I was just looking through some literature I picked up at the TIAC conference I attended last week. There is a quote that really grabbed my attention so I thought that I add it to the Blog site. "All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware." - Martin Buber. As a mountain guide and tour guide, I feel it is my duty to reveal some of these 'secret destinations' to my guests. However, it is even more important to keep most of these 'secret destinations' just that, a secret. It is only then when everyone knows these 'secret destinations' that one has nothing left for themself. It is easy as a guide to show others too much, more or less stroking one's ego. It is good to share, but becareful that sharing doesn't turn into selling one's soul.
There is so much in that one line; you know it's a good quote when you can read so much into it.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Sunwapta Peak
Yesterday we attempted to climb Sunwapta Peak. We wanted to get one more peak in before the end of the season. We would have reached our highest elevation -- over 11,000 ft AND our highest verticle gain (in one day) of 5300 ft. Every thing was looking good until we reached 3000 m (roughly 9100 ft); it was then that the weather changed for the worse. What started to be a beautiful day of sun and cloud changed to driving winds and blinding snow... the wind chill approached -15'C. We decided to turn back but we will attempt it again next year.
Success' of this trip -- Highest elevation this year and the quickest ascent of what we did accomplish -- worked out to 400 m (1300 ft) per hour. Who knows, we may get in another peak before the end of the year. Hopefully it continues to snow for good skiing in the early season. Here's a link to a video taken as we decided to end the climb.
Success' of this trip -- Highest elevation this year and the quickest ascent of what we did accomplish -- worked out to 400 m (1300 ft) per hour. Who knows, we may get in another peak before the end of the year. Hopefully it continues to snow for good skiing in the early season. Here's a link to a video taken as we decided to end the climb.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The Alternate Trip -- Brazeau Lake
Harvey Lake didn't work out. After the Yoho, Wolf incident, we awoke the next morning with myself sick but more importantly, Dieter with a bad shoulder. Dieter had broken his clavicle years prior, but it had never healed properly. The weight of his pack aggravated his shoulder and would have made Harvey Lake nearly impossible for him. (I now realize how much food he was carrying... too much of course)
Anyhow, we decided tohead into the Brazeau region, on Thursday instead for upto 8 days. Here's how it went down.
Thursday October 12, 2006 -- From Icefield Parkway to Four Points Campground -- 14 km
We started early with beautiful weather. We hit the trail at 10:30 am, making lots of noise along the way due the the large amount of bear activity in the area. We made our way to Nigel Pass by 1 pm at 2250m. We stopped for a while and took in the view. This was the nicest weather I have ever experienced in Nigel Pass.
While working our way down Nigel Pass to the Brazeau River we met with Terry Winkler, Park Warden, making the last patrol of the season through the South Boundary. Terry said that the weather forecast was calling for either beautiful sunny days, or -25'C weather... big difference!
We continued on to Boulder Creek campground where Dieter informed me that his shoulder has causing him a lot of problems. This was the first time during this trip that he mentioned that he may not be able to go all the way to Brazeau Lake.
We reached Four Point Campground at 4:00 pm. We found ample wood and set up a comfortable camp. It is getting dark very early these days so we decided to turn in at 9:15 pm with no real plans for the next day, except to meet Shawna at Four Points Warden Cabin for the next evening around 5 pm.
Thursday night was awful cold. I find that it usually takes me a night or two to remember how to keep myself warm during these sub zero nights. Needless to say I slept about half of the night.
Friday October 20, 2006 -- Day Hike -- Maximum elevation 2300m.
We took our time getting up and ready for the day. Once we were mobile we went over to the Warden Cabin to find the grave of John McGivillary, the mysterious hiker who died in that very cabin of starvation in 1953. We set off NW towards Jonas Pass. We traveled less than 5 km before striking W to three little tarns and an expansive view of both the Brazeau River Valley and Jonas Pass. This was a very enjoyable outing with wonderful weather. Some days it is just nice to wander with no plans, no expectations, but a want to explore... these are the days that are the most rewarding.
We made it back to our camp by 3:30pm to find a note in the dirt telling us that Shawna had already made to the Cabin. We packed up our stuff and headed over.
