Apr 29, 2018
No matter how much research I did about this trail, everything seemed to conflict. The overall distance ranges from 10-13km, elevation gain 500-665m, and the camp positions follow the same discrepancy. With that in mind, I am going to further contribute to the random amount of data being posted.
This is the data we followed:
8km to Camp 1
11km to Camp 2
13km one way to the lake
Note: Camp 1 no longer permits camping due to environmental damage inflicted.
From personal experience, this trail gets a difficult rating due to the sheer distance added to the additional rising and falling of the trail. Furthermore, the trail starts with a series of switchbacks for the first kilometer or so, which is promptly lost as the trail dips back down to follow the river. I did appreciate how the surrounding terrain changed during the hike, and little creeks crossed the path quite often. However, this trail does not have a maintained feel to it, there are many places where the trail is washed out, or covered in rocks making route-finding difficult.
Early on our first obstacle, aside from the snow, there was a tree that collapsed directly on the path. With some struggled maneuvering, we managed to skirt around thorns and fallen logs without getting too much snow in our shoes.
Some nice views along the way:
A sign for ‘Elk Horn’
A mossy creek
An old beaver dam
A crystal clear marsh with an abundance of algae
The second obstacle emerged at Camp 1: a river fed by meltwater. Following the tracks up to a bridge, the foot of the stairs lead directly into the depths of the river-- the deepest part too. After pacing back and forth for awhile, and stopping for a miniature lunch break, my travel companion proposed building a bridge with the thin logs. We struggled to cross it, and I think I got an equal amount of water in my shoes in an attempt to balance across. Once we crossed, we came to the realization that the original sturdy bridge actually spans a shallow creek, and not a secondary river
Camp 2 was partially covered by snow, it was also a difficult area to navigate around without distinct markings. After some wandering, we managed to get back on the trail.
The final obstacle was one we could not bypass. The alpine meltwater caused snow to stick in a valley we judged to be four meters deep (revealed by gaping holes). We called it at this point, roughly a kilometer, or half a kilometer from the end.
This is a trail I would definitely do again later in the summer, and would definitely not attempt in the winter/fall.
Side note: we also encountered two fresh prints, one resembling an adult elk while the other was a bit smaller.
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