One of the many reasons I love Adirondack hiking are the steep ascents. It seems that all mountain trails seemed to have been created with the most direct route possible to the summit. When routefinding on unmarked trails, if there is any doubt as to which direction to go, one may almost always count on the path going straight up the steepest terrain. The challenge of these steep gradients can and will tests one's fitness and perseverance on any day. The heat produced by your body in colder weather is a feeling I embrace and is I reason I keep returning to the Adirondacks time and time again.
Ampersand Mountain sits on the western side of the High Peaks Wilderness near Saranac Lake. A lesser peak of 3352 ft in elevation, Ampersand is one of the Saranac 6ers. On an early Sunday December 6th 2015, we started our hike on Ampersand with temperatures below freezing. My first impression of this hike is that it must be a popular one, due to the width and well trod trail. We concentrated hard on a few wet slippery boardwalks, and crunched over frozen leaves and stiff mud. Overnight lows dipped to -5 celsius, which had made the ground hard and covered with frost. After crossing one wide stream, the terrain began to rise gradually and began a steady ascent. Snow and ice began to creep into our steps and the gradient of the the climb increased. We put on the microspikes and I was glad we did, as many icy spots would have been impossible to ascend without them. A good short steep section to get the heart rate up followed. One of the many reasons I love Adirondack hiking are the steep ascents. It seems that all mountain trails seemed to have been created with the most direct route possible to the summit. When routefinding on unmarked trails, if there is any doubt as to which direction to go, one may almost always count on the path going straight up the steepest terrain. The challenge of these steep gradients can and will tests one's fitness and perseverance on any day. The heat produced by your body in colder weather is a feeling I embrace and is I reason I keep returning to the Adirondacks time and time again. Nearing the summit, the trail flattens out, then passes by large boulders on the right with large gaps and crevasses between them that would be fun to explore in warmer weather. Climbing up onto the exposed rock the summit views come into sight. It was 1 hour and 24 mins after we left the parking lot and we made the 3400' summit. The 360 degree views from the summit are outstanding, and I am not surprised that this hike is popular in the summer. The summit, being exposed was windy but the sun's warmth offset the cool winds we were able to comfortably enjoy the views taking numerous photos. A great view of Ampersand Lake and the Sewards can be seen from this peak. We retraced our steps to the register, and finished the 1976ft/602m ascent and 8.4km/5.21 hike in 3hours.
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After completing the 46 Adirondack High Peaks in 2012 and becoming an Adirondack 46er, I spent most of the past three years repeating many of the High Peaks again with friends. This past weekend I decided to try some of the 'Lesser Peaks' or peaks below 4000 feet in elevation. I chose to do Haystack (not to be confused with the High Peak Haystack) and McKenzie Mountain as a day hike. As it turns out, these two peaks are part of another list, called the Saranac 6ers. On Saturday December 5th 2015, my friend Deb and I set off for Haystack at 8:30am. Wearing bright colours because of rifle hunting season, temperatures were just above the freezing mark. Following a flat wet trail up to the turnoff, we passed a old ruin beside the trail. We began to encounter light snow cover around 2000ft at the same time crossing a stream with an old bridge foundation. Climbing gradually, the snow cover became more pronounced and when we hit the steepest part of the ascent we climbed a mix of wet rock and ice. The snow was very grippy underfoot, even over wet rock, so we didn't feel the need to wear microspikes. Throughout the day, the trees constantly dripped water and snow bombs as temperatures rose. We reached the clouded summit at 2864ft/873m elevation. Descending down from Haystack, we lost approximately 1000 feet/300m. Back on the main trail we climbed gradually to the junction with the Jackrabbit cross country ski trail. After a brief break, we began the final mile and half or so to the summit of McKenzie. Beginning with a short rock hopping section on flooded trail, the topography changed drastically and we began a steep snow covered ascent. The final 1200 feet of elevation gain is the toughest part of this climb. For the past 2 months I have been suffering with a lower back injury that had me altering my technique in some places and in general, worried about falling. Instead of high stepping big boulders, I found myself kneeling on rock and using more roots and trees to pull me up the steeps. After hitting some icy sections we decided to put on our microspikes to gain more traction and not have to focus on precisely placing every footstep. This was a mental relief for me, as the added traction meant less chance for slipping and re-injury. We met a group of 4 women who turned around before the summit, unable to ascend a ice covered rocky section. We now doubted our chances of summiting, as we hadn't brought our crampons or ice axes with us. Deb and I decided to continue on, to see what we were up against. After a short flat section followed by a descent into a col, we began our final push to the summit. Blue sky peeked through and visibility was improving. We were hoping that we could summit and get a view. We hit the rocky outcropping that we thought the group of women before us had stopped at. Using our ice climbing/rock climbings skills, we were able to get past this tricky bit of ice. A few steep rocky outcroppings later, we arrived at some magical viewpoints. Our blue sky wasn't because the weather was improving, it was because we were above the clouds! Magical views in every direction! The High Peaks, from Algonquin to Giant were in view above the clouds. We were high off the heart-pounding ascent, the gift of warm sun on the summit, and the stunning views. It was our lucky day! The summit marker on McKenzie is like no other. It includes a thermometer! Reading in at -4 degrees celcius on the summit, we donned some warmer clothing and ate lunch. We contemplated descending a different route from the summit than which we came, but ultimately decided to go back the way we came. We made a quick descent off the steep sections and took off our microspikes when the terrain levelled out and conditions went from ice to water. Marching out the remaining miles went smoothly, as the majority was downhill. We returned to our vehicles just before dusk. Despite being lesser peaks, these two summits combined together or done separately, are 2 great summit hikes with very typical Adirondack steep trails and worthwhile summit views. Highly recommended!