That evening we enjoyed the warmth on the unusually large wood stove (for such a small cabin). It was a tight fit for three people and three dogs. We spent most of the evening reading over the notes on John, who apparently haunts the cabin, and what would drive such a person to act in such an irrational manor. If anyone is interested in knowing more about this, please email me and I'll give you the whole story. That night I also decided to leave Dieter with Shawna and head in alone to Brazeau Lake the next day (with Yoho of course). My reason was based on the fact that Dieter's shoulder was still very sore and Shawna had told us that the weather was supposed to take a swing for the worst... that meaning, we'd be best to cut the trip short.
Saturday October 21, 2006 -- Solo to Brazeau Lake, 18.5 km -- Elevation difference -- not much
We awoke to an ominous sky.. the high cirrus clouds combined with lenticular clouds and falling barometric pressure means bad weather on the way. We had a wonderful breakfast of Dieter's pancakes and I was ready to leave by 11:00 am. I hoped to get to the Lake by 5 pm. I lightened my load, taking only two days worth of food as I planned to return no later than Monday... but if the weather turned overnight, I would return the next day.
During the first hour I made very good time and the trail was frozen, unfortunately that began to change and the mud thawed and made for travel that was irritating my right knee. I moved very quickly wanting to get to the lake as early as possible inorder to fish. I made it to the Brazeau River camp at 2:45 pm with only 2 km left to go. This was a tough last two km after completing 16.5 at such a fast speed... proof that moving slower will allow you to travel further throughout the day. I didn't reach the Lake until 3:30 pm and was exhausted.
I set up camp, gathered wood, and went fishing by 4:30 pm. I followed the east shore to a small bay aprox 500m from the mouth of the lake which usually feeds the Brazeau river (this time it was bone dry. It seems the water travels underground to the river as you can hear the roar of the river from the Brazeau Lake Camp, but are unable to see it). Fishing started out slow, only one fish for ten casts. I switched to the blue fox (blue/rainbow colour) that my father-in-law gave to me for Christmas. I couldn't keep the fish off of it! I caught so many fish that I had to stop using it as they swallowed this lure so deep that it was hard to keep these fish alive and return them to the lake after extricating the lure. I decided that i had a rare chance to try out my tackle in a spot where I knew there were fish, so I kept fishing. Finally at 5:30 pm and 15 fish later I decided to keep a 1 lb rainbow, perfect for Yoho and I (I let the big ones go, for now).
After returning to camp I settled in for the night. We cooked up the fish and shared it between us (Yoho and I). I was quite lonely as I knew there was no one within 18.5 km from where I was. To pass the time I read the camp log, finding my entry from the year before. I saw that we were the last party to visit Brazeau Lake for 2005 and that I would be the last one to visit, yet again, for 2006. The log wasn't very very extensive and interestingly enough, most parties found themselves to be alone at the campground although the visitor office told them the campground was full. I turned in at 9 pm and slept straight through to 5 am to hear the soft pitter patter of rain on my tent fly... the weather had turned.
Sunday October 22, 2006 -- Brazeau Lake to Four Point Cabin -- 18.5 km
There was no reason to stay, but lots of reasons to leave. I thought it to be unfair for Dieter to have to witness the rain turn to snow and watch the trail become all the more difficult as time went on. I didn't want to subject him (or myself) to deep snow through Nigel Pass. I was in turmoil thinking about leaving but early on I made the decision to leave (which was the right thing to do)... besides I found myself missing Tracey.
The one thing Dieter asked was that I bring him back a fish so I went fishing for a little while in the morning bagging a 2.5-3 lb rainbow in the same area that I was fishing earlier. It took me an hour to catch this one fish and worried for a while that I would have nothing to bring to Dieter and would not be able to prove to him that I caught anything. I carried the fish to camp and made a rock pool to hold it and keep it fresh, although I didn't expect it to survive the .5 km walk back. After packing up camp and eating breakfast I went down to clean my catch. To my surprise the trout was still alive and trying to hide from me. When I pulled it out of the lake I dropped it and it nearly flopped back in out of my pool!!! So very quickly I cut off it's head, and cleaned it. I spiced it and wrapped it in foil and placed it in two ziplock bags... no need to attract any friends along the trail.
