Mount Cheam Hike: A Historic Climb from Agassiz, B.C. (1914)

A handwritten account of a Mount Cheam hike isn’t something you expect to find on official government letterhead, but that’s exactly what I came across in the archive at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum.

At first it seemed to be a simple story of a hike of Mount Cheam, however, the climb was not undertaken by casual hikers, but by the women and men connected to the Agassiz Research Station, a key site of agricultural and scientific research in the Fraser Valley. The group included not only senior figures like superintendents and scientists, but also a foreman which suggests this was a shared experience across roles within the station.

And they weren’t alone.

Leading the way up the mountain were three Indigenous guides connected to the Sq’éwqel (Seabird Island) nation. George Pettis, George Hope, and Martin Harris. Their names appear briefly in the written account, but their roles were essential. Long before Mount Cheam became a popular hike like it is today, the trails were already known, travelled, and understood by the Indigenous peoples who were here first.

This post traces that climb through the original written account, placing it within the broader history of Agassiz, the Fraser Valley, and the people who moved through this landscape long before it was mapped for recreation.

Account of the Mount Cheam Hike 1914

This handwritten account was found in the archive at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum along with photographs of the hike. It was fittingly written on the letterhead of the Dominion Experimental Farm where P.H. Moore was the superintendent at the time.

The Agassiz Research Station Team on the Climb

Reginald Charles Treherne (1886-1924)

Mr. Treherne was the officer in charge at the Entomological Laboratory at the Dominion Experimental Farm in Agassiz between 1912-1917. He made a significant contribution to entomological research with such articles as:

• “Insects Economically Important in the Lower Fraser Valley” (1914)
• “Popular and Economic Entomology: Notes of Economic Interest from British Columbia” (1915)
• “The Apple Maggot in British Columbia” (The Canadian Entomologist)
• “The Strawberry Root Weevil in British Columbia” (The Canadian Entomologist)
• “Two Pests New to British Columbia” (1916)

P.H. Moore

He was the Superintendent at the Dominion Experimental Farm in Agassiz between 1911-1916. With his appointment there was a major change in the experimental farm’s policy to livestock rather than on horticulture.

His research in Agassiz examined, among many other topics, how larvae matured in cattle and the subsequent damage caused to hides often documenting findings on fully grown maggots. The findings of this study contributed to a broader understanding of the parasite’s prevalence in British Columbia.

Alexander McKay

Mr. McKay was the foreman at the Agassiz Experimental Farm. His inclusion in the hike suggests that it wasn’t limited to the scientific staff, but included those involved in the day-to-day work of the station. Mr. McKay spent the vast majority of his career as a foreman at the research station. He was well-known for his knowledge in farm practices, in particular the practices of handling sheep.

Marjorie Moore

Marjorie was the wife of P.H. Moore. As the director’s wife, she lived at the Experimental Farm in the director’s house and likely contributed to the work around the farm. She was not a wife who was willing to be left behind on this historic hike up Mount Cheam.

The Indigenous Guides Who Led the Way

George Pettis (1869-1940)

George Pettis was an Indigenous guide from North Bend and later Sq’éwqel which is a significant Indigenous settlement near Agassiz. He married Sarah Youla and had five children. Sarah was the daughter of Paul Youla, who was a well know Nlaka’pamux hunter, tracker, and survivor of the Fraser Canyon War.

George Hope

George Hope was another Indigenous guide from Yale and later a resident of Sq’éwqel where he settled in 1903. He was married and had one son.

Martin Harris

Martin Harris was originally from Cheam and later Sq’éwqel. He was married with two children. As a member of the Cheam band, Harris would have had extensive knowledge of the land and played a key role in the success of the hike.=

Sq’éwqel and a Changing Fraser Valley

Although Indigenous communities had long lived along the Fraser River, in 1879 Sq’éwqel was designated by colonial authorities as a reserve for several Indigenous groups already living in and connected to the Fraser Valley, including those of the guides. The fertile land soon became a point of pressure, as settlers sought access and governments debated control and boundaries. By 1913, Indigenous families were facing ongoing struggles to maintain their land rights, making this conflict part of everyday life during a period of rapid change.

What the Mount Cheam Hike Looked Like in 1914

At the time of this hike, Mount Cheam was not yet a marked hiking trail, and those making the climb relied entirely on Indigenous guides to navigate the terrain.

Setting Up Camp on Mount Cheam

Breaktime During the Hike

Cooldown Time in the Snow on Mount Cheam

The Peak of Mount Cheam

Key Details from the Original Account

Hikers

• George Pettis
• George Hope
• Martin Harris
• Marjorie Moore
• Mrs. Treherne
• R.C. Treherne
• P.H. Moore
• Alexander McKay
• Wade
• One dog

Route Taken

The hikers set out from the Agassiz Research Station, making their way toward Mount Cheam along unmarked routes that relied on local knowledge and experience.

Conditions

Taking place in mid-August, the hike was marked by intense heat, with the group noting the physical strain it added to the climb.

