Canadian Road Trip
Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 2:24 pm
It is amazing that Hobbes, Daisy, and I all vacationed in many of the same places with Hobbes leading the way, with Daisy a week later and Kathy and I starting out just as Daisy was completing her Canadian sojourn. Hobbes intro to the area is really nice.
Our trip first included stops in Boise and then Redfish Lake in Idaho. From all the smoke map projections it looked like these first few days would be smoke free.
They were!
The skies remained clear as we traveled along the Salmon River and up to the pass that led to Montana. Across the pass the smoke clouded the sky but before we arrived in Missoula the clouds above the smoke unleashed a rain that cleared the air. This was the storm that broke the back of the Washington, Idaho, and Montana Fires. All the Missoulans could talk about was how nice it was to be smoke free for the first time in weeks. This storm also initiated 11 straight days of rain and snow on our journey broken up by just a few sun breaks. Our first stop in Canada was at the border where the staff took about 10 minutes to determine a knife I had on board was legal. We finally parked our trailer in the Marble Canyon Campground. This campground was the highest campground in the park and we wanted to stay as high as possible to allow Kathy to acclimatize for an upcoming hike. The rain continued all night but we remained comfortable in our queen size bed--the best part of pulling a trailer is a consistent sleep setting. We did our best to avoid main thuroughfares on this trip so rather than taking Highway 1 to lake louise we took the Bow Valley Parkway. This route provided us with a bit of sunshine and views of the Bow River and glimpses of the Rockies. The original plan for this trip was not to pull our new travel trailer--we didn't even order it before the trip was planned so the next night we stayed at a lodge reserved BT (before trailer) just a short walk from the gigantic Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise that was in one of Daisy's pics. Again the choice was to maximize our elevation prior to the adventure planned for the next 5 days. Just as Daisy we walked the n. shoreline, with the views somewhat blocked by storm clouds but sans smoke. The following day, Sept. 2, we parked trailer and vehicle at the TH parking area and waited for the van to shuttle 5 others and ourselves up to the Temple Lodge area of the Lake Louise Ski Area where we would begin our 7 mile hike into Skoki Lodge. As scheduled the van picked us up at 10 am. Of course when departing the van I was the last to start hiking. Kathy patiently waited for me. Within a 100 yards we passed the group of 4 other seniors. The 5th, a single lady, was not seen again until we arrived at the lodge. It was raining as we started and soon after passing the others kathy had to make an adjustment and I not so patiently waited for her. Soon the rain was mixed with snow then it was 100% snow, then the snow began to stick on the ground. When the snow was about 1/2" deep we arrived at a bridge with a steep approach made of 2x6s. We stepped on the boards and slipped down. Finally I was able to get to the flat part by edging up crack by crack between the boards and exerting a lot of force on my hiking poles. Kathy had a harder time given her soft flexible walking shoes and as soon as she got within reach I drug her up the last few feet. I think we both sat on our butts and slid down the other side. The ground was totally white by the time we got to the Halfway Hut which, in fact, is only 1/3 of the way to the lodge. Heading into the Hut for the opportunity to drink some water and eat a little in a dry environment we were greeted with 13 girl guides (sort of Canadian Girl Scouts) and their leader. While camped at a nearby lake the previous night their tents collapsed under the weight of the wet snow so they had retreated to the Hut with sleeping bags, food, and a cookstove, with plans to retrieve the tents later in the day and then spend the night in the Hut where overnight stays were not permitted. While at the Hut the other group of seniors passed us up as we were quite entertained by the girls and their predicament. Finally we trudged off into the snowstorm and began meeting the 8 people exiting the lodge to make room for the newcomers (one person scheduled to arrive did not make it to the check in point and never did arrive). After achieving Boulder Pass (named apparently for the truck size blocks of rock littering the saddle we skirted past Ptarmigan Lake always wary (as we had been the whole trip) of encountering mr or ms griz, and armed with our trusty 11 oz. canisters of bear spray. Sad to say we did not encounter such a beast on our entire trip, but I am not ashamed to admit that on our entire Canadian trip I cut many nitetime trips to the outhouse/bathroom short rather than venture too far into the dark where what known and unknown dangers lurked in the Canadian woods. I guess I was just marking my territory! I digress! Soon we passed the other group of seniors and a 500 ft climb brought us to the top of Deception Pass, with 3" of snow on the ground and the cloulds miraculously opening up revealing a jaw dropping view of snow, rock, and water that even photos are inadequate to describe. Part of the wonder of the view was the somber light of all the preceding day. Our lightened mood was not dimmed at all by the sloshing thru the muddy trail down to the lodge, made muddier by the pack train heading to the lodge to provide provisions for 23 guests and 4 staff members. It is really hard to make much time when scene after scene of winter wonderland greets you at every step. Though a cool 45 degrees when we arrived at the lodge the air was calm and guests were sitting on the porches sipping wine. I soon joined them but instead found the lodge had a satisfactory Brown Ale for sale that I consumed with some of the goodies provided for afternoon "tea." The young woman that left us in the dust (mud?) was relaxing on a raised platform (there were 3 such places in the lodge about the size of single bed, the two by the front windows were prized locations for reading and sipping tea) reading when we arrived. Then I noticed she was not quite as young as I had first thought, but it turned out as Kathy and I got to know Deb, she was a youthful 62, much younger than us, yes, but not young.