I was off by a little past noon and wanted to get back by 5 pm. Once again I moved at a great speed and made it back by 4:30 pm even after a long stop to photograph the Brazeau Canyon.
Dieter was happy to have me back. I noticed some wolf tracks leading on the trail towards him, and the wolves had paid him and Nunavut a visit. After our mishap with Yoho earlier we were very leery of wolves around our dogs.
That evening we had a roaring fire, and enjoyed the fish I caught and brought to Dieter. That night we slept well through the sound of falling snow.
Monday October 23, 2006 -- Four Pont Camp to Nigel Pass Trailhead -- 14 km
We took our time preparing breakfast and packing up and were on our way by 11:00 am. It snowed the entire way out which made us glad about our decision to leave early. It was bitter cold on Nigel Pass and we took very few breaks on the way out. We reached the vehicle by 3:30 pm which was much quicker that the way in. We decided that the terrain was much easier on the way out than on the way in.
Harvey Lake?? We will complete it next summer... and we're already planning it too!
Anyhow, we decided tohead into the Brazeau region, on Thursday instead for upto 8 days. Here's how it went down.
Thursday October 12, 2006 -- From Icefield Parkway to Four Points Campground -- 14 km
We started early with beautiful weather. We hit the trail at 10:30 am, making lots of noise along the way due the the large amount of bear activity in the area. We made our way to Nigel Pass by 1 pm at 2250m. We stopped for a while and took in the view. This was the nicest weather I have ever experienced in Nigel Pass.
While working our way down Nigel Pass to the Brazeau River we met with Terry Winkler, Park Warden, making the last patrol of the season through the South Boundary. Terry said that the weather forecast was calling for either beautiful sunny days, or -25'C weather... big difference!
We continued on to Boulder Creek campground where Dieter informed me that his shoulder has causing him a lot of problems. This was the first time during this trip that he mentioned that he may not be able to go all the way to Brazeau Lake.
We reached Four Point Campground at 4:00 pm. We found ample wood and set up a comfortable camp. It is getting dark very early these days so we decided to turn in at 9:15 pm with no real plans for the next day, except to meet Shawna at Four Points Warden Cabin for the next evening around 5 pm.
Thursday night was awful cold. I find that it usually takes me a night or two to remember how to keep myself warm during these sub zero nights. Needless to say I slept about half of the night.
Friday October 20, 2006 -- Day Hike -- Maximum elevation 2300m.
We took our time getting up and ready for the day. Once we were mobile we went over to the Warden Cabin to find the grave of John McGivillary, the mysterious hiker who died in that very cabin of starvation in 1953. We set off NW towards Jonas Pass. We traveled less than 5 km before striking W to three little tarns and an expansive view of both the Brazeau River Valley and Jonas Pass. This was a very enjoyable outing with wonderful weather. Some days it is just nice to wander with no plans, no expectations, but a want to explore... these are the days that are the most rewarding.
We made it back to our camp by 3:30pm to find a note in the dirt telling us that Shawna had already made to the Cabin. We packed up our stuff and headed over.
That evening we enjoyed the warmth on the unusually large wood stove (for such a small cabin). It was a tight fit for three people and three dogs. We spent most of the evening reading over the notes on John, who apparently haunts the cabin, and what would drive such a person to act in such an irrational manor. If anyone is interested in knowing more about this, please email me and I'll give you the whole story. That night I also decided to leave Dieter with Shawna and head in alone to Brazeau Lake the next day (with Yoho of course). My reason was based on the fact that Dieter's shoulder was still very sore and Shawna had told us that the weather was supposed to take a swing for the worst... that meaning, we'd be best to cut the trip short.
Saturday October 21, 2006 -- Solo to Brazeau Lake, 18.5 km -- Elevation difference -- not much
We awoke to an ominous sky.. the high cirrus clouds combined with lenticular clouds and falling barometric pressure means bad weather on the way. We had a wonderful breakfast of Dieter's pancakes and I was ready to leave by 11:00 am. I hoped to get to the Lake by 5 pm. I lightened my load, taking only two days worth of food as I planned to return no later than Monday... but if the weather turned overnight, I would return the next day.