Hike Totals: 4208 feet of ascent, 19 km/12 miles, 7hours 40mins. The Donjek Glacier backpacking route is rated as Kluane National Park's most difficult hike. It is listed as a 8-10 day backpacking route, ranging between 100-120km in distance. There are no trails and no designated camping sites, just a general route description and recommended areas to camp. Expert navigational skills are mandatory, and all food must be carried in approved bear proof barrels. The idea of doing this trip was generated by my friend Deb (in green above) who organized the trip from start to finish. The six of us: Deb, Glenn, Mike, Ivan, Marc and myself participated, and have all had years of backcountry experience and skills and were a competent group for this trip. We are all members of the Alpine Club of Canada's Ottawa section. This is our tale from August 2-10th, 2015: Day 1-Trailhead to Burwash Uplands Campspot (11km): Starting in Whitehorse at the highly recommended Red Door B and B, we were picked up by a local shuttle service provided by Up North Adventures who we hired to take our group of 6 to the trailhead and back 9 days later. Leaving Whitehorse, Yukon at 9:30 AM, we headed to Haines Junction where upon entering Kluane National Park, we had to register, obtain bear barrels, and permits. We paid a fee of $68.70 CDN each to enter the park. After a quick stop at the Haines Junction bakery (yum!), we set off to the trailhead. A couple hundred meters past the Duke River bridge outside of the small native hamlet of Burwash, we turned left down an old mining road. Rumour has it that you can drive 5.1km down this road but this road was in rough shape and so our driver seized an opportunity to turn around at 2.7km in. Here we started our journey. We hiked in on the road which turned into a ATV path over forested and mainly flat terrain for a total of 11km the first day. We noticed quickly the impacts mining has had on the area. There were marked stakes everywhere. I guess that's where the phrase 'Stake your claim' comes from! A perfect day for hauling heavy packs and a beautiful rainbow from the first recommended and well-used campspot at the foot of the Burwash Uplands. Campsite: Latitude:61.33951 Longitude:-139.29439 Day 2-Burwash Uplands to Burwash Creek near Park Boundary (17km): Up at 6 AM temperatures were around the freezing mark. I had had a cold night pre-dawn in my sleeping bag rated for 0 degrees celcuis/32F (in hindsight I should have brought my -7C bag). Luckily the sun was shining and it was only a matter of time before we were back on the trail. We started again on the ATV path across boggy hummock land for about 4km before making a big decision: continue on easy terrain but add 6km to the day OR bushwhack across the bog up and over a hill and end up in the same spot. The group opted for the easier terrain. A toss up of pros and cons whether or not we made the best decision as our packs were still quite heavy. We chose our course and off we went. Descending down to the Burwash Creek, we ate lunch and crossed the freezing cold creek to the mining road on the other side passing by an old cabin and trailer. We followed the mining road over a chasm then down to the river again. We followed the riverbed for many kilometers viewing many signs of bear activity, encouraging us more and more to keep hollering out our bear calls at regular intervals. My call was "Heeeeey Bear!", while other group members called: "Yo Bear!", "Oi Bear!", "Day-O", "Hey Hey" and "Fuzzy Bear!". Heading past a recommended campspot on the creek, we tried to continue on to the park boundary and Warden's cabin. We stopped a few km short and set up camp in a flat grassy spot on the creek's bank. Our kitchen was down on the river bank and and proved luxurious with couch-like backrests and easy access to water. At 7:45 PM, our group had eaten dinner and finished cleaning up including moving our bear barrels another 100m upstream. We were relaxing by the riverside conversing when, only 10m away around a corner, I saw a hump and a silver-brown furry bum headed in our direction. I recognized the creature and jumped up and quickly shouted "Bear-bear-bear!" and within second there were 6 of us erect with bear spray in hand shouting. The lone immature male bear, approached us from upwind and downstream, was as scared to see us and we were of it. It bolted downstream 100m and turned back to look at us. Ivan set off a bear banger and when it went off, the bear bolted onto the bank onto a ridge. It saw us again looking at us and took off. We measured a paw print and noted the print was about 6 inches wide. Shocked and stunned we got so close to a bear without warning, we decided to set-up nighttime watches to look out for its return and allow others to sleep with both eyes shut. Glenn and I took the 11PM-1AM shift which I labelled the "Land of the Midnight Sun Watch" as sunset and twilight lasted well after midnight. Just around 1 AM, we did see the eyes of a fox nearby but other than that, there was no sign of the bear ever again. That night was the coldest night of the trip with frost on the ground in the morning. Campsite: Latitude:61.32600 Longitude:-139.45670 Day 3-Burwash Creek to Hoge Creek (12km): Waking up again after another cold night and 2 hours less sleep could have been a drag but at 6AM we were awokened by Deb to get up quickly and check out the caribou in our camp. Yes, two caribou had crossed the river and walked through our camp to graze on higher ground in the sun. We watched them roam for 10 mins and were undisturbed by our presence. A fantastic way to wake up! We packed up and headed out at 8:10 AM after enjoying a morning campfire to warm up after a cold night. Almost immediately we say a family of Ptarmigan on the creekbed. Another 3km further, we arrived at the Kluane National Park boundary and 1km further, we arrived at the warden's cabin. Campsite: Latitude:61.28918 Longitude:-139.56737 The remainder of this day was challenging. Ahead was a huge ascent up Hoge Pass, the highest point on the route at 7100feet elevation, followed by a steep rock descent down to Hoge Creek. The first leg of our ascent we saw a beautiful golden eagle flying over our heads. Into the alpine zone, we saw our first flock of Dall Sheep. Glenn was elated as it's always been a dream of his to see this species in the wild. Just as we were snapping photos of them, we saw another 2 flocks in the distance. What a day for wildlife viewing! The ascent up Hoge Pass was very gradual and not intimidating in the least. At the apex of the pass, we trended left onto the shoulder of a nearby peak and ate lunch, looking at the stunning views of snow capped peaks ahead. After lunch, we ascended and descended over a few ridges before finally descending down a green drainage to the Hoge valley. The views here are among the most stunning of the entire trip. Get your camera out! Getting down the first part of the descent was tricky over loose rocky boulder and steep angles. Losing your balance here would have been consequential for sure. It wasn't long before we found the valley bottom and started down Hoge Creek itself. The afternoon sun rays made the day even more difficult: UV rays began to beat down on our skin and river levels began to swell and crossings became more difficult. Deb and I had a difficult time with Hoge Creek as our shorter strides couldn't span the banks like the 4 guys. This slowed our group's progress down immensely as we estimated that we had to take our packs and boots off, don our water shoes, and reverse the process over a dozen times for crossing this creek again and again. Exhausted and sunburnt, we finished off the day just as we were about to exit the canyon but not yet near the Donjek River. We found a great plateau that we used to set up our tents, and made sure we had long sight lines to spot bear activity early and prevent a repeat of the night before. Did I mention we saw a pine marten? An excellent day for wildlife viewing: Caribou, Ptarmigan, Golden Eagle, Dall Sheep, Ground Squirrels, and Pine Marten all in one day! At 8PM we retreated to our tents, hoping to catch up on some sleep. The inside of our tents were a balmy 33 degrees celcius and took about 2 hours to finally cool down once the sun lowered behind the hills. Latitude:61.22678 Longitude:-139.50682 Day 4-Hoge Creek to Donjek Glacier (12km): Rising again at 6 AM, the dawn's temperature was warm and comfortable. At 8 AM, we left the campsite and hiked the remaining 3km down Hoge Creek towards the Donjek River. We crossed Hoge Creek 2 more times in that distance, this time much more easily due to the lower morning water levels. Turning left and heading upstream on the river bank of the Donjek River, we marched 5km on river stones towards the glacier itself. Finding wolf prints and moose sign along the river bank, it was easy to notice that the riverbed must swell to 4 times its size in the spring runoff. Spirits were high the closer and closer to the glacier we got. We stopped at lunch near a gorge but continued on the riverbed another 500m to see that we could not follow the riverbank any further because of a cliff. Forced to backtrack to the gorge, we ascended up a rocky creek to a mossy forest and bushwhacked for about 20mins until reaching an old horse trail as recommended by the route description. I say 'old' because although it was well defined, the horse trail was very overgrown, especially in the meadow areas and looked like it hadn't been used in years. We followed this horsetrail for the rest of the day making our way through the thick brush and sneaking peaks of the Donjek icefield on our right. We took advantage of viewpoints and attempted to snap shots of this massive glacier field although it was impossible to fit the entire size in one photo. At one break stop, I noticed that my GPS was missing from my hip pocket. Knowing that I had looked at it 20 mins earlier, I thought we should give it a shot and backtrack to see if we could find it. Within 10 mins of walking back, Glenn, Marc and I with bearspray in hand, found my GPS dangling from a bush branch at waist height having been snagged out of my pocket by the wrist strap. Lucky me! I made sure from this point on that the wrist strap was zipped up inside my pocket. Moving on, we crossed a number of dry creekbeds which made us worry a bit about where we were going to camp and replenish our water supply. The sun's rays were the most intense of the trip. We literally baked in the sun and couldn't put on enough sunscreen or find enough shade. We found a river bed to call home for the night and set up our tents above the horse trail on sloping ground. The views from this campsite riverbed were outstanding. We