Today was the day for chores and shopping. We had a great buffet breakfast at the hotel and then went to the basement of the Cascade Mall to do our laundry. While we waited, we searched for a light weight massage tool to take with us on trail and foot care supplies for Oliver. We also grabbed a knee support sleeve at the pharmacy for me to try. I was willing to try anything to get through those downhills.

After flipping our laundry into the dryer, we searched for a game we could play when stuck inside our tent during the rain. We found cloth 3 in 1 game set for checkers and chess that we felt wouldn’t add too much weight.

As we had extended our reservation at the hotel, we had to switch rooms. We moved our packs to a storage room and were passing the time while we waited for our new room to be ready. For lunch we went to a Thai Restaurant where I got a stir fry, I had been desperate for vegetables all morning and the stir fry hit the spot. We then stopped at Cows for ice cream and stopped by the Visitor’s Centre in search of activities we could do that wouldn’t involve a lot of walking. We were looking to rest our bodies.

Out of luck, we went back to the hotel and drank coffee and tea at the lobby café until our room was ready. It had felt like a long day even though we were “resting”. Our muscles were tired and we still had a few more trail days ahead of us.

With our packs in our new room, we set off for Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner where I was thankful they seated us at a bar height table so I could dangle my feet from the stool. Now all that was left for the night was repacking our bags, thinking through what we would need in the morning and what needed to be accessible once back on the trail. Finally, it was time for bed to have another good rest.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead

It was another cold night and everything felt damp in the tent from the dew and condensation. I was half asleep when Oliver smacked the side of the tent to scare away a mouse sitting on top of his backpack in the vestibule. With both of us now awake, we got up at 6:30am to frost on the ground and frozen water filters. We were glad we had filtered our water the day before.

We stepped off at 7:30am and the fireweed was still frozen, saving us from getting soaked feet first thing in the morning. The climb out of Porcupine was challenging and slow. It took about an hour to reach the Citadel Pass junction and there was still more climbing to reach Citadel Pass. We still never saw any bears and continued to make noise to keep them away.

It took a long day to reach the Howard Douglas campground where we stopped for lunch. The outhouse was filled with mouse droppings but someone had created a lock with a stick, so there was that going for it.

Next was the climb up Quartz Hill and it was one of the steepest climbs up the shortest distance. We also heard something thumping around in the bushes across from us and pulled out our bear spray. The noise went away and we assumed we must have started a deer or some other animal that took off, but it got our hearts racing.

When we reached Sunshine Meadows we were excited to see some flat trail ahead but there was still some uphill in our future. When we reached the ski lifts, there were benches to sit on. Of course, we sat. Sadly, the Gondolas weren’t running at Sunshine Village, which is the usual mode of transportation when heading into town for resupply, so we had a road walk ahead of us. My knee wasn’t feeling great coming out of the meadows and definitely flared up on the long winding road. It was also a hot day and we were feeling the heat.

Maintenance vehicles from Sunshine Village and Parks Canada were driving the road, kicking up dust in our faces. Due to insurance issues, they weren’t allowed to give us a ride to the bottom of the mountain. One truck stopped and offered to take our packs and leave them at the building at the bottom and gave us directions to a shaded ski trail that we could take to get us out of the sun. We were appreciative and took them up on their offer.

We eventually got to the bottom, found our bags, and rested before walking up to the parking lot to wait for our trail angel who agreed to bring us in to Banff. We stayed at the Banff Aspen Lodge and decided to take a zero the next day, which allowed us to coordinate with our trail angel for a ride to the Floe Lake trailhead. It did mean shaving off a bit of the trail, but there was a closure at Egypt Lake campground because of bear activity and we would have needed to walk back up the ski hill road to get back on trail and we weren’t excited by that idea.

Once at the hotel we quickly realized we never packed town clothes, so we went to the thrift store and found some clothes to get by while we did our laundry. I spent a long time in the shower taking off layer after layer of dirt as the heat soothed my aching muscles. We also stopped at an Indian Restaurant where I experienced hiker hunger for the first time. I believe I entertained the folks sitting nearby as I practically inhaled a shareable portion of coconut rice and butter chicken. All I can say is, it felt so nice to be in a nice soft bed for the first time in six days and I knew it was only temporary.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 7 – Banff (Zero Day)
GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead

It was a cold night and I shivered whenever I woke up. I did manage to stay warm if I snuggled up against Oliver to steal some of his body heat and then didn’t move. I also found it helpful to pull my buff over my lips to keep my face warm. I certainly found it difficult to sleep while cold.

