Mt. Assiniboine 4 - Wonder pass and Bryant Creek

We returned to the huts after our hike up Nub Peak. After making some stew, we went to the Mt. Assiniboine Lodge for their afternoon tea. They offer cake and lemonade every day from 4 - 5pm for anyone camping in the area. We all got a serving of peach cobbler and had a few glasses of lemonade then made our way back to our hut to pack up our things.

Since we didn't want to hike 25km the next day to Mt. Shark, where Damyn's car was parked we decided to head out that day and stay the night at a shelter near Bryant Creek. We left through Wonder pass, and then hiked along the edge of Marvel Lake to the shelter. As you can see above we got some amazing pictures at sunset by Bryant Creek. We were also lucky to find the shelter empty, you can see a picture of me in front of the stove as we were making some dinner.

We also had an encounter with a grizzly sow and her two cubs. There was no confrontation but we were about 20m away and we left the area pretty quickly once we spotted them.

The hike was an amazing experience and it was made even better because of the friends I experienced it with. Thanks to Damyn, Franny and Simon!

Mt. Assiniboine 3 - Nub Peak and Lake Magog

Hello to everyone!

I'll pick up where I left off last post, starting from Og Lake. We made our way to the Naiset Huts, cabins near Mt. Assiniboine, where we stayed on Tuesday night. It was only about 6km from Og lake to the huts and we made good time. The huts have room for 6 people, there are two single bunks and two double bunks. Each hut also has a wood stove and there is a cook shelter with propane stoves that is free to use for everyone.

I was amazed at the number of people staying at both the Mt. Assiniboine Lodge and at the huts. We had met very few other hikers on the trail but the huts and lodge were both full. I was also surprised by the amount of cooking supplies/utensils people had brought with them. We had one pot and had packed mostly rice, whole grain pasta and oats. I found out later that many people helicopter in to the lodge or have supplies 'coptered in to save some weight in their packs.

On Wednesday we hiked up to Nub Peak which offered an amazing panoramic view of the entire Mt. Assiniboine area. Mt. Assiniboine itself is very similar to the Matterhorn in the Alps and has a very distinct pyramid shape as you can see in the photos. The lakes in the photos are Magog, Elizabeth, Cerulean and Sunburst.

Mt. Assiniboine 2 - Quartz Ridge, Valley of the Rocks and Og Lake

After spending the night at Howard Douglas Lake on Monday, we made our way over Citadel pass and along Quartz Ridge into the Valley of the Rocks.

From the Valley of the Rocks we stopped for lunch at Og lake. We heated up some beans on our camp stove and drank some glacier water from the lake. It doesn't sound like much but it was one of the most enjoyable meals I've had all summer. Beautiful scenery, clean water, good food and good friends.

Mt. Assiniboine 1 - Sunshine Valley and Citadel Pass

I've just returned from a very beautiful 4 day backpacking trip to Mt. Assiniboine with 3 friends from the Springs, Franny, Damyn and Simon.

If anyone is interested in backpacking in the Rockies this hike is a very good option. We hiked from Sunshine Village through Citadel pass to Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park in BC. From there we hiked out through Wonder pass to Mt. Shark, near Canmore. You can do the same route in the opposite direction but it is much tougher with much more elevation gain. The hardest part of the hike by far was through the Valley of the Rocks just below Quartz Ridge. There was no water to be found and it was also very hot and humid. If anyone has questions about the trip in general, comment or email me directly. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures!

Helen Lake 3

Helen Lake 2

Helen Lake 1

I hiked to Helen Lake yesterday with two friends, Damyn and Franny. The very blue lake pictured is Hector Lake and the other is Helen Lake. It was a very beautiful hike that winds it's way through a valley and then follows a ridge above Helen Lake, which makes for some amazing views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. You can also see part of the Crowfoot Glacier in the picture that includes Hector Lake. More pics to come!

Stanley Glacier

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the long layoff, I've been lazy and recently had a small bike accident. The pictures posted are from a while ago on a hike to Stanley Glacier in Kootenay National Park, BC.