The food at the Lodge was 4 star, and given the subsequent weather and the comfort of the lodge I'm sure Kathy and I gained weight during our stay. During dinner that night Deb, Kathy, and I decided to hike up to Merlin Lake the next day after breakfast.
This hike began thru forest then across steep slopes of scree and talus and finally winding its way up thru a steep chute involving mounting 3 ft. high ledges. If I had taken Kathy on this route as an off trail hike she would have bitched mightily but since it was a trail she took it in stride. Go figure! Merlin lake was kind of a disappointment. it was one of several lakes I encountered this summer with subterranean outlets so it appeared much like a high altidude reservoir in California with a huge bathtub ring around it. The outlet stream emerged from the metamorphic rock dam over 100 ft. below the top. As soon as we could see the lake snowflakes began to fall and the warmth of the lodge beckoned us. So about face, down the chimney and across the talus and scree. Even with a good trail this was a little nerve wracking as small rockfalls intermittently tumbled down from above. Probably why the vertical cliff above us was called Wall of Jericho. (which by the way I never connected til writing this. Fast study I am not!) Tea was laid out on our arrival and a warm tea actually was my beverage of choice! I found an old book in the library which was a compilation of a column written for the Banff news paper between the 60s and late 80s by a local writer. It was a great chronicle of the history of Banff/Lake Louise area and the loss of community that came with growth and development.
The next two days continued the "typical" Canadian summer--snow! Those Canadians sure have a queer concept of summer. There was no way I would have backpacked into the Canadian wilderness with all the weather that was predicted without the lodge as a destination. The hearty Canadians had no qualms about doing so and there was a constant stream of backpackers hiking past the lodge, some paying the $10 to access the public tea time and enjoy the warmth and dryness of the lodge before moving on to the campground a mile away. I will have to give some of them some credit for good sense both for the high quality rain gear and the and the frequent decision to cut their trip short. By the way the hike in is 2 miles longer and involves 1000 ft. more vertical for those not staying at the lodge.
Except for one short hike on day 3 the remainder of days 3 and 4 were pretty much snuggling up with a book and the lodge dog Lucy who loved lie beneath the window as you read your book and sip a warm tea. . On the 4th day, in dire need of some exercise, I helped split wood for an hour or so. As a result the staff gave me a beer (which they sold for $7 a can). While I often work for nothing lately I can't remember the last time I worked for $7/hr. (hmm as an afterthought probably as a ski patroller at Mt. Bachelor)
Starting out from the lodge the trail was 3" under the snow and sometimes under 3 inches of slush under 3" of snow. But it was, none the less, a beautiful hike out. . Again the sky opened up as we topped Deception Pass, this time only briefly before the intermittent snow, then rain fell on the remainder of our hike out. We continued to meet real backpackers all the way out and the couple who was replacing us at the lodge. But those Canadians--truly hearty people hiking into the wilderness in a snowstorm knowing the weather was supposed to continue. Still amazed at that.