We got out of Magog around 8:45am, but not before we had an amazing view of Mt Assiniboine during breakfast. I can understand why people, like the couple we hiked with the day before, made this location their destination and didn’t continue on down the trail. There are many day hikes to do in the area so may people either hike in or take a helicopter Magog Lake and spend a couple of days there.

Being a chilly morning, we kept extra layers on at the start of our hike. The sky was clear, giving us great views of Mt Assiniboine, but it was cold.

The hike started across several meadows. We were told the grizzly had been seen in that area as well at to keep a watchful eye out for the bear as we passed through. Of course, we didn’t see anything. We were far too noisy, and that was intentional. A close encounter with a grizzly was not on our wish list.

The terrain became a little more rocky as we arrived at Og Lake, which was another stunning spot. It was the only outhouse, besides Magog Lake, that was supplied with toilet paper. It also had a latch on the inside. Probably my favourite outhouse on the trip, if I was ranking them.

The lake was small but beautiful, with a great view of Mt Assiniboine. It was also sunny and anyone camped there had dry gear to pack away – unlike us. We snacked and filled our water bottles before carrying on toward Porcupine.

On our way, we passed through the Valley of the Rocks and it was evident how it got its name. It was full of interesting rock formations and many up and down hills. The valley went on for some time with uneven ground and was a fascinating area to hike through.

The descents irritated my left knee again. Whenever I could do a run/hop/bounce down the hill there was less irritation, but because I wasn’t sure of my footing under the weight of the pack, I was always resisting on the downhills. Plus, whenever I would get confident, I was sure to find that one loose rock that rolled under me to knock me off balance again.

There were more climbs this day that I had understood there would be, but it was the downhill into Porcupine that was the worst. It was a long descent into Porcupine. We met groups going up around 11:30am and 1:30pm and they had a long walk ahead of them to get to Magog Lake.

We got into Porcupine around 3:30pm and could pick whatever site we wanted as the campground was empty when we arrived. A bear locker was full of garbage and stored supplies for someone who had labeled the bag for pick up on Jan/Feb 2021. It was now August.

We filled our water bottles at a nearby creek and basked in the sun before the clouds rolled in. There was a muddy creek behind the campsites but down the path there was a lovely little spot, with a bench, where one could relax and fill up without any mud.

Once again we were at a site with an outhouse without toilet paper and we were running low. Luckily, another couple arrived at the campground. They had discovered they hadn’t brought any toothpaste. Since Oliver and I had our own mini tubes, we did a little trade and found ourselves with enough toilet paper to get us through to when we got to town.

After dinner we climbed into bed and tried to get as much sleep as we could knowing we faced a long climb out of Porcupine the next morning.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 6 – Porcupine to Sunshine Village
GDT C – Day 7 – Banff (Zero Day)
GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead

It was a later start to the day as the couple got ready and packed up. We all had to put wet gear away and they needed to figure out what to do with all their canned food and garbage.

The start of the trail was generally easy with wide trails even though it was steep. Then it turned into a “proper” trail with rocky, uneven paths. We found grouse family along the way, which upset the mother who wanted to distract us from her little ones. We also startled a moose, which was far enough away and it ran into a lake to swim across to the other side. We had made enough noise to give it enough warning to make a departure from the area.

The climb became more challenging, but the trail brought us to some amazing snow-capped mountains and turquoise lakes. As we climbed, there was snow on the ground which was deeper as we reached the top of Wonder Pass. The Pass was spectacular and it was hard to believe I was standing on a trail, surrounded by snow. It is a indescribable feeling to stand on top of a mountain pass looking back at the ground you had covered, wondering how you managed to find yourself there.

There was no sign of Bruce the grizzly, even though people we passed had reported seeing him on the trail not long before we crossed through. There were plenty of signs of Bruce, with scat on the trail and plenty of mounds where he had dug up ground squirrels.

The path ended with a stretch of boardwalks leading to Mt Assiniboine Lodge. We had made it in time for Happy Hour at 4pm which campers and hikers could enjoy. We were 20 minutes early, so we sat around at the lodge and imagined what the view of Mt Assiniboine would have looked like if it wasn’t hidden behind the snow clouds. It was actively snowing and when Happy Hour started, we sat with tea and wine while we rested our tired feet

Magog Lake was busy. Many of the bear lockers were already full when we arrived, but there was room on the bear hang. This was the first campground that required campers to set up on the tent pads. Campsite 39 was close to the washrooms, and was in a corner away from the noise of the rest of the campers.