Editorial Note: Use of Archival Documents

This post includes photographs and handwritten documents transcribed verbatim from original manuscripts held at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives. All spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice have been preserved as they remain in the original documents. All wording of the manuscript is that of the original author and not of BC History Diary. Editorial introductions and historical context have been added to assist modern readers and to situate the documents within the broader social and historical landscape of nineteenth-century British Columbia. While the story of the climb gives us context, the original words bring it to life.

Full Transcript of the Mount Cheam Hike Account

Agassiz, B.C.
Aug.13 /14.

Wednesday Eve
A few friends being gathered together to discuss the pros & cons of a climb up Mt. Cheam. I am afraid it was mostly cons, however, we all parted with the final intention of leaving Thursday night. The friends mentioned were Dr. Hadwell, Miss. Nan Douglas, Mr. & Mrs. P.H. Moore and Mr. & Mrs. R.C. Treherne.

On Thursday morning, in fact all day, the excitement ran high and the chief question amongst the ladies was what to wear. Skirts were out of the question. This part of the program being decided on, the next was what grub to take, the quantities and the next question was about the Indians. Having secured three good ones (Geo Pettis who is the best trapper around here, Geo Hope a big jolly fell & also good guide, and Martin Harris, a very silent fellow) and a start was to be made the next morning (Friday).

Friday morning came and Mr. McKay drove Phyllis & Curley drove Flora in the democrat & we all packed in baggage & all & left home at 7:30 am. Dr. Hadwell received a telegram calling him to Duncan’s so he couldn’t go & so Wade came in his place.

It was a lovely morning & we were all in good cheer. The Indians had managed to secure the Chief’s canoe so we all packed in sitting on willow bows as the canoe had a slight leak. We all enjoyed the trip across the river. It was pretty warm weather.

Quick arrival on the other side. The Indians made up the packs & we made a brilliant start, all feeling fit as fiddles. We passed through Popcum village which is deserted & hit for the trail along the rocky bed of the river & up the mountain. I hope I never feel as —– again as I feel there. Tre kept encouraging us with what afterwards became quite a saying “It’s only about fifty yards more or less” until we reach the falls where there was a lovely breeze & we all had lunch & started bravely up the hill again.

The Indians changed their boots for moccasins. We all wore our spiked shoes. It was about day and we all felt the heat very much but we rested very many times & looked up and up & still on we clambered. We had stopped & had a drink of lovely cool water from a spring at what is known as D—- Camp. After resting about an hour we picked up our packs and off again.

It is beyond me to describe the trees, the silence of the woods, the flowers, although there was mostly berries down here, salmon berries, thimble berries etc. We reached “Half Way Camp” in the gorge by 6:30 pm.

The girls hustled getting dinner ready while the men got boughs & ready for beds. Fortunately for us Martin’s bed cached a piece of canvas and we girls slept under it at least nan watched the beams cooking & kept the fire going. Martin took a bath in the cold stream and said it was fine. Lots of lovely flowers around the stream & everywhere.

Saturday morning we were up at 5 am. Had breakfast and broke camps for the Ridge at 6:55. Reached the top of the Ridge at 7:50 am. After the devils own climb as Percy says, hoofed for a while there as I never expected to see such another sight in my life as we saw there. Mount Baker seemed so near and the valley below so green, clouds below the ridge of mountains far away & we regretted not being able to see Agassiz Valley but the smoke from forest fires spoiled this. We could have spent a week up here & then not seen half of all the beauties.

Came down the ridge to P—- Camp in the Valley behind Mt. Cheam peak, which I consider is the most perfect place on earth & cannot describe it. We christened it Whistler Valley on account of so many ground hogs whistling. It fascinated me & I won’t ever forget it.

After lunch had a rest and started on the real climb to the Peak, up a stream as steep as possible. It was a hot climb up over the rocks, but we found a pile of snow at the top, which is the head of Chilliwack River. We snow balled for a while & had a cup of tea before reaching the peak. Lots of white and purple heather all over the hills.

Mount Cheam Today

Today Mount Cheam is a popular hike, but now there are marked trails, a logged hillside, and even a gravel road at the base.

Check out Recreation Sites and TrailsBC for more information if you are planning your own hike.

Why This Story Matters

More than a century later, Mount Cheam is known as one of the most popular hikes in the Fraser Valley. Thousands of people make the hike each year, following a route that is now has clearly marked and mapped trails, and is widely shared. But this 1914 account reminds us that the experience of climbing Mount Cheam was once very different.

This climb brought together two very different ways of understanding of the land. For the scientists from the Agassiz Research station, it was an opportunity to observe, document, and experience the landscape beyond their farm. For George Pettis, George Hope, and Martin Harris, this was not new terrain, but a landscape shaped by generations of travel, knowledge and connection. Their names appear only briefly in the written account, but their roles were essential. Without their guidance, this journey would not have been possible.

What makes this story so engaging is not just the climb itself, but what it represents. A moment where scientific curiosity and Indigenous knowledge intersected on a hike up Mount Cheam, leaving behind a record that still allows us to retrace their steps today. This record and the photographs are preserved in the archive at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum, where this story continues to be cared for and shared.

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