Yes, it is spelled the American way rather than Canadian.
The Gray Creek Pass is the third highest mountain pass in Canada, at some 2200 metres. It connects Kimberley and Gray Creek via the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, and after much planning, has become part of the Trans Canada Trail. It became infamous when a German Travel publication described it in an article about British Columbia, and a number of tourists tried to drive across in their rented motorhomes. Although a high clearance vehicle is recommended for travelling the pass, with care most passenger vehicles could easily find their way around the potholes on the road.
The day we chose was a drizzly day, so instead of a top-down trip in the jeep, the windshield wipers were kept busy, and we had fewer side trips that might have otherwise been the case. It also meant we took fewer photos, so please take advantage of the photos of trips of others in the links. Due to a number of circumstances, we approached the pass from the east, completing a loop through Cranbrook, and Kimberley and returning by Highway 3A on the east shore of Kootenay Lake.
The paved St. Mary Lake road rises gently from Marysville, on the east side of the pass. This route passes the Kimberley Municipal Campground, a number of cattle ranches and St Mary Lake itself, before entering logging territory. Shortly past St. Mary Lake, a sign reminds users that the road to the pass takes a left turn onto Redding Creek Forest Service Road, where the gentle climb continues, finally winding through three switchbacks before cresting the pass itself. Once over the pass, the descent to Gray Creek is very rapid, descending through 15 switchbacks in the 15 km to Kootenay Lake.
We met few other travellers this day, but there is lots of evidence of other road users, including a few campsites, great fishing spots, numerous Quad trails, and some hiking trails. There are great opportunities to climb to alpine along this route, and another time, I'd like to get a few folks together to try the old power line route originally built by Cominco to feed the Sullivan mine at Kimberley, but that's another day.