling
Nearing the top
Phillips Creek Delta
Above the open bedrock bit, we emerged onto a wide, open meadow, somewhat scrubby in nature, and dotted with a few small fir trees here and there: excellent - the edge of Marble Meadows.

Now fully in the open, we continued west, anxious to see the panorama to the west. Although we were on the plateau, there was still a slight rise preventing us from seeing the general terrain in that direction.
courtesy JInnes
Minor Scrambling
The Edge of the Meadows
Marble Meadows
Moments later, we crested a local height of land and laid our eyes on the lands to the west. The view that greeted us could best be described as a semi-rocky, undulating landscape of small blue-green lakes, ponds and subalpine meadows, along with low, craggy hills and a few intermittent patches of forest. This, finally, was the landscape of Marble Meadows. It was actually a bit more rugged-looking than I had expected.

Fairly knackered from our long, hot climb, we took one look at the closest of the blue-green lakes, and made a beeline for it. Once next to its shore, we shed our boots and took a nice long lie-down in the heathery grass. We also took the opportunity to replenish our water supplies, which some of us had drained completely during the ascent.
First of Many Lakes
Looking back east
Much deserved break
Now that we'd arrived at Marble Meadows, the next objective was to find a suitable place to camp. It was immediately clear that there were a million-and-one possible campsites up here, but we didn't want to pick a spot too early. Our objectives for the next few days involved climbing some of the highpoints in the general vicinity of Marble Meadows (specifically, Mt McBride, Morrison Spire, and Marble Peak), and to optimize the distances to each of these from our camp meant that we had to push on, towards the far (west) end of Marble Meadows, before setting up camp.
courtesy BConnell
courtesy BConnell
Across a Karsty Landscape
Heading West
Globe Flower Lake
We set off west, hoping to find a suitable spot within the next hour or two of walking. It was now late afternoon, around 5pm, and we wanted to set up camp and have dinner before nightfall.

The Marble Meadows trail officially ends at the edge of the Marble Meadows plateau. From here, an unofficial herdpath leads west, and that herdpath was what we now started to follow.
courtesy JInnes
Skirting Globe Flower Lake
Marsh Marigold Lake
For about an hour, we wandered west along the herdpath, past lakes big and small, and many innumerable little ponds and pondlets as well, most of which were not on the map. The Marble Meadows plateau is underlain by limestone, and this was made very apparent by the karstic nature of the topography - full of sinkholes and depressions, as well as low crags and outcrops. Between the lakes and outcops were many beautiful little meadows and short stretches of forest. Quite a diverse landscape. The only thing missing was snow; apparently, some snow typically stays around well into August, but today, there was not a crystal of frozen water to be seen anywhere.
Brian on herdpath
Marble Peak col
Beautiful Marble Meadow Evening
The herdpath continued west, generally always rising and falling. The plateau is not quite as table-like as I had imagined; our elevation along the herdpath varied from about 4850 feet on the low end to about 5150 feet on the high end.

After passing through a more desolate, craggy area of bare rock and small hollows, we began descending towards a bright silvery triangle in the distance - this, we knew, was the Wheaton Hut.
Stretches of intermittent forest
Marblerock Valley and Beyond
Rough and Rugged
courtesy BConnell
courtesy BConnell
Cairns when no path
Innumerable Ponds
Hut in the distance
The Wheaton Hut was erected in 1970 as a memorial to Billy Wheaton - a youth from the Shawnigan Lake School on lower Vancouver Island. Billy died in 1967 in a hiking accident in the Austrian Alps, and his family, friends and aquaintances worked put the hut in place. In the last few years, the detoriating condition of the hut was reversed when some basic restoration work was done to shore up the hut and its foundation.
Very low water levels
Arriving Wheaton Hut
Hut Break
I had strongly considered using the hut as our overnight camping location. While I was happy to see that it was unoccupied, and therefore fully available for us to use, we were not completely sold on using it. It had been a hot day, and the interior was quite warm and not particularly conducive to sleeping. Additionally, it offered little in the way of windows or views, and it was a glorious evening outside, with much to look at. Wheaton Lake was located nearby, and although we couldn't see it, descriptions indicated that it had nice camping options. Arn offered to go down to the lake and check it out, so we sat down and rested while he went to do so.
Waiting for decision
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