There is no way I can claim this was backpacking but being secure from griz at night, not having to set up camp, cook or wash dishes, and having access to cold beer was pretty sweet. Given the nasty weather the lodge made things even nicer by being inside and viewing the snowfall in warmth!
to be continued
Mike
Our trip first included stops in Boise and then Redfish Lake in Idaho. From all the smoke map projections it looked like these first few days would be smoke free.
They were!
The skies remained clear as we traveled along the Salmon River and up to the pass that led to Montana. Across the pass the smoke clouded the sky but before we arrived in Missoula the clouds above the smoke unleashed a rain that cleared the air. This was the storm that broke the back of the Washington, Idaho, and Montana Fires. All the Missoulans could talk about was how nice it was to be smoke free for the first time in weeks. This storm also initiated 11 straight days of rain and snow on our journey broken up by just a few sun breaks. Our first stop in Canada was at the border where the staff took about 10 minutes to determine a knife I had on board was legal. We finally parked our trailer in the Marble Canyon Campground. This campground was the highest campground in the park and we wanted to stay as high as possible to allow Kathy to acclimatize for an upcoming hike. The rain continued all night but we remained comfortable in our queen size bed--the best part of pulling a trailer is a consistent sleep setting. We did our best to avoid main thuroughfares on this trip so rather than taking Highway 1 to lake louise we took the Bow Valley Parkway. This route provided us with a bit of sunshine and views of the Bow River and glimpses of the Rockies. The original plan for this trip was not to pull our new travel trailer--we didn't even order it before the trip was planned so the next night we stayed at a lodge reserved BT (before trailer) just a short walk from the gigantic Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise that was in one of Daisy's pics. Again the choice was to maximize our elevation prior to the adventure planned for the next 5 days. Just as Daisy we walked the n. shoreline, with the views somewhat blocked by storm clouds but sans smoke. The following day, Sept. 2, we parked trailer and vehicle at the TH parking area and waited for the van to shuttle 5 others and ourselves up to the Temple Lodge area of the Lake Louise Ski Area where we would begin our 7 mile hike into Skoki Lodge. As scheduled the van picked us up at 10 am. Of course when departing the van I was the last to start hiking. Kathy patiently waited for me. Within a 100 yards we passed the group of 4 other seniors. The 5th, a single lady, was not seen again until we arrived at the lodge. It was raining as we started and soon after passing the others kathy had to make an adjustment and I not so patiently waited for her. Soon the rain was mixed with snow then it was 100% snow, then the snow began to stick on the ground. When the snow was about 1/2" deep we arrived at a bridge with a steep approach made of 2x6s. We stepped on the boards and slipped down. Finally I was able to get to the flat part by edging up crack by crack between the boards and exerting a lot of force on my hiking poles. Kathy had a harder time given her soft flexible walking shoes and as soon as she got within reach I drug her up the last few feet. I think we both sat on our butts and slid down the other side. The ground was totally white by the time we got to the Halfway Hut which, in fact, is only 1/3 of the way to the lodge. Heading into the Hut for the opportunity to drink some water and eat a little in a dry environment we were greeted with 13 girl guides (sort of Canadian Girl Scouts) and their leader. While camped at a nearby lake the previous night their tents collapsed under the weight of the wet snow so they had retreated to the Hut with sleeping bags, food, and a cookstove, with plans to retrieve the tents later in the day and then spend the night in the Hut where overnight stays were not permitted. While at the Hut the other group of seniors passed us up as we were quite entertained by the girls and their predicament. Finally we trudged off into the snowstorm and began meeting the 8 people exiting the lodge to make room for the newcomers (one person scheduled to arrive did not make it to the check in point and never did arrive). After achieving Boulder Pass (named apparently for the truck size blocks of rock littering the saddle we skirted past Ptarmigan Lake always wary (as we had been the whole trip) of encountering mr or ms griz, and armed with our trusty 11 oz. canisters of bear spray. Sad to say we did not encounter such a beast on our entire trip, but I am not ashamed to admit that on our entire Canadian trip I cut many nitetime trips to the outhouse/bathroom short rather than venture too far into the dark where what known and unknown dangers lurked in the Canadian woods. I guess I was just marking my territory! I digress! Soon we passed the other group of seniors and a 500 ft climb brought us to the top of Deception Pass, with 3" of snow on the ground and the cloulds miraculously opening up revealing a jaw dropping view of snow, rock, and water that even photos are inadequate to describe. Part of the wonder of the view was the somber light of all the preceding day. Our lightened mood was not dimmed at all by the sloshing thru the muddy trail down to the lodge, made muddier by the pack train heading to the lodge to provide provisions for 23 guests and 4 staff members. It is really hard to make much time when scene after scene of winter wonderland greets you at every step. Though a cool 45 degrees when we arrived at the lodge the air was calm and guests were sitting on the porches sipping wine. I soon joined them but instead found the lodge had a satisfactory Brown Ale for sale that I consumed with some of the goodies provided for afternoon "tea." The young woman that left us in the dust (mud?) was relaxing on a raised platform (there were 3 such places in the lodge about the size of single bed, the two by the front windows were prized locations for reading and sipping tea) reading when we arrived. Then I noticed she was not quite as young as I had first thought, but it turned out as Kathy and I got to know Deb, she was a youthful 62, much younger than us, yes, but not young.