finally noticed at this point in the trip that our bear barrels were getting more easy to pack and had some extra room in them. All 4 guys had 2 barrels on the trip, one large and one solo size. Suddenly we heard sounds that were alike thunder at this site. We soon figured out that this sound was not thunder at all, but the sound of the calving glacier below us which would continue on and on. Cirrus clouds overhead at our 8PM bedtime, we were predicting a change in weather and it came overnight in the form of rain. Campsite: Latitude:61.15591 Longitude:-139.38815 Day 5-Donjek Glacier to Big Horn Creek (15km): Our 6AM wake up was noisier than normal this morning as rain spat down on our tent. We set up a siltarp in the trees and ate breakfast under it instead of on the river bed as we had eaten dinner the night before. We left camp at 8:10AM and continued on the descending horsetrail. We lost the trail a few times crossing creeks and had to spend a few minutes looking for where the trail continued on the other side. Light rain drizzled down on us and everyone wore rainsuits and packcovers. The trail trended downward towards a meadow where we could see great viewpoints on the glacier. We left the horsetrail and went up to a hilltop and took some photos and timer shots. We continued to follow the bumps along the shoreline, and missed an easy entrance down to the shore from the cliffs. Instead we climbed to an even higher cliffpoint and Mike found a descent route down the wet rocky faces down to the shore along the glacier. Finally we arrived at the foot of the glacier! This glacier is one of the largest non-polar glaciers left in the world and is 56km long! Standing at it's toe, it must have been 80-100ft tall. We took loads of photos and ate lunch, enjoying the view. Sitting beside the glacier was like being in a refridgerator-cool and damp. Every 20 minutes or so, we heard calving and Deb was able to photograph a ripple from one of the ice chunks that fell off. We walked along the rocky shore and beach following the glacier's toe, examining the ice chunks and observing birds feeding in the waters at its base. This, to me, was the highlight of the trip. How often do you get to see something that incredible? The next 9km we walked away from the glacier in easy grassy meadows in the sub-alpine. Arriving at Big Horn Creek, we saw many signs of hares and managed to see a few darting around. We set up camp on a floodplain and ate under the siltarp once again. The water from the Big Horn was very silty, and our water filters were in need of cleaning every few litres of pumping. Even though the weather wasn't the best today, the night was still warm. Day 6-Bighorn Creek to Atlas Creek (17km): Knowing that this day was going to be the hardest day physically of the trip, we all took advantage of any extra rations we thought we had and ate them either at last night's dinner or at this morning's breakfast. The overnight rain had made the air damp, and the warmth of food and hot drinks were welcome. We had donned our boots and rain gear right from the tent this morning. We packed up and headed up Expectation Pass, a 2000ft climb up through a creek and canyon finishing on a grassy boggy saddle. The climb took us 3 hours and once at the top of the pass, the final views of the Donjek glacier were seen before moving into the next valley. At 6000ft elevation, we contoured around the valley towards Atlas Pass. The valley displayed magnificent views of the alpine wilderness and hosted flocks of Dall sheep and a Golden Eagle. The eagle even performed an acrobatic display for us diving and gliding like it was on a rollercoaster. On the lighter side, Ivan's poor eyesight lead him to think that every white rock in this valley was a sheep and every brown rock was a bear. We didn't get to pull any tricks on him but it was entertaining to say the least to hear him confirm whether or not the boulders in the distance were animals or not. We managed to stay at the 6000ft contour thanks to Ivan's lead, and only had the final 900ft to climb to the top of Atlas Pass.The views from Atlas Pass were outstanding. The descent route actually started with a short ascent up and then down a soft muddy scree slope down to a saddle and a green patch of grass similar to a putting green. The soft soil underfoot made the descent fast and easy. One last steep scree slope and you are down on the valley floor once again on the shores of Atlas Creek. This creek was much different than the Hoge Creek with wide banks and easy narrow crossings allowing us to make time on the descent. We hiked all the way down to the Duke River finding a campspot described on the route on the right side and dived into our dinners on the banks of the Atlas. Campsite: Latitude:61.22996 Longitude:-139.20918 Day 8-Atlas Creek to Cache Lake (13km): On the trail again at 8 AM, we followed a game trail past our tentsite along the Duke River shore and then had to bushwhack up and around a large beaver dam system and finally down to the river shore after 2km. We followed the rocky Duke shore for another kilometer or so before finding a suitable crossing area. The Duke River crossing was to be our biggest crossing of the trip and the earlier we could get it done the better as rivers start to swell as the temperatures rise due to glacial runoff. We all donned our water shoes and rolled up our pants. Mike even removed his pants completely. Glenn and I went first, me holding on to the back of his pack. Up to the top of our thighs deep, freezing cold and tough current, we ferried over the deepest braid of the river. One step before hitting the shallow ground, we turned sideways and the current took my Croc water shoe and down the raging river. I accepted my loss, and hobbled onto the shore with only one shoe remaining. Glenn spotted the shoe downstream and decided to dump his pack and sprint 300m downstream and managed to retrieve it by jumping in the river once again (we were wet already). Yes! Ivan, Deb, Marc and Mike decided to hold a large 5 ft long piece of wood and ford the river as a group, crossing swiftly with minimal stumbles and falls. It took a few minutes after exiting to get the feeling back in our feet, dry off and let the sun help warm our bodies. It took me another hour or so before my pants felt dry again. Not following the instructions of the route and crossing about 4km away from the campsite proved to be challenging as we found ourselves doing multiple bushwhacks along the Duke river's left shore ascending countless feet and then returning to the river's shore. At the 8km mark from the campsite, we were to turn left on a difficult to find riverbed that led to a old road up to our campsite for the night at Cache lake. We missed the turnoff (our only navigational error of the trip), and noted that we were almost at the Grizzly Paw River confluence with the Duke before abruptly changing course. This 1km or so mistake was costly as we had to bushwhack, ascending 500+feet on a course backwards to where we were from. The only bonus of the bushwhack was that the hill was full of ripe blueberries-yum! After a slog of a bushwhack we found the road that led to the lake which was sunny and breezy. We set up camp on the shores of the lake overlooking snow capped peaks and dried out our wet tent and gear. Most of us went for a swim or bath in the lake. Glenn found 2 pairs of old shed moose antlers on the shores of the lake and there was ample moose habitat sign. Tonight's sleep was cold again as we were sleeping at an altitude of 5000 feet. This site, for me, was the most picturesque of the trip. The only thing that could have made it even better would have been to seen the Aurora Borealis but unfortunately that wasn't in the stars. I kept thinking how this route was the most stunning and scenic backpacking trip I have ever completed. The days did not disappoint. Ever. Campsite: Latitude:61.21035 Longitude:-139.06235 Day 8-Cache Lake to Copper Joe Creek (13km): Another 6 AM wake up but the sky was blue and the reflection in the lake outstanding. Knowing that our route today was all downhill and the end in near, extra rations were consumed and our packs were the lightest they've ever been. Mine was probably 10lbs lighter than when we started. Setting off from the lake, we followed the old road and saw many signs of moose activity. Shed antlers, moose scat, and a moose carcass were all witnessed. We finalled reached Copper Joe Creek, and began descending its rocky shores down our final valley. At lunchtime, we were still in a canyon along the riverbed. Mike spoke up suddenly say "There's an animal down there". Sure enough, we stood up to see the back of another larger male grizzly bear about 75m away. It approached our quiet group from downstream and upwind. Once we stood up it stood on its hind legs to check us out and then decided to bee line for the steep forested riverbank. It stopped about 100m away from us when Ivan fired off a bear banger and it took off into the forest, never to be seen again. I am glad we were travelling in a group of 6, all with a bearspray within hand's reach. I was surely skeptical of the bear bangers before the trip, but am a convert of them now seeing how effective they can be in two incidences. We quickly packed up and headed through a narrow section of the river and then finally exited the canyon. We found an old gravel road that we could walk out the final 5km. It was 2pm, so we had time to complete the route but our shuttle wasn't coming until the next day. We set up a camp at the junction between the creekbed and gravel road and spend our last night eating any extra food an singing around a campfire. A great way to end a fantastic trip. Day 9-Copper Joe Creek to Alaska Highway (5km): We tried to sleep in but breaking a habit is difficult. We spent our final morning leisurely eating breakfast and packing up. Oatmeal is a fast breakfast so before we knew it we were packed up and walking the final easy 5km out to the highway to wait for our shuttle. We did it! Yahoo! An amazing trip! The route turned out to be my longest backpacking trip to date. Trip totals: 118km, 11000ft of ascent! Thanks to Ivan and Mike for doing the navigational and routefinding work, to Deb for the logistics and coming up with the idea in the first place, and to Marc who let us stay in his house the night before the flight. Our group worked very well together and became closer through this journey. :) A few adjectives come to mind when looking back on this route: rugged, diverse, scenic, and truly wild. The wildest place I've ever been. We didn't see another human being for 9 days! The Yukon definitely did not disappoint, and I'm sure I'll be back one day.