During the first hour I made very good time and the trail was frozen, unfortunately that began to change and the mud thawed and made for travel that was irritating my right knee. I moved very quickly wanting to get to the lake as early as possible inorder to fish. I made it to the Brazeau River camp at 2:45 pm with only 2 km left to go. This was a tough last two km after completing 16.5 at such a fast speed... proof that moving slower will allow you to travel further throughout the day. I didn't reach the Lake until 3:30 pm and was exhausted.
I set up camp, gathered wood, and went fishing by 4:30 pm. I followed the east shore to a small bay aprox 500m from the mouth of the lake which usually feeds the Brazeau river (this time it was bone dry. It seems the water travels underground to the river as you can hear the roar of the river from the Brazeau Lake Camp, but are unable to see it). Fishing started out slow, only one fish for ten casts. I switched to the blue fox (blue/rainbow colour) that my father-in-law gave to me for Christmas. I couldn't keep the fish off of it! I caught so many fish that I had to stop using it as they swallowed this lure so deep that it was hard to keep these fish alive and return them to the lake after extricating the lure. I decided that i had a rare chance to try out my tackle in a spot where I knew there were fish, so I kept fishing. Finally at 5:30 pm and 15 fish later I decided to keep a 1 lb rainbow, perfect for Yoho and I (I let the big ones go, for now).
After returning to camp I settled in for the night. We cooked up the fish and shared it between us (Yoho and I). I was quite lonely as I knew there was no one within 18.5 km from where I was. To pass the time I read the camp log, finding my entry from the year before. I saw that we were the last party to visit Brazeau Lake for 2005 and that I would be the last one to visit, yet again, for 2006. The log wasn't very very extensive and interestingly enough, most parties found themselves to be alone at the campground although the visitor office told them the campground was full. I turned in at 9 pm and slept straight through to 5 am to hear the soft pitter patter of rain on my tent fly... the weather had turned.
Sunday October 22, 2006 -- Brazeau Lake to Four Point Cabin -- 18.5 km
There was no reason to stay, but lots of reasons to leave. I thought it to be unfair for Dieter to have to witness the rain turn to snow and watch the trail become all the more difficult as time went on. I didn't want to subject him (or myself) to deep snow through Nigel Pass. I was in turmoil thinking about leaving but early on I made the decision to leave (which was the right thing to do)... besides I found myself missing Tracey.
The one thing Dieter asked was that I bring him back a fish so I went fishing for a little while in the morning bagging a 2.5-3 lb rainbow in the same area that I was fishing earlier. It took me an hour to catch this one fish and worried for a while that I would have nothing to bring to Dieter and would not be able to prove to him that I caught anything. I carried the fish to camp and made a rock pool to hold it and keep it fresh, although I didn't expect it to survive the .5 km walk back. After packing up camp and eating breakfast I went down to clean my catch. To my surprise the trout was still alive and trying to hide from me. When I pulled it out of the lake I dropped it and it nearly flopped back in out of my pool!!! So very quickly I cut off it's head, and cleaned it. I spiced it and wrapped it in foil and placed it in two ziplock bags... no need to attract any friends along the trail.
I was off by a little past noon and wanted to get back by 5 pm. Once again I moved at a great speed and made it back by 4:30 pm even after a long stop to photograph the Brazeau Canyon.
Dieter was happy to have me back. I noticed some wolf tracks leading on the trail towards him, and the wolves had paid him and Nunavut a visit. After our mishap with Yoho earlier we were very leery of wolves around our dogs.
That evening we had a roaring fire, and enjoyed the fish I caught and brought to Dieter. That night we slept well through the sound of falling snow.
Monday October 23, 2006 -- Four Pont Camp to Nigel Pass Trailhead -- 14 km
We took our time preparing breakfast and packing up and were on our way by 11:00 am. It snowed the entire way out which made us glad about our decision to leave early. It was bitter cold on Nigel Pass and we took very few breaks on the way out. We reached the vehicle by 3:30 pm which was much quicker that the way in. We decided that the terrain was much easier on the way out than on the way in.