The night, I froze and put on as many layers as I could and stole Oliver’s quilt while he was at the cooking shelter playing board games with other hikers. Sadly, he took his quilt back when he returned to the tent.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 5 – Magog Lake to Porcupine
GDT C – Day 6 – Porcupine to Sunshine Village
GDT C – Day 7 – Banff (Zero Day)
GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead

We got up around 7am or so and had our site packed up by 8:30am. It was raining while we were packing, which made it difficult to keep things dry. We said our goodbyes to the Quebecers and got water near the bridge crossing before the campground and set out.

Not too long into the hike, my shoulders were in pain again and were excruciating by the time we reached Birdwood. It was the first time that I was worried about being able to finish the hike as I couldn’t picture being able to endure that much pain for several more days. We spent a significant amount of time adjusting my pack and I took some Ibuprofen. The time spent making the adjustments was a good investment as it worked and I was much happier.

Our feet were very wet today. Both pairs of socks were damp so we chose the least damp pair to start off our day. They were quickly soaked in the rain and the water from the damp brush. Oliver changed his socks part way through the day, but I kept mine on as my spare were too damp for it to have mattered.

The trail was pretty flat with some short climbs, but nothing that would have drained my energy. We sang songs as we passed through meadows and walked through the denser forest to alert any bears of our presence. There were no creek crossings that needed to be forded today and any water in our path we could easily jump over or it had a bridge.

There were more signs of moose, but saw no wildlife. Outside of Birdwood, was an unoccupied ranger cabin with a Canadian flag blowing on the flagpole. It was shuttered, but clearly well maintained.

As we walked, we sent a message on our Garmin to family to ask for help to make a reservation at Big Springs as we were ahead of schedule and would need a permit to stay at the campground. Luckily, they were able to secure a site for us and we were all set for our arrival later that day.

It rained off and on keeping us slightly damp. When we reached the Spray Lakes area, the trail changed to wide and graveled paths, with the odd trail cam strapped to the trees. This was when we started to see people and those we talked to were coming from Mt. Assiniboine. We were cautioned about “Bruce” the 3 year old resident grizzly in Wonder Pass that liked to hang out beside the trails. They told us he was used to people, but you needed to navigate around him as he dug up nearby ground squirrels.

With permits to Big Springs in place, we got campsite 5 (the best one, in my opinion) and started to dry everything out after our arrival around 2:30pm. It was time for a nice, restful afternoon. Camping spots were spacious and we were right next to a creek. Food lockers were all the way down the hill and not a climb you want to make often with sore muscles. With the afternoon to do whatever we wanted, we took a short walk to the spring that fed the creek, which proved to be a little challenging in crocs, which I had changed into at the campsite.

We had dinner with a couple were on their way to Mt. Assiniboine and we decided to hike together tomorrow to increase our hiking party to four for when we ran into Bruce the grizzly. The rain hit and we all retreated to our tents by 7pm.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 4 – Big Springs to Magog Lake
GDT C – Day 5 – Magog Lake to Porcupine
GDT C – Day 6 – Porcupine to Sunshine Village
GDT C – Day 7 – Banff (Zero Day)
GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead

We packed up camp by 8am to start our hike Sleep was alright and we found the sound of commercial jets flying overhead to be somewhat comforting knowing there were people “nearby”.

There was a slight climb out of Beatty before beginning a descent on a rocky avalanche slope onto scree. The screen slope kept going for what ended up taking us about 45 mins to 1 hour, taking a big bite of our time. My knee felt better on this descent compared to the day before. I did take a tumble on the scree, but only landed on my backside, which is better than tumbling down the slope.

There were many ups and downs heading into Palliser Pass. I needed to stop every few feet. My left shoulder was hurting under my pack strap and I was exhausted from the ascent. There may have been tears, mostly trigged by the pain from the pack needing to be adjusted. We had to push through so much overgrown plants that our pants, shoes, and socks were soaked. Even though we had wet feet, we still made the switch to our water shoes (Crocs for me) for our first river crossing. Lee Roy creek was my first river/creek ford. The water was freezing and my feet were much happier when I stepped onto the shore on the opposite side.

We climbed for a while and thought we had reached the top of Palliser Pass, but we hadn’t. There were more climbs to go. On our travel up the switchbacks, we met a group of four from Montreal who going in the same direction, but had taken a different route and didn’t stay at Beatty Lake.

When we reached Palliser Pass Campground, there were no bear lockers and there was evidence that there had been a bear digging not too far away, with a large patch of dug up soil. We chose to keep going.

It was raining at the top of the Pass where we found the four from Quebec eating their dinner at the Pass marker. We continued on past wild flowers and scenic mountains. There were shrubs and berries along the way, making us feel better that the bears in this area were already full with the berries they found.