What did I bring on this trip? Check out my packing list here. To access my .gpx file track for this route click here. The Achray to Squirrel Rapids canoe trip is one of the best routes in Algonquin Park. Be warned that campsite reservations are recommended well in advance of your intended start date as this route is popular. This area of the park is jam packed with amazing natural features that everybody can enjoy. The trip is better if done slowly (4 days) but can also be done quickly (2 days) if time doesn't permit. The trip starts out with entering the park at the Sand Lake Gate after a drive on a gravel logging road. After registering at the gate, a few kilometers later you will come to the Squirrel Rapids take-out parking lot. Park your second vehicle here or hire a shuttle. Drive another 25km or so down to the Achray parking lot and launch on the shores of Grand lake. Day 1: Grand/Stratton After a drive and shuttle set up, you will most likely not have much time to paddle into your site. Your choice is to camp on the large Grand lake or paddle over to a short 50m portage into Stratton. The choice is yours, and it may depend on your group size, and age. I have done this trip twice with kids 18 month to 4 years and for the sake of naps, we opted for Grand Lake. Day 2: Grand to Stratton Lake (2-3 hours) Stratton lake offers some incredibly spacious campsites with rocky outcroppings and sandy beach sections. The lake itself is long and narrow, and is jam-packed with sites. Not all sites are picture perfect but if you get there early you will be granted some amazing camping. Swimming at Stratton Lake is not ideal as the lake is fairly shallow and muddy. Instead, a short paddle into a back bay and a 5minute hike will lead you to one of the gems of Algonquin Park: High Falls. High Falls is a natural waterslide perfect for sliding and swimming. It is a great spot to spend an afternoon or go for a quick evening dip. In addition to the slide itself, there is a circular whirlpool area that people can sit it and soak. Day 3: Stratton to Opalescent Lake (4 hours) Heading out of Stratton, you hop over a small but rocky 75m portage to St Andrews Lake. Although I've never stayed at this lake, there are many beautiful sites with beaches making this lake attractive. Next up is 550m portage over to High Falls lake. This portage is fairly flat and straight forward until the steep hill descent at the end. High Falls lake is a shallow swampy lake with a few sites that are not recommended for camping with kids. Instead continue on to the next portage trail (make sure to take the trail to the right) 300m to a small swampy lake with many lily pads. Finally a 640m grunt portage that leads you into Opalescent lake. This lake is probably one of the most famous lakes in Algonquin Park for two campsites that boast couches and chairs around the fire pit made of rock. These two sites (one on the north shore and one on the south) are at the east end of the lake. If you score the one on the north in August, you will also be treated to hundreds of wild blueberries! Opalescent lake is a great lake for swimming and is clear and clean. As of 2013, there was a large windstorm that hit the park in this area blowing over many trees. The wind damage can be seen on this lake as trees have been uprooted. Day 4: Opalescent to Squirrel Rapids (6 hours) Heading out of Opalescent take a rocky boulder hopping 750m portage over to Brigham Lake (close to an alternate access point) to a short, flat, 100m hop portage with a short paddle to 440m portage. This portage is downhill, and invites you to stop and look at a substantial waterfall halfway through. In 2013 many trees were blown over covering the portage trail but have been cut so that the trail is accessible. Be careful on the descent down to the water at the end of this portage as the trail narrows and drops off quickly on the right. Docking your boat at the end of this portage may require you to tie your boat up depending on the water levels as there is a current that will take your boat away if you're not careful.
The next paddling section of the trip is awe-inspiring. The Barron Canyon walls are simply outstanding scenery and will amaze any paddler. With light current you can float down the canyon without paddling and take many photos along the way. Look up to your left and you may see a hiker at a lookout point, and check out the cliffs both from the base and from across the river. Simply breathtaking. Exiting the canyon, you will see many campsites on both shores and travel through a wildlife filled marsh before arriving at the final portage of the trip. We have stopped for lunch twice at the beginning of this 420m portage and had excellent luck fishing at this spot. The last portage is straight forward and a short 15 minute paddle and you are at the Squirrel Rapids take-out. The take-out has a picnic table, gravel beach area and outhouse that is great for kids to hang-out/nap while waiting for the shuttle. Alternative Routes for 1 or 2 night trips: If time was an issue and you were only travelling as adults there are two options that you could do in this area. First, you could paddle into Stratton Day 1 and visit High Falls, and on Day 2 exit near Brigham Lake or camp on the Barron River, exiting at Squirrel Rapids. A second option might be to put in at Brigham Lake, paddle through the canyon and camp, and take out at Squirrel Rapids. Finally if you couldn't set up a shuttle, you could put in at Squirrel Rapids, paddle up into the canyon, and backtrack out or paddle and camp at Stratton Lake and backtrack out. A great trip for families! After becoming an Adirondack 46'er in 2012 and hiking many of the High Peaks in the winter months, I always thought that the most fun and fast way down the mountain was to ski down a slide path or ski trail. Instead, I would descend on foot, dreaming of the day I could ski down. Years later, we made the dream happen. On Saturday April 4th, 2015, my husband Glenn and I, along with friends Debbie and Ivan, decided that we would attempt our first Adirondack backcountry ski on AT (alpine touring) gear. Our selected objective would be Mount Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondacks at 5344ft/1629m. We could have picked an easier first objective, but Marcy is a classic and we wanted to do it. We parked at the South Meadows parking lot (~2050') and skinned in on the truck trail towards Marcy Dam. We totally lucked out with the day's conditions: FRESH POWDER!! Once at Marcy Dam, the trail ascends gradually, passing the Phelps Mountain trail turn off. Here Ivan and myself attended to some blister hotspots developing on our heels. A few minutes further we crossed a bridge and that's when the real elevation gain begins. We ascended up some steeper slopes, and flipped our heel lifter features on our bindings for an easier climb. Ivan started sliding backwards and struggled up some of the steeper sections, and we became concerned that his 3/4 length skins weren't up to the task. Moving on to the designated ski trail, we began to eagerly anticipate our eventual descent down the 6 inches of fresh powder. Not too much further, Ivan made the decision that neither he or his skins were up for the task of ascending the entire mountain. Both he and Debbie were tired from the 10 hour, 4100ft hike of Dix mountain the day before. They decided to turn around. Lucky them, they had first tracks down the ski trail! After saying goodbye to our friends, Glenn and I continued up to the top of a steep section of the ski trail and back onto the hiking trail. The trail here mellowed out again, slowly gaining elevation bit by bit. We bumped into some other hikers and skiiers along the way. Some of the hikers we spoke with said that they weren't able to make the summit because of the whiteout conditions and high winds above the treeline. Some were not equipped with the proper footwear or a GPS, and made a smart decision to turn back. There are too many search and rescue missions performed on Marcy because people get disoriented. It was becoming easy to see that tracks up to the summit disappear within minutes, leaving people unable to backtrack. We finally reached the treeline, and were greeted with a few brief glimpses of sunshine. As we approached the final 400 feet to the summit the winds really picked up, the trees disappeared, and we found ourselves skinning up ice and rock towards the summit. About 150ft from the top, the winds were gusting so hard that I could barely keep myself upright. We made the decision to take off the skis and bareboot it up to the summit sign, leaning our entire bodies into the 35mph wind. The winds made the visibility poor, and the temperatures plumetted. We had hoped to ski right from the summit down some of the leeward slopes of the summit cone as read in many internet ski accounts. At the time we were there, it seemed pointless to ski down on the rock and ice and risking of becoming disoriented despite creating waypoints on our GPS of the exit points. We also knew that we couldn't take off our skins in the wind and descending with them on compromises your ability to turn and have edge control, which we would need on ice. We arrived at the summit