Harvey Lake?? We will complete it next summer... and we're already planning it too!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
False Start
Yeah I should be in Elyssium Pass right now, but something happened.
Yoho and Nunavut got a little strange at 11 am aprox 7 km up the trail. Yoho especially acted as if there was some sort of animal on the trail. Now being the fool that I am I said the magic words 'Who's there?'... and he was off! What we heard was Yoho barking and snarling and then... a yelp and nothing else. Anyhow, we called and called for him. I left my pack with Dieter so that he could wait there if he came back. I ran all the way to the trailhead hoping to find him there... yelling his name the entire way; he wasn't there. I hurried back to Dieter to find that he had not return... boy was I a sorry fellow. Not only did I lose my dog, but the trip would have to be cancelled if he wasn't found.
About 2 km from the trailhead I called Jasper National Park warden dispatch to alert them of my missing dog. Strangely, Dieter's roommate, Shawna a park warden, already had him. He was picked up on the highway at 2 pm by a trucker. Yoho was being chased by a pack of wolves!
It seems they had him on the run for three hours and he made it out alive! (luckiest dog ever)
Anyhow, Tracey picked us up at 3:30pm and we went and got Yoho from Dieters. Yoho looks a little stressed and VERY stiff but otherwise he's fine. We set out again tomorrow 8 am for now, what will be, a 9 day trip.
Yoho and Nunavut got a little strange at 11 am aprox 7 km up the trail. Yoho especially acted as if there was some sort of animal on the trail. Now being the fool that I am I said the magic words 'Who's there?'... and he was off! What we heard was Yoho barking and snarling and then... a yelp and nothing else. Anyhow, we called and called for him. I left my pack with Dieter so that he could wait there if he came back. I ran all the way to the trailhead hoping to find him there... yelling his name the entire way; he wasn't there. I hurried back to Dieter to find that he had not return... boy was I a sorry fellow. Not only did I lose my dog, but the trip would have to be cancelled if he wasn't found.
About 2 km from the trailhead I called Jasper National Park warden dispatch to alert them of my missing dog. Strangely, Dieter's roommate, Shawna a park warden, already had him. He was picked up on the highway at 2 pm by a trucker. Yoho was being chased by a pack of wolves!
It seems they had him on the run for three hours and he made it out alive! (luckiest dog ever)
Anyhow, Tracey picked us up at 3:30pm and we went and got Yoho from Dieters. Yoho looks a little stressed and VERY stiff but otherwise he's fine. We set out again tomorrow 8 am for now, what will be, a 9 day trip.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
2 days...
Dieter and I just had a meeting with Brian Wilson who a decade ago guided a few people into Harvey Lake. He confirmed a few ideas I had and alerted us to high bear activity in certain areas, and where there are some trails to help us along the way.
We weighed my pack, 55 lbs... not bad... it will probably top out at 59 lbs after I add the rest of the food, water, and reading book. I'm satisfied with this weight... beats last year's 62 lbs. My preliminary pack job looked horrible so I'll have to repack as everything is spilling out. Oh well, it usually takes three pack jobs to get it right. At this time I weigh 162 lbs... hopefully that will drop to.
We weighed my pack, 55 lbs... not bad... it will probably top out at 59 lbs after I add the rest of the food, water, and reading book. I'm satisfied with this weight... beats last year's 62 lbs. My preliminary pack job looked horrible so I'll have to repack as everything is spilling out. Oh well, it usually takes three pack jobs to get it right. At this time I weigh 162 lbs... hopefully that will drop to.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Five day count down begins!
Five days until the Harvey Lake expedition begins.
Today, Tracey and I are heading to Calgary to get our passports in order for our November trip. For me though, this is an opportunity to pick up any last minute supplies for the Harvey Lake Trip. I haven't been talking much about this trip as the weather seemed kind of worrying a few weeks ago. The weather now appears to be stable (for now) and the trip will depart on Monday October 9, 2006. -- day break!