Around this time, we encountered some ultra trail runners who intended to complete 100km that day. They were running 50km into the park and would then turn around and run 50km back to their car, which they wouldn’t reach until sometime later that night. We thought they were brave as we had run across a lot of bear scat during our hike and wouldn’t want to be the one to surprise a bear while running down a trail.

The walk to Burstall Campground felt long, but we were the first to arrive and could pick from any of the sites. We chose campsite 2. There were bear lockers and an outhouse covered in chicken wire to keep the critters away. The four from Quebec arrived a few minutes after we had begun setting up our site and Oliver helped one of them patch up their backpack with some duct tape we had wrapped around our trekking poles incase we needed it. The poor guy’s pack had developed a tear and the contents were at risk of spilling out onto the trail.

We had dinner and were in bed by 9pm.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 3 – Burstall to Big Springs
GDT C – Day 4 – Big Springs to Magog Lake
GDT C – Day 5 – Magog Lake to Porcupine
GDT C – Day 6 – Porcupine to Sunshine Village
GDT C – Day 7 – Banff (Zero Day)
GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead

The day before, we drove down to Lake Louise, Alberta and stayed in a nice hotel in the town. We had a great dinner and filled up for breakfast before driving down to Ottertail Trailhead in Field, British Columbia. I wrote a quick little note for the dashboard of our car to notify Parks staff that we were on Section C and we switched to our trail shoes as we waited for our trail angel to arrive and give us a lift to our starting point. We were among the first to park in the parking lot that morning, so we found a spot right by the trail information sign.

I was in great spirits this morning and full of excitement over starting my first section hike. We had been preparing for it, although for only a month or so after my husband found himself without a hiking partner and I stepped up to fill the vacancy. We had been reviewing the map of the route, which appeared to be a reasonable distance, but once we got in the car and we kept driving further and further down the highway and past Canmore, Alberta, I finally understood what I had truly signed up for. I thought for sure we were going to turn off of the highway sooner, but we didn’t, until we were well out of Canmore and finally reached the turn toward Kananaskis Lake.

After saying our goodbyes to our trail angel and freshening up at the parking lot restrooms, we started at Kananaskis Lake Trail at 11am. We strolled along the side of the lake for a short distance and then stepped into the trees, passing by a few small slides with crushed rock paths. The walk to Forks campground was quite easy and gave my legs a warm up. There was some elevation gain, but it was manageable. It was raining when we got there and stood under a tree while we ate our lunch.

As we exited Forks, we encountered our first pile of moose droppings. A lot of droppings and rather fresh. We agreed that neither were concerned about encountering black bears on the trail, but grizzlies and moose were entirely different beasts. Both of us had bear spray for grizzlies but had nothing to defend ourselves against a stupid moose that might charge at us if we spooked it.

After Forks, the trail began to climb almost immediately, taking a bit of effort to get up the slope. In increased in difficultly, requiring us to pull ourselves up at times and to use stairs with a chain to get up. Just as we were reaching the stairs, we heard some noise in the trees and below us and saw a moose with her calf. Luckily, we were far enough away that we didn’t spook her.

We finally made it to Three Isle Lakes where there was sunshine and we sat on the shore where we filled our water bottles and rested. There was another climb out of Three Isle, but not as bad as the route to get there.

There was off and on rain throughout the remainder of the day. My knee started to ache on the descent out of Three Isle, which I had never experienced before and I took my first tumble just before we reached Beatty Lake around 6pm. The campground was empty and we enjoyed a nice meal and got our tent set up before the rain hit around 7pm. There were was a bear locker with four cupboards and an outhouse with a door that had been chewed up by some critters. We got the best spot campsite, #1, right at the shore of the lake. It was a great start to our trip. Now I just had to adjust to the idea of being in grizzly bear country, get used to the sounds of the forest, and try to get some sleep.

Read more:

GDT C – Day 2 – Beatty Lake to Burstall
GDT C – Day 3 – Burstall to Big Springs
GDT C – Day 4 – Big Springs to Magog Lake
GDT C – Day 5 – Magog Lake to Porcupine
GDT C – Day 6 – Porcupine to Sunshine Village
GDT C – Day 7 – Banff (Zero Day)
GDT C – Day 8 – Banff (Floe Lake Trailhead) to Floe Lake
GDT C – Day 9 – Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek
GDT C – Day 10 – Tumbling Creek to McArthur Creek
GDT C – Day 11 – McArthur Creek to Ottertail Trailhead