plaque- Glenn's third Marcy summit and my second. We took a selfie with the summit sign when Glenn suddenly noticed a large white patch of frostbite on my right cheek. I took my hand out of my mitten and felt the area. It felt about size and thickness of a fuzzy peach candy. We had only been in the wind for 10 minutes or so and I was shocked that frostbite could happen so quickly, even with having my hood up. I had never had frostbite before, despite being on many windy summits in the past. Somewhat freaked out by the wind and my cheek, I decided I had to descend quickly. Covering up my face with my buff, I practically ran down to our skis, hopping on rocks and punching hard crust snow with my heels and dodging ice. Grabbing my skis and looking at the slope downward off the summit cone, I felt the fastest way to get out of the wind was to run down another 150ft, heel punching the ice coated snow cover. I knew it would be faster than side slipping down on my skis with the skins on, and I knew there was no risk of post holing because the wind had blown off any loose powder. Returning to where the ice crust stopped and the powder started, I stopped at wind break and waited for Glenn, while holding my cheek with my mitten. Glenn had decided that for him, the safest way to descend with skis off was to A-Frame them on his pack whereas I had just dragged mine down. Back in the trees we still needed to get out of the alpine wind so we transitioned into ski mode and bolted down the gentle slope. The tone of the trip instantly changed when back in the powder, trees, and trail. The temperature throughout the day was dropping from the freezing mark in the morning to cold winter conditions in the afternoon. We stopped to add some layers and don our helmets before heading down steeper terrain. Still concerned about my cheek I kept it covered, but was encouraged by the tingling and thawing that was occuring. We took some breaks to eat and drink and continued down the fun powder to the steepest part of the descent, the designated ski trail. The trail, being only 6 feet wide, bumpy, and as steep as 35 degrees, is tricky for even the most expert skiier. Glenn, weighing 210 pounds with his pack, let gravity assist his rock and roll yet stylish descent and while the GoPro camera recording his every turn. I myself am a more cautious and controlled skiier, combining parallel turns with power snowplows! By now most of the fresh powder had been scraped off by other skiiers but the conditions were still soft and fun. This is the way to descend! Once off the ski trail, the bridge crossing signals a change of slope angle down to Marcy Dam. The terrain here is super fun and less risky, like riding a kid's rollercoaster. Point your skis downhill and let them run! We rolled into Marcy Dam, catching other skiiers along the way. We slogged out the truck trail to the truck and high-fived each other for another great day in the Adirondacks. Looking at the data for the day, we had covered 27km/17miles, 4500feet of ascent, in 9.5 hours. We did take many breaks throughout the day so this day could have been a lot shorter. Also, my friend Debbie had made it out the truck trail without skins so I will try that next time. The photo on the right is my frostbitten cheek a day later, and below is some video footage of Glenn skiing in the trees below the summit. In hindsight we probably didn't need to ascend past the treeline in the conditions we did as we both had summited before. We did thoroughly enjoy the descent so much that we are already making plans to return and try a different objective. Here's to another adventure in the Adirondacks! :) The hardest part of hiking the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire is not the hiking, it's defining what the Presidential Traverse actually is. If you're an Appalachian Trail hiker, the Presidential Traverse means backpacking along the ridge trail, traversing the ridge line without summitting any peaks. To a day hiker, it means bagging the 5 major summits on the ridge: Mt Madison, Mt Adams, Mt Jefferson, Mt Washington, Mt Eisenhower, and Mt Pierce, potentially all in one day. To others, it means summitting all 12 named bumps along the ridge, and finally, it might mean bagging the 8 listed summits over 4000' to be credited towards the Northeast 111 (115) list. Whatever your definition, this traverse is worth doing. My husband and I decided to do the 36km route over two days on August 17/18th, 2013. Pre-hike: We tent-camped at Dolly Copp Campground near the small town of Gorham, NH. The popular campground has basic sites with shared washrooms and sinks and can be pre-booked in advance through 'reserve america'. Be warned there are no showers at this campground. We packed day packs for the hike with a small sleeping bag and change of clothes for the hut. Day 1 - Valley Way Appalachia (1306 ft) to Lake of the Clouds Hut: We parked our car at a popular trailhead called Valley Way Appalachia. We hiked up 4000' up the beautiful Valley Way Trail up to the main ridge. Just before we got there we saw the sign below. The winds on this ridge had the highest recorded winds in the world at one point at 372km/hr. Serious terrain. We continued up to the Madison Hut and turned left and summited our first peak Mt Madison at 5367ft. We descended down from the summit to the hut and checked out the facilities. We were also able to fill up our water bottles here as well. Continuing back on the trail we noticed that from the summit of Madison over Mt Adams to the Edmands Col was mainly a big pile of uneven large suitcase size boulders that is essentially the trail. I had not read about these boulders anywhere in advance and didn't realize how long the boulder fields go on for and how annoying walking over boulders would be. Despite being a rock climber and a experienced hiker, the torquing of your feet in all directions over these boulders is something not to underestimate. Make sure your ankles are ready and your footwear is solid. Once you hit Jefferson, the boulders disappear for the most part and the ridge trail flattens out. Summits are reached by veering off the main ridge trail, hitting the summit, and heading back down to the ridge trail on the far side. This pattern would repeat itself for almost the entire trail. Heading over to Jefferson the views become spectacular. Summitting Jefferson at 5712 ft you are reminded that there is a drivable road and cog railway to the top of Mt Washington. What's the issue? Hoards of tourists are everywhere, many of them "hiking" on the ridge trail in this area-this is NOT the traverse to do to get away from people. Still, walking the beautiful trail between Jefferson, over Mt.Clay, and to Washington is gorgeous. Summitting Washington at 6288ft is interesting with the buildings, cars and people but by now we had our eyes set on descending to the Lake of the Clouds Hut, owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club. This hut has a capacity of 90, and it was overcapacity the night we stayed. There is no camping allowed on the traverse above the treeline, so AT thru-hikers sleep on the dining room floors of the huts. We had to reserve our bunk spot in advance online (link here). As we got there just before dinner, we had last picks of the bunks (see the triple stacked bunks in photo below: I had the knee-high bottom bunk). Our stay at the hut was incredible as the staff are very entertaining throughout meals dressing in costumes and putting on theatrical acts. They are also very helpful if you need trail any trail advice. The food was plentiful and nutritious. At $90/night/pp it better be! I do recommend ear plugs! Day 2 - Lake of the Clouds Hut to AMC Highland Centre: Breakfast at the hut is at 8am so our timeline today would be tight to get to the Highland Centre by 4pm to get our shuttle back to our car. We ate and left quickly and within 20 minutes ascended our first summit of the day: Mt Monroe at 5372ft. From this point on, our hiking would be trending downwards: Mt Franklin at 5001ft, the Mt Eisenhower at 4474 ft, and the Mt Pierce at 4310 ft, and finally Mt Jackson at 4052 ft. The trail dips up and down and more and more exit trails appear-especially near the popular Mizpah Spring Hut. This is when I started to realize that people descend off the trail at different points and claim they have done the traverse. Then I realized that everyone has their own definition including a hiker we had met on the shuttle, completing 4 peaks in under 12hours of hiking/running. We continued on to Mt Jackson, one of Northeast 111, that I wanted to summit. We then cut off on the Webster-Jackson Trail, after summitting 10 of the peaks on the traverse. We hiked along the road a short distance and walked into the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Centre and checked in with reception for our shuttle reservation. We waited in the waiting room for the shuttle, used the washrooms, and bought a cold drink. The shuttle service was great and we we back at our car in no time. We returned to Dolly Copp for another evening and had a shower at Pinkham Notch Centre and a dinner in Gorham. The hike totals: 36km and 10,000ft of ascent in 16 hours of hiking over 2 days.