For those of you familiar with my past Autumn trips, you may remember that groups were of 5 or 6 members strong, each trip lasting 14-15 days. The greater portion of these extended excursions was along a trail (in good repair is another story though). This year will be much different... this is how it all started.
This summer I was contacted by a Jasper outdoor guru, Edi Kompfenstein, he was planning to take a trip to what is know as Harvey Lake. Edi, (62?) has hiked just about everywhere in this area except Harvey Lake. Now last year I had thought about taking the challenge of going to this lake perhaps, next year. When Edi mentioned this to me, well, it was time to go. To make a drawn out story short, Edi can't go, I could only find one other person who could, Dieter. I've known Dieter for two years and he's also twice my age (he'll hate me for writing that)... Anyhow Dieter was more than interested in going. So this year the trip is going to be 10 days long, almost entirely off trail, and it will only be Dieter, myself and our dogs; all in all were looking to travel 80 km.
Harvey Lake is very unknown (by the way, this Harvey Lake is in Jasper -- not the popular one in Banff) , few Park Wardens have ever seen it. What we know is this, the lake is over 2 km long and the people who have fished it, have had a hard time catching fish 'small enough to eat'! So far my thoughts on the trip have been on the fishing of this lake, however, the area we will be traveling through is going to be stunning! We are accessing the area via Elyssium Pass, a place I've been wanting to visit for 4 years. There we will be moving through Monarch Meadows past one of my top five favourite mountains... Monarch Mountain, down an unnamed valley into the Snaring Valley. The Snaring Valley is the largest major valley in Jasper National Park with NO ACCESS!... I'm talking no trails let alone road. Few people have traveled this valley. Anyhow, this area is ripe with grizzly's and the route is full of history. This is going to be a trip of a lifetime simply because I'll probably never make it back there again. Wish me luck and stay tune for maybe one more update before I leave.
Today, Tracey and I are heading to Calgary to get our passports in order for our November trip. For me though, this is an opportunity to pick up any last minute supplies for the Harvey Lake Trip. I haven't been talking much about this trip as the weather seemed kind of worrying a few weeks ago. The weather now appears to be stable (for now) and the trip will depart on Monday October 9, 2006. -- day break!
For those of you familiar with my past Autumn trips, you may remember that groups were of 5 or 6 members strong, each trip lasting 14-15 days. The greater portion of these extended excursions was along a trail (in good repair is another story though). This year will be much different... this is how it all started.
This summer I was contacted by a Jasper outdoor guru, Edi Kompfenstein, he was planning to take a trip to what is know as Harvey Lake. Edi, (62?) has hiked just about everywhere in this area except Harvey Lake. Now last year I had thought about taking the challenge of going to this lake perhaps, next year. When Edi mentioned this to me, well, it was time to go. To make a drawn out story short, Edi can't go, I could only find one other person who could, Dieter. I've known Dieter for two years and he's also twice my age (he'll hate me for writing that)... Anyhow Dieter was more than interested in going. So this year the trip is going to be 10 days long, almost entirely off trail, and it will only be Dieter, myself and our dogs; all in all were looking to travel 80 km.
Harvey Lake is very unknown (by the way, this Harvey Lake is in Jasper -- not the popular one in Banff) , few Park Wardens have ever seen it. What we know is this, the lake is over 2 km long and the people who have fished it, have had a hard time catching fish 'small enough to eat'! So far my thoughts on the trip have been on the fishing of this lake, however, the area we will be traveling through is going to be stunning! We are accessing the area via Elyssium Pass, a place I've been wanting to visit for 4 years. There we will be moving through Monarch Meadows past one of my top five favourite mountains... Monarch Mountain, down an unnamed valley into the Snaring Valley. The Snaring Valley is the largest major valley in Jasper National Park with NO ACCESS!... I'm talking no trails let alone road. Few people have traveled this valley. Anyhow, this area is ripe with grizzly's and the route is full of history. This is going to be a trip of a lifetime simply because I'll probably never make it back there again. Wish me luck and stay tune for maybe one more update before I leave.
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