The food at the Lodge was 4 star, and given the subsequent weather and the comfort of the lodge I'm sure Kathy and I gained weight during our stay. During dinner that night Deb, Kathy, and I decided to hike up to Merlin Lake the next day after breakfast.
This hike began thru forest then across steep slopes of scree and talus and finally winding its way up thru a steep chute involving mounting 3 ft. high ledges. If I had taken Kathy on this route as an off trail hike she would have bitched mightily but since it was a trail she took it in stride. Go figure! Merlin lake was kind of a disappointment. it was one of several lakes I encountered this summer with subterranean outlets so it appeared much like a high altidude reservoir in California with a huge bathtub ring around it. The outlet stream emerged from the metamorphic rock dam over 100 ft. below the top. As soon as we could see the lake snowflakes began to fall and the warmth of the lodge beckoned us. So about face, down the chimney and across the talus and scree. Even with a good trail this was a little nerve wracking as small rockfalls intermittently tumbled down from above. Probably why the vertical cliff above us was called Wall of Jericho. (which by the way I never connected til writing this. Fast study I am not!) Tea was laid out on our arrival and a warm tea actually was my beverage of choice! I found an old book in the library which was a compilation of a column written for the Banff news paper between the 60s and late 80s by a local writer. It was a great chronicle of the history of Banff/Lake Louise area and the loss of community that came with growth and development.
The next two days continued the "typical" Canadian summer--snow! Those Canadians sure have a queer concept of summer. There was no way I would have backpacked into the Canadian wilderness with all the weather that was predicted without the lodge as a destination. The hearty Canadians had no qualms about doing so and there was a constant stream of backpackers hiking past the lodge, some paying the $10 to access the public tea time and enjoy the warmth and dryness of the lodge before moving on to the campground a mile away. I will have to give some of them some credit for good sense both for the high quality rain gear and the and the frequent decision to cut their trip short. By the way the hike in is 2 miles longer and involves 1000 ft. more vertical for those not staying at the lodge.
Except for one short hike on day 3 the remainder of days 3 and 4 were pretty much snuggling up with a book and the lodge dog Lucy who loved lie beneath the window as you read your book and sip a warm tea. . On the 4th day, in dire need of some exercise, I helped split wood for an hour or so. As a result the staff gave me a beer (which they sold for $7 a can). While I often work for nothing lately I can't remember the last time I worked for $7/hr. (hmm as an afterthought probably as a ski patroller at Mt. Bachelor)
Starting out from the lodge the trail was 3" under the snow and sometimes under 3 inches of slush under 3" of snow. But it was, none the less, a beautiful hike out. . Again the sky opened up as we topped Deception Pass, this time only briefly before the intermittent snow, then rain fell on the remainder of our hike out. We continued to meet real backpackers all the way out and the couple who was replacing us at the lodge. But those Canadians--truly hearty people hiking into the wilderness in a snowstorm knowing the weather was supposed to continue. Still amazed at that.
There is no way I can claim this was backpacking but being secure from griz at night, not having to set up camp, cook or wash dishes, and having access to cold beer was pretty sweet. Given the nasty weather the lodge made things even nicer by being inside and viewing the snowfall in warmth!
to be continued
Mike