In March of 2013, my husband Glenn, friends Deb and Steve, and myself along with another client from Japan and two guides Nick and Takeshi decided to tackle the classic Wapta ski traverse in the Canadian Rockies. We opted for the longer hut-to-hut version of the trips offered by Yamnuska Mountain Adventures that begins at Peyto Lake. Pre trip-March 9th: Meeting at the Yamnuska Offices, our group met our guides and we had a meeting to discuss the trip objectives and to check gear. We also split up some of the food we had to carry and made sure everything was set and ready to go for the next day. Our plan was to head to the Peyto hut for 2 nights, the Bow Hut for 1 night, the Balfour hut for 1 night, and the Scott Duncan Hut for 1 night. Let's go! Day 1-March 10th Peyto Lake to Peyto Hut (2500m/8200ft) The first real day of the trip, we met at the office at 7am and were on the road from Canmore to the Icefields Parkway to be dropped off at a small parking lot past the main Peyto Lake area. After a quick beacon check and some photo-ops, we descended an icy luge run through the trees to the Peyto Lake. Looking back, this may have been the sketchiest part of the trip. Full packs, tight turns and little room for error! Finally at the lake, we donned the skins, crossed the lake and started ascending. Steep sections meant mastering the uphill kick turn, and avalanche prone areas meant crossing one at a time. Finally out of the trees and into the alpine, we had to take off our skis at one point because of an area of exposed gravel. Hiking up hill in ski boots with our skis strapped on our packs, we realized quickly that the gravel wouldn't last too long and we were back on snow. We skinned down to an old glacier research station and finally onto the glacier itself. The slog up the glacier took time-we sucked the air and every 10 steps or so had to stop to suck in an extra breath. Looking up over to our left we finally saw it! The Peyto Hut lies over 2200ft higher than the Peyto Lake and 4000ft higher than Canmore. I was sure glad to get to the hut that night! A delicious chicken curry dinner was just what we need to fill our bellies and enjoy the 18 person hut all to ourselves. Day 2- Peyto Glacier Ski Day: Today was to be a powder ski day out from the hut. After a rollercoaster past few days working, catching planes, time changes and elevation gain of over 8000ft, I came down with an 'overtired' migraine headache. I opted out of today's adventures but the gang, after a knot and crevasse rescue morning refresher, headed out onto the glacier for some powder fun. Debbie had never skiied in powder before as 4 of us are Easterners so it was an exciting day for everyone and the conditions couldn't have been more perfect. The photo below shows some of the fun the group had on this day: Day 3 - Peyto Hut to Bow Hut (2350m/7709ft): Waking up to frigid cold temperatures, winds, and snow wasn't what I had ordered in my forecast for this trip but we had to move, so off we went. We ascended the glacier with our lead guide Nick testing the snowpack depth with his probe every 100m or so. Visability was non-existent full blown whiteout and navigation was tricky. When our group was moving in a single file line, I looked up and shouted at Nick that I saw a glacier weather recording instrument sticking out of the white vista ahead. It was to be our only landmark for hours. Crossing the glacier over to the Bow Hut was somewhat familiar territory for Deb, Glenn and myself as we had been in the area ascending peaks during our Introduction to Mountaineering Course that we took with Yam during the summer of 2012. Nick, our past and current guide who knows the area like the back of his hand, led the way. The traverse was slow and covering up every inch of exposed skin was crucial. I had one slim spot on my cheek exposed and ended up with frostbite later on. After another hour or so of slogging through Wapta whiteout conditions we found the 'lighthouse', otherwise known as Saint Nicholas Peak. Knowing where we were and that the rest of the distance to the hut was downhill, we transitioned into ski mode and skiied down to the Bow Hut for lunch. In the afternoon, we decided to head back out to the glacier headwall and do some laps with lighter packs. As a snowboarder turned skiier recently, this enabled me to practice my powder turns. Day 4 - Stalled at Bow Hut : This morning we woke to find out that evening before, a 911 SPOT emergency beacon had been activated on the traverse ahead of us close to the Scott Duncan Hut. Not having much information on what happened, we could only hope they got the help they needed. Knowing that we had been in a whiteout the day before, we wouldn't have been surprised that a group may have gotten into trouble. When we woke up on this day, snow had fallen heavily all night and shot up the avalanche hazard up to HIGH. We figured we had 3 options: Traverse over to the Balfour Hut, ski out from the Bow Hut and find other local day trip areas to ski tour, or to stay put. After a satellite phone call between our guide Nick and the Yam office back in Canmore, we were advised to stay put as the roads were closed due to the snowfall amount and the avalanche forecast was not good. The group went out in the morning and found some untracked powder past the Onion Skin rock feature by the headwall, and then in the afternoon found some more powder on the headwall itself. Visibility was again awful due to the continuous snowfall, and there was one run I couldn't tell the difference between the ground and the air and couldn't feel the slope angle because the snow was so deep! Being disoriented as a skiier in the alpine left me feeling uneasy. Glenn said at one point he couldn't tell if he was moving or not because of the whiteout, and toppled over gliding on the flats! When we got back to the hut, we realized we weren't the only group that was stalled, as the hut was nearing full capacity. Day 5: Stalled at Bow Hut (again!): We woke again to find that we had slept through another night of wind and snowfall and avalanche conditions were again getting worse. It was now rated HIGH below the treeline, HIGH at the treeline and HIGH above the treeline. We weren't sure how much snow we actually received but it was closing in on 100cm. So again our guide Nick got on the satellite phone to call the office and again we were advised to stay put. We took the morning off to read, play cards, and essentially be hut-bound. In the afternoon, we skinned up the headwall, practiced some crevasse rescue rigging, and skiied down and practiced some beacon rescue drills before dinner. Tension was high at the hut as everyone's plans were uncertain. We weren't sure if we were leaving tomorrow or not. Today, no new parties arrived and no groups left the hut. Conditions were just too dangerous. Day 6 - Bow Hut to Bow Lake Parking : After breakfast and yet again another satellite phone call to the office, the decision was made to ski out as the weather was starting to improve. Avalanches were still a concern so Nick was very strict with his instructions on our way down. The first challenge was to descend into a deep alpine bowl where there had already been evidence of minor avalanches. Nick's instructions were to ski down his line. I was the 5th skiier down and had to snowplow through thigh high soupy snow to get to the bottom. Deb, the 6th skiier, fell going down this pitch and feared she would trigger an avalanche. We quickly got out of bowl area and into the trees and into a canyon. I led the group through the canyon area, skiing over heaps of avalanche debris. Heading down our final descent to Bow Lake, we breathed a sigh of relief that the risky business was over and we could finish the trip safely. We got to the parking lot to find the van buried in the snow. After an hour of digging it out, the entire group had to push it out 200m to the road! And of course, as we dug and pushed, it was snowing! Post Trip: Once out of the alpine and back connected to the internet, we found out that over 100cm of snow fell in 2.5 days! The avalanche conditions were so high for so long that rescuers could not get into where the SPOT beacon had been activated. We read that 2 people (a woman in her 30's and a man in his 60's) had been rescued and that 1 man in his 50's from Abbotsford, BC had perished in a crevasse and his body was not recovered until two days after we were off the traverse. Upon hearing the sad news, we reflected on our trip and even though it didn't turn out as we had hoped, it was still a great adventure full of meeting new people, skiing new terrain, learning new skills, and we were out safe and sound. The Wapta will always be there...and I'll be back.
