Goat Haunt Backpack

As I walked back into my campsite at Akamina (2 miles) it started pouring rain. By the time that I reached the campsite I was pretty wet but the rain had stopped. I decided to check out Forum Falls and Forum Lake to dry my pants and jacket out before I settled down. I stopped in and saw the ranger on the way. I let him know that I paid for two nights in US dollars. He hadn't even realized that I hadn't paid the evening before. Akamina is comparatively cheap - $5 per night. It is actually in a British Columbia provincial park bordering Waterton National Park. They provide fire wood and a place to store your food. It was a great little place.

It was quite cold that night and the next morning. My fingers were numb by the time I finished packing up. I felt warmer after the two mile walk back to my car. I then drove to a picnic area and sorted my gear for an overnight backpack to Goat Haunt. Deer were all over Waterton townsite - even mothers and fawns and they showed no real fear of humans. There were signs about keeping your dogs away because apparently the deer have killed a few curious dogs while trying to protect their fawns.

The hike out to Goat Haunt turned out to be over nine miles. For some reason I thought it was supposed to be much less. It was pretty with views of Waterton Lake along the way. It was interesting to cross the border. There were two boundary markers with different dates. It would have been interesting to know a little more about that. At one point I came across alot of fur on the trail. There was also a skull. It was an obvious kill of a bear or cougar. I was a little nervous after that as the trail was overgrown. I was calling out quite often to let the big carnivores know that I was coming.

From Goat Haunt Backpack

At Goat Haunt I had to go through customs as it was in the USA. This was only showing my passport. I dried out my gear for an hour or so and then headed out to check out Olson Mountain, Olson Creek and Lake Janet. I was tired but it was a beautiful walk. There were lots of oddly shaped mountains. I would really like to explore that area more sometime in the future. On the way back to camp I went up a trail to Rainbow Falls. This was totally uninspiring. However there was a muddy area on the way were a deer was sucking at the mud. It turns out that they get minerals of some kind from this area.

The next morning I headed back to Waterton. It was a still beautiful morning and I got some great photos of mountains reflected in the lake. There was no immigration process here. The ranger was really nice and made sure I knew that there was a Mt Olson and Olson drainage.

From Goat Haunt Backpack

I was calling out again on the way back but at one point I rounded a turn and saw a huge brown rump. My heart stopped but I soon realised that it was a moose. This wasn't too bad but they can be dangerous too. I pondered what to do. I called out and made noise but it kind of hung out on the trail for a while. Eventually it moved off and I edged down the trail. No problems.

After I finished walking back to Waterton I drove down to East Glacier. The Chief Mountain Hwy was fantastic. I really hope I can check out the Belly River region that is along there.

Full size photos here or see slideshow below.

Waterton Lake National Park (Akamina and Lineham)

Last night I camped at Akamina which is actually a park in British Columbia. I hiked in 2 miles from the Waterton trail head. A funny thing on the way to the campground. I met a couple from Perth. The girl worked in Mullewa last year about an hour away from me. It is a small world.

I was the only one at the campground that I saw. My gear all worked well and it rained so it was a good test. The down side was that I didn't have the cash to pay for the campsite. I had to leave an IOU.

In the morning I hiked out and hiked the Lineham Ridge hike. It was 17.2 km in length and gained 950m in elevation so it wasn't a walk in the park. It started off great when a deer walked right by me as I organised my stuff. The trail was surrounded by wildflowers which helped ease the climb. On the way up I stopped at Lower Rowe lake. It was pretty. I saw three marmots peaking their heads out below a rock. I can't believe it but I got their picture.

From Lineham Ridge Trail

I was extra bear cautious calling out often. I think this scared a group of big horn sheep because I didn't see them on my way out but when I looked back I saw them. I walked back down hill to get a photo. The hike went up, up, up past the tree line through snow and scree but it was worth it. The view from the top was super.

In the morning I am backpacking out to Goat Haunt in the USA (passport needed) and checking out Olson Creek.

View photos here or watch the slideshow below

Eiffel Lake

I was up early checking out the weather to determine the best course of action. I found that it was very foggy but I could see blue sky above me. I decided to head out and hike to Eiffel lake. I drove to the trailhead at Moraine Lake. The lake was a gorgeous color.

From Eiffel Lake

I headed up the trail after taking a few photos of the lake. It was up a series of switchbacks. At the top of the switchbacks I was disappointed that I didn't have a good view of the lake but the view of the Faye Glacier was great. Also the jagged snowy peaks were beautiful. It was quite overcast. However as I approached Eiffel Lake blue sky opened up overhead. I was so lucky. I also saw more of the marmots on the way. On the way down, it started snowing a little. That was quite funny. Especially when I bumped into a couple of hikers with bare butts on the trail as they changed pants. It was really quite a busy trail for that.

