TOP TEN (5)
More than three
decades ago, between 1983 and 1987 the Passionate Hiker was busy setting the
foundations for his career, and his family, in Alberta, but it didn't stop him
from going on a number of exciting adventures in the Canadian Rockies.
Here is the fifth
of his selected "Top Ten" trips during that time frame. The narrative comes from his diaries, written
at the time. Several of the photos come
from the original negatives and have never been printed before. It was a long, challenging day.
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| 9,000 ft. above sea level on Canada's Continental Divide |
SAT.
1ST SEPTEMBER 1984:
GREAT
DIVIDE MARATHON
Background to
this Story:
Only three weeks after the epic climb up Mist
Mountain, I was out in the mountains once again, on an even more challenging
adventure, along the Continental Divide high above the Kananaskis Lakes. The guidebooks describe this as a two or
three day strenuous backpacking route, but Roger H and I completed the 34
kilometres and almost 4,000 ft. vertical gain in a single day. We climbed above the glaciers and along a
knife-edged snow-covered ridge. There
were some scares, and it was a very long day, but a complete success.
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| Our 34 km route: starts and ends at the Upper Kananaskis Lake |
My Diary:
“One of the
finest backpacking experiences in the Canadian Rockies. This route takes a magnificent line along the
ridgepole of the Great Divide.” (Daffern – Kananaskis Country Trail Guide)
The summer of 1984 has been marked by a series of
increasingly difficult challenges that have included trudging through blizzards
in July, picking our way along rocky ledges to over 10,000 ft. in August, and
now this!
Today we cover 34 kilometres and approximately 4,000
ft. of ascent during the day. We see
lakes, waterfalls, jagged mountains, glaciers, ridges, bare mountainsides and
gentle wooded valleys – in fact everything that makes the Canadian Rockies so
fantastic for hiking.
Our team is reduced to Roger H and me today. Usual 5 a.m. start from Calgary puts us in
the Upper Kananaskis Lake car park and ready to go by 7 a.m., just as the
morning sunlight catches the high peaks.
The first stage of our trek takes us along the southern
edge of the Upper Kananaskis Lake on a very pretty forest path. The morning sun shines directly from behind
us, lighting up the path.
Swing up through the trees to Hidden Lake. Roaring wind from the mountains raises
whitecaps on the wild lake. Huge piles
of deadwood lie along the northern shoreline.
We skirt the lake to its southern end on greasy mud, rocks, fallen trees
and various other obstacles.
From here the path climbs steeply to a rocky
valley. Ahead, the impressive Fossil
Falls. Above us a large party of
Canadian soldiers threads its way down the cliff-band. Every step we take is a struggle as the rocks
give way and so you only progress a half-step!
But finally we are up to the cliffs and look across to the thundering
waterfall.
Along cliff-bands into the upper valley, pausing by an
intriguing ice tunnel – the remnant of a glacier.
The next portion was a delight – although already at
over 7,000 ft., we pass through an enchanting country of green valleys, leading
over a series of ridges to Aster Lake – wild, lonely and spectacular setting.
Wade the river outlet – using my ‘plastic bag’
technique – and curve round the head of the valley. Swirling cloud hides the peaks, from where
glaciers curve down the mountainsides. A
long flat gravel-bottomed valley leads to the glaciers. It seems like it might have been only a few
weeks ago that this valley was filled with ice.
It snows as we climb the final hillside towards the Great
Divide. Up into a gap between Warrior
Mountain and Mt. Northover. A large
curving snow-drift marks the top of the pass, the Continental Divide, and the
border of Alberta and British Columbia.
Contour round the hillside, above 2 small lakes, into
a steep valley. Opposite is the strange
peak of Waka Namb̩ Рlike a thumb pointing up.
We trudge through the snow, upwards in the footsteps of our unseen
‘yeti’, and finally onto the ridge – once again on the Great Divide. Here in the snow and wind and mist we come
upon a weary traveller – huge rucksack [backpack] with rope, crampons, 2 ice
axes and ready for Everest but worn out and lost. He joins us as we turn upward in the thick
mist onto the ridge.
Here we are above an enormous glacier, which clings to
the mountainside and is swallowed up in the mist [I remember seeing an alarming
gap between the top edge of the glacier and the steep mountainside, thinking
that if we fell into that, we’d never get out!]. It’s particularly cold up here – like walking
in a refrigerator. The wind funnily
enough has died down.
Have an exciting map reading problem. We walk down to a dead end. Above us the glacier is hissing like a live
thing. Just as we wonder which route to take, the mist clears and displays a
most spectacular panorama. We had been
heading down onto the glacier instead of up onto the ridge.
This next section is certainly the most exciting part
of my long walking career! Follow the
yeti’s footprints through the snow on an increasingly narrowing ridge. Cornices grace the summit. Up here at 9,000 ft. on the Great Divide one
feels very exposed and isolated. Negotiate
a particularly razor-sharp portion of ridge – long drops both sides.
Eventually we drop down steeply to a col opposite two
fine peaks – Onslow and Defender. Drop steeply
off the col and down to a glacial valley.
Excellent snow ‘highways’ to skate down, then into more tame country –
bear country definitely. The valley
floor is also gravelly and flat – would make a great runway!
Finally reach Three Isle Lake, a popular backpacking
destination. Skirt the lake to the
eastern end, where we have a chat with the Park Ranger – a young guy who camps
up here to keep an eye on the campers, who although fairly numerous are also
very quiet.
Up through the trees then down the steep headwall into
the valley below. Roger starts a merry
pace down through the forest and so we are soon at the Maud Lake junction. By now we are getting a little weary.
On to a forestry road that insists on climbing, and
eventually we can see down to the Upper Kananaskis Lake once again, this time
from the north side. A hard slog leads
us to the road between the Upper and Lower lakes. Evening sunshine lights up the
mountains. Along the road and finally
back to our car, where the light is starting to fade at 7.40 p.m. as I bathe my
feet in pump water!
Over 12½ hours of continuous walking, with only a few
breaks – and one’s memory crammed too full with incredible sights and
experiences – a marathon day!
STATISTICS:
Summit Elev. = 9,330 ft.
Height Gain =
3,830 ft.
Hike Distance = 34 km
Time on Trail = 12 hrs. 40 mins.
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| Upper Kananaskis Lake parking lot - morning sunlight |
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| Upper Kananaskis Lake |
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| Hidden Lake |
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| Fossil Falls |
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| Glacier cave |
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| View back down to Upper Kananaskis Lake |
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| Exciting route heading for the mountain wall |
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| Glacial valley |
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| Aster Lake |
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| Non-traditional creek crossing technique |
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| Mt. Northover ahead |
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| A very long, challenging day in the mountains |
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| Climbing from Aster Lake... |
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| ...and enjoying the view back down |
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| High on M|t. Northover |
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| Discover a lost traveller |
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| On the Great Divide at around 9,000 ft. |
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| Some razor-edged ridges ahead |
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| A spectacular upper arm of the glacier |
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| Defender Mtn. (2,790 m/9,154 ft.) |
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| Dropping down to the col where we turn right down to Three Isle Lake |
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| Three Isle Lake below |
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| Snow fields |
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| Looking back up to Mt. Northover and the Great Divide |