From July 26th-31st 2014 I signed up along with my husband Glenn and friends Deb and Rich with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures to take a guided Alpine Climbing trip to Bugaboo Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. The terrain in the Bugs is very technical and steep and shouldn't be attempted by beginner mountaineers or climbers. Even with climbing and mountaineering experience, I felt hiring a guide was the best option. And we had 3 great guides: Nick Sharpe, Eric Osteopkevich, and Richard Howes with 6 clients. Here is an account of our 6 days in the Bugs: Day1-Kain Hut (2230m/7315ft): The group met up at the Yamnuska office in Canmore and drove over to the town of Radium, BC. From here you take a 45km dirt logging road of varying condition to the Bugaboos trailhead parking lot. Local legend has it that wild porcupines have chewed through brake lines here in the past so we had to wrap up our rental car in chicken wire. The hike up to the Conrad Kain hut begins with a easy trail and then abrupty turns a corner and heads straight up 2300ft or 700m ascent to the hut in 4.5km. This hike can be gruelling with heavy loads and should be the first warning of the steep terrain in the area. The Conrad Kain hut is a large 3-storey barn-like building that is a hub of climbing activity and full of mountaineering history. The Kain hut sits at 2230m or 7315ft elevation. Day 2- Pidgeon Spire (3156m/10354ft): We woke before dawn and slogged up the rocky trail to the glacier feeling the altitude hit our lungs with every step. After a quick glacier skills refresher, we ascended the steep snow slope of the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col. Snowsteps were up to our knees as we needed to move as quickly as possible to avoid rockfall. Once at the col, we could see our objective for the day: The West Ridge of Pidgeon Spire (photo above). We moved fairly quickly across the glacier approach to the ridge and switched from glacier mode to climbing mode on a rock outcropping at the base of the ridge. Climbing Pidgeon was fairly easy as it's rated a 5.4 PD-. We wore our mountaineering boots, helmets, and packs. The guidebook boasts this climb as one of the best in North America and I can honestly say it doesn't disappoint. The views are outstanding on the entire route. Two rappels and some downclimbing, we re-traced our steps back to the col where we rapped some more. The day took 12 hours. My good friend Deb (in red) and myself (in blue) were dubbed the "A" team as we were quick going up and down. My husband Glenn in the photo below rapping off Pidgeon. Day 3: Lion's Way (2830m/9285ft) Today day we attempted an easy multi-pitch rock route in the Bugs called Lion's Way to lead us to the summit of the Central Tower of Crescent Spire. The grade of the route was 5.6 PD+ an was approximately 8 pitches in length. For me, it was a fabulous opportunity to expand my trad climbing skillset as I'd been primarily a sport climber until this point. The climbing was not difficult, but I had never climbed with a pack or trad equipment before so that made the climbing different for me. I loved this route as it wasn't overly consequential but had some great views. Bugaboo climbing is on extra-gritty granite meaning you don't really need chalk but you will probably need tape. Day 4: Marmalota (3019m/9905ft) Day 3 started early at 3 AM to attempt another summit of Marmalota. We ascended a different dirt trail up to a different glacier by headlamp, donned our glacier gear and started the slog up. Acclimatization had progressed and at this point and the heavy breaths have now gone and we were moving quickly. Hopping over crevasses on the way up we reached the rock when the sun was rising. The route we were to take was rated a 5.6 again, and we did this one in our mountaineering boots. In hindsight, I think I would have preferred rock shoes. The 'feel' of Marmalota is a bit sketchy, as loose rock fell off the slope with our movements and hand holds broke off into crumbly bits. The peak felt like it was eroding compared to the solid feel of Pidgeon days before. Ascending Marmalota takes time and there is some technical and very exposed moves. Maybe because of the flaky nature of the peak, I didn't feel as comfortable. Our guides were fantastic, keeping the energy positive and the mood 'light'. For me, the guides earned their money that day, especially on the descent. After 3 rappels, we faced a dilemma with how to get over the bergshrund and onto the glacier. Our guides had us do a 50m rap down to a rap station on the only rock around that we could sling some cordelette around. The 6 of us crammed in on top of one another, attached to this one outcropping. The next rappel onto the glacier was super fun as we had to "Mission Impossible" style rap over the 3m gap created by the bergschrund onto the glacier. We quickly retreated on the sunny glacier back to the hut, a total of 13 hours for the day. Day 5-East Post Spire (2728m/8950ft) Today we opted for a an easier option. After a late start and a big breakfast-did I mention the food was fantastic? We hiked up to the Appleby Campground site and continued on through the trail to the summit of East Post Spire. This summit is short, and more a simple scramble. We ate lunch on the summit- our fourth summit in 4 days! We descended to a top roping area so that I could play with trad gear on top rope. After a couple hours, storm clouds rolled in and we descended back to the hut. Day 6-Heading Out Our group decided our bodies had been pounded enough and it was time to head out. We descended the steep, gruelling trail on the way down with heavy packs and returned to find our car in the parking lot hadn't been eaten. We headed to Radium for some ice cream and headed back to the Yam office in Canmore for some debriefing and trip wrap-up. This trip will be one to remember for sure. The steep technical terrain is challenging. I am already thinking of my return trip to check off the famous classic Kain route! I would highly recommend Yamnuska Mountain Adventures for their guiding in the Bugaboos as I never once questioned my safety and felt that their professionalism was second to none. Another great week in the mountains..... :)
Algonquin Provincial Park is located in central Ontario, Canada. It is a world renowned canoe tripping destination with many options for car camping and wilderness canoe tripping. I have been canoe tripping in this park now for 25 years, and it always holds a special place in my heart. The park is over 7000 square kilometers in size and has numerous options for short and long distance canoe routes. Reservations are recommended in advance and can be made here. The Canoe Lake-Big Trout-Canoe Lake loop I will describe is one that I've completed over a dozen times. It is a classic route in the park and it is my number one choice for guiding my outdoor education classes. It can take a leisurely 5 days, or as short as 2.5 days. With my large groups I do the route in 3.5 days, and 3 nights as described below. The route has a great mix of small creeks, big lakes, and progressively hard portages. The route starts at the Canoe Lake access point along highway 60. Highway 60 is the main highway that runs through the middle of the park. Cell service is accessible along the highway but a short 1 hour paddle off the highway and the cell service dies. Be prepared for backcountry camping beyond this point and make sure you have the adequate skills (canoeing, portaging, water purification, navigation, bear safety, wilderness first aid, etc) and knowledge before entering the wilderness area. Be sure to pick up your permits from the park office, rent any equipment items from the Portage store or Algonquin Outfitters, and use the flush toilet for the last time. Campsites in the backcountry have a limit of 9 people and have only a fire pit and a small pit toilet as facilities. Day 1-Canoe Lake to Burnt Island Lake (half day): Heading north along Canoe Lake, enjoy the old cottages and summer camps on the shores and islands. Stop at the Tom Thompson memorial on your way into the narrows at the north end of the lake. Veer right to the Joe Lake portage trail and portage the flat 250m trail around the dam. There is an outhouse along this trail if you need it. Paddle under the bridge hugging the right hand shore of Joe Lake moving through a narrow and into Little Joe Lake. On your right, you will see the Arowhon Pines Lodge, the setting for the movie Indian Summer, and the last man-made building you will see for days. The next short 165m portage you encounter is easily skipped in high water. Paddle through the creek to start the longest portage of the day 435m. A short paddle across Baby Joe lake and through a short final portage of the day 200m (make sure you go right at the fork!), and you'll be on Burnt Island lake. Depending on the weather and time of year, there are many sheltered campsites and wide open campsites along this lake. Listen to the loons as dusk hits. Day 2- Burnt Island Lake to Big Trout Lake (7hrs): A nice warm-up paddle in the morning to finish the remaining length of Burnt Island Lake, and head to the 790m portage that traverses to Otterslide Lake. Getting out onto Little Otterslide Lake is always a relief, mainly from the heinous bugs that always seem to be hungry throughout the last portage. Paddle through Little Otterslide through a small creek that offers great wildlife watching to Otterslide Lake. I often stop for lunch at a campsite close to the Otterslide Creek portages to fill up water bottles and to fuel up for the challenge ahead. Otterslide Creek is a series of 5 portages along a narrow watercourse varying from 105m in length to 750m in length. This is a great test of portaging efficiency. There are many interesting features through this creek including wildlife sightings, beaver dams, and boardwalks to portage on. Once through the creek, you will be feeling low energy but a short paddle out to Big Trout lake will welcome you with a breeze and a plethora of fresh water to purify for your water bottles. I have my groups paddle over to the islands to choose a fitting campsite for the evening. Big Trout Lake is a great lake for swimming! Day 3-Big Trout Lake to McIntosh Lake (5 hrs): The morning's route through the remainder of Big Trout, White Trout Lake and Grassy bay will take hours. If windy it could take all day. As you pass through White Trout you will see a Ranger cabin on the shores. Paddling through Grassy bay is one of the highlights of the trip. This is the best opportunity to see the wildlife on the trip and hopefully it will not disappoint. My record is 6 moose in one trip through! Navigating through the creek can sometimes be tricky so for the most part if you take the widest, most well used path it works. Upon finishing the creek at the 745m portage, take a well earned break for lunch and re-fueling. The next portage is one of the toughest on the trip as there are 2 heart-pounding hills to carry your gear up. Paddle a short creek and then finish off the day with a 510m portage into McIntosh Lake. Look down as you paddle away from this portage. The bottom is often viewable 15m above at the surface. I like to camp at the southern most campsites closest to Ink lake. If the wind was in your favour, this day is relatively short! Day 4- McIntosh lake to Canoe Lake (6.5hrs): Hopefully by now your packs are beginning to feel light as food has been consumed from the previous days. This will be a good thing leading into this morning's challege: a 2320m portage from Ink Lake to Tom Thomson Lake. The portage begins with a flight of stairs-I am not kidding! Portage your gear up the stairs to large flat landing area at the top. From here pace yourself through the 2320m, taking stops at the rest spots along the way. The portage is not overly difficult in terms of terrain, but it is long and heavy gear and multiple trips will weigh on you-no punn intended. It takes about a half hour to walk through the portage without stopping so with big groups I create strategies and challenges to get the equipment through the most efficient way possible. This portage can be buggy, and there has been bear activity witnessed in the past. After a photo-op with the portage sign at the end, hop into the boats once again and paddle through Tom Thomson to Little Doe Lake. Stop for lunch at a campsite and paddle on through Fawn Lake, Tepee, and Joe Lakes. You will recognize the bridge you canoed under a couple of days ago that will lead you back to the first portage of the trip. Backtrack through the portage and Canoe Lake and you have completed the loop. Celebrate with a treat from the restaurant or store at the access point!
Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland is a recognized geographical area both nationally as a park and internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gros Morne is jam-packed with unique geological features such as an inland fjord, the orange tablelands, sand beaches, coastal shoreline, and a large area of rugged wilderness. According to Parks Canada, it is visited annually by over 100,000 people. In July of 2011 my husband and I attempted to complete the longest backpacking trip in the park-The North Rim and Long Range Traverse. The Long Range Traverse is a popular backpacking trip, starting at the end of the Western Brook Pond Fjord boat tour. The North Rim starts at the dock of the boat tour and adds about 27km to the 35km Long Range Traverse. The North Rim is not a hike that is popular due to its unappealing rugged nature. In fact, when we did it, only 2 groups had been in before us all year. The trip actually starts at the Visitor Centre where you pick up your permit ($122.60CDN). Before you get your permit, you must pass a written test to prove your navigation skills. Did I forget to mention this trip is trail-less? Good map and compass/GPS skills are mandatory skills for this wilderness trip. In addition to your permit, Parks will give you a VHF transmitter to carry in your pack in case they have to find you! We parked our rental car at the Gros More Mountain trailhead and hired a taxi to take us up to the Western Brook Pond parking lot. The drive takes about a half hour. For more planning tips, click here. Day 1- Start to Snug Harbour:We hiked into the Ferry boat landing and took a boat cruise to start the trip. We knew that we would miss out on this by not doing the Long Range Traverse, so we wanted to explore the fjord and scope out some of our route for the first two days. Getting to our first campsite ended up being much more than we bargained for. With 3 days straight of rain before we started, the water levels had risen greatly including the outflow from the Western Brook Pond. The Parks staff had warned us of this, citing that the level might be 'above the knee'. My husband took the first pack across and sank into waist deep fast flowing water. He yelled at me to say he'd come back to get my pack and good thing he did. When I went across I sank to armpit deep and my feet left the bottom and I ended up in a swimming position pulling myself over on the cable. Good thing I am a swimmer and a whitewater paddler and am comfortable in current. The rest of the journey to Snug Harbour displayed signs of moose activity everywhere, not surprising as there is an overpopulation of moose on the island. Day 2 - Snug Harbour to Long Pond: Our first night at Snug Harbour was uneventful and then next morning we got early to hike the 1500ft up to the top of the rim. As soon as we reached the rim and then the weather turned foul. High winds, rain, and plummeting temperatures challenged our abilities. In addition, we learned how frustrating tuckamore can be. Tuckamore is the Newfie word for low-lying dense, stunted fir trees that, when hiking through, is akin to walking through a cedar hedge. We got to the Long Pond campsite in gale force winds and driving rain. It took the two of us get the tent storm lashed down onto the platform and once finished we jumped into our sleeping bags with clothing we brought that was dry and it took 3 hours before we felt warm. Temperatures felt like they were at the freezing mark. We ate handfuls of snacks for dinner as the wind and rain howled for hours and hours. Day 3 - Long Pond: We woke up to freezing cold temperatures, wet gear and complete fog. We couldn't even see 50m out of our tent. We pushed back our start time and kept postponing until our cut off time of noon. We got to noon and the weather hadn't broken, and spent the day reading and keeping warm in the tent. We were storm bound! We stayed inside most of the day until we heard the sounds of a helicopter. Yes, that's right, search and rescue was checking in on us! We didn't give them any S.O.S. type signals and so it left. We thought other groups may have bailed with the extreme weather. Day 4 - Long Pond to Bear Box: We rose on day four and the temperature was significantly warmer. That said the thick fog still lingered but we figured it would burn off and headed out. Navigation was extremely difficult as we had to check our GPS position on the map every 100m to see if we were where we should be. Around 2 PM the clouds finally broke and we had our first sunbeams of the trip. The views opened up and we found the campsite no problem. We were able to find a boggy tent site and dry out our gear until the bugs came out. To escape the bugs, we jumped into the tent after dinner. We had just cleared our tent of bugs when my husband said "I need to go out and brush my teeth". I tried to persuade him to not go but he insisted. When he was outside brushing, he yelled at me to grab my trekking poles because he was looking at a bear. We watched the bear feeding for 45mins and in that time it kept getting closer and closer. Our food and stove was in the bear box (provided at each site) so we knew that wasn't attracting him. We returned to the tent to let him be and stayed quiet and wide-eyed for hours into the night. It started raining again and everything was soaked again. The next morning we got up and left as soon as we could. We called this site "Bear Box" as there was nothing at the campsite other than a bear box to distinguish it! Day 5 - Bear Box to Hardings Pond (17km): Starting in the rain once again, we reached the end of the North Rim trail when we reached the viewpoint for the Western Brook Pond. Views weren't great and the famous photospot wasn't photogenic on that day (photo above). When we were hiking up the rocky slabs out of the valley, my hiking pole slipped on the rock and poked my husband just below the eye. A close call and lesson learned about following people up steep slippery slopes too closely. We continued on to Harding's pond for the night, where we found two other parties camped out on the tent platforms. People! We chatted with them for a bit before realizing that there was no third platform so Glenn and I had to pitch our tent on a small bit of sandy flat ground. As soon as we pitched our tent it started to rain, again. Day 6 - Harding's Pond to Finish (22km): We woke at Hardings Pond, packed up before the other parties and began the day with promising sunshine. Finally! The undulating terrain took us up and over many rock outcroppings and past many view points and we saw two massive caribou! We hiked around many mud puddles and bogs. The day ended up being the best day for views and weather, but our toughest day physically. We descended the steep and sketchy Ferry Gulch to the Gros Morne Campsite and made the decision to march out the last 5km to the parking lot, a total of 22km for the day. The conditions on this trip proved to be very challenging. The rain had created very muddy, slippery and boggy conditions and on many of our steps we sank over the ankle. My double gaiter (OR Salamander and OR Crocodiles on the right below) kept my feet absolutely dry until the end of Day 4. The saturated ground made us have to make many detours around puddles, deep mud, and bogs. At the last minute I had thrown in some plastic garbage bags to use if things got wet. The ended up saving the trip as we used them as extra protection ground covering on the floor of the tent, crossing swollen rivers, and keeping wet tents incased. The extra weight of our saturated gear ended up giving me a nasty case of plantar fasciitis after the trip was over. Hike totals: 70km and 10,000ft of ascent! This wasn't the first National Park I had backpacked in and I found the infrastructure in the backcountry sites lacking. Each site was to have 3 tent platforms (only one of the sites we stayed on did), a green pit toilet and no campfire rings. We found campfire rings that had been used at almost every site even though regulations said othewise. We advised the park office of our disappointment having to sleep on wet bog more that once. This may have changed since 2011. The parks staff also said they closed down the trail after we got on as it was too dangerious to cross rivers, etc. No kidding! The conditions apparently were the worst in 87 years with the volume of rain and the cold temperatures. Another great adventure in the books! :)
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AuthorCanadian gal hooked on pursuing outdoor adventures, testing outdoor gear, and a passion for outdoor education. Archives
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