At the bottom I did another walk along the lakeside to try and get a nice photo of Moraine Lake. It was such a beautiful color. The only downside was the helicopter. They were upgrading one of the trails and it was flying back and forth with supplies.

Icefields Parkway

I woke to a rainy and very cloudy day. I had hoped to do several hikes as I headed south on the Icefields parkway but the weather put that in doubt. As I drove through the deep glacial valleys much of the scenery was obscured by cloud. Needless to say I as a little sad as I hadn't spent much time taking photos on the way up. I stopped and checked out the Athabasca Falls which were pretty impressive and I saw a coyote right on the road.

From Icefield Parkway

Luckily, the Columbia Icefields were not covered by cloud. I took a few photos, spoke to the information desk and headed out to hike to Wilcox Pass. It was a nice hike. The views of the glacier were good but the cloud was closing in. As I approached what I believe was the end of the trail the drizzle of rain turned into a gush. I also heard a loud crack which was either a big avalanche or thunder. I took this as a sign to head back. On the way back I spotted some big horned sheep on the hillside. They were too far away for a photo but I could check them out with my scope. There were also lots of pretty wildflowers on the way. On the way down it stopped raining and I started questioning my decision to turn around. As I got to my car it started pouring down so it turns out that I did make the right decision. I drove in the rain for quite awhile. I had to cancel my plans to hike in various other areas. On the upside, I spotted a "bear jam" - a bunch of cars pulled over to check out a bear. It was a black bear walking parallel to the road. It was pretty cool.

Check out the rest of the full size photos here or view the mini slide show below.

Jasper Hikes

I woke early and posted photos and blog write ups. I checked out the trail status and discovered that one of the trails that I was going to hike with Bev and Steve was closed. I decided to go to the Malgine area instead. I popped by Bev and Steve's chalet and let them know that I would be going it on my own.

I headed off to the Malgine area and was dismayed by the very, very slow speed limit - 60 km/h. That is less than 40 mph. On the upside I saw a caribou.

From Hikes from Jasper

The views of Medicine and Malgine lake were nice along the way. I hiked the Bald hill trail, the Moose Loop Trail, Mona Lake and Malgine Canyon. It was not as long as it sounds. I saw some very interesting marmots along the trail. Here is a picture of one that kept sticking his head out at me.

From Hikes from Jasper

I had dinner with Bev and Steve who are heading to BC in the morning. I am heading back down the Icefields Highway stopping and hiking along the way.

Photos here or in the slide show below.

Plain of Six Glaciers

From Plain of the Six Glaciers

On the way up to Jasper I did an awesome hike called Plain of Six Glaciers. As you would have guessed you see six glaciers. I didn't count them but there were many. I linked this hike with a hike to Lake Agnes. There were two tea houses on the way but they were so busy that I didn't get anything at them but they looked fun.

It was a long drive to Jasper - not in distance but in time. However, the glacier views along the way were awesome. I can't wait to check some of that out on my way back. I did see mountain goats on the way to Jasper as well. In Jasper I saw an elk right by my hostel.

Hikes from Castle Mt in Banff Canada

I have to start this blog day out with a rant. I know that Johnston Canyon is a busy place and lots of people are enjoying hiking in the area. However, a few things really spoil it for the rest of us

1- Hiking while listening to music with your friends is not fun for the rest of us trying to hear the wildlife.

2- Puffing on a cigarette while walking on the trail is unpleasant for those of us wishing to enjoy the forest smells.

3- Acting as if the trail is there for you and you alone is inconsiderate.

Now about day 1 hiking in the Castle Mountain region --

I met up with Bev and Steve in their hotel yesterday. They enjoyed greyhounds on their balcony and then we went out for a nice meal. We arranged to meet at my hostel in the AM to hike. We went up to Stanley Glacier and hike it. It is 8.4 km roundtrip with an elevation gain of 395m. It was pretty with snow covered mountains around us.

From Hikes from Castle Mt

We saw a marmot on the way which was nice. I took a tumble off the trail and have a big bruise to prove it. All and all it was very nice. Afterwards we went to Johnstone Canyon where we viewed the Upper and Lower Falls. Bev and Steve headed back to their Banff Lodge and I went up to the Ink Pots. They were nice and I talked to a few Canadian teachers up there.

Heading back to the hostel I saw two black bear cubs on the side of the road. I was in my car and they were pretty close. Woo Hoo is all I can say