I used to think Banff was overrated. After spending a week in and around the park I don't think that any more. I do think Banff just takes the brunt of the tourists because the other parks nearby i.e. Height of the Rockies, Peter Lougheed, Kootenay, and Yoho are underrated.
A fun trail-side pit-stop in Banff
I had mostly come to terms with not being able to hike. After my two week break, my Achilles were not quite 100% and I figured a pack full of gear would probably bring them nervously close to reinjury.
So I took it slow.
I did a test hike up Yamnuska with no weight and, apart from getting entirely soaked and pelted by blueberry sized peices of hail, it went okay.
I looked at the campsites Heather and I had fought tooth and nail to book (we had four servers each open, all in queue when the booking site opened in January) and realized that a couple of the sites were within 10km of road. Perfect!
My partner took a week off work and flew down to join me. We did a combination of day hikes, an overnight and then finally a 3 nighter during which we covered the distance I had intended to cover in a single day on our original GDT route.
A rare photo of Cosenti and I together.
We are standing on Mt. Sarrail ridge in the Peter Laugheed
Our first day in Peter Lougheed we did the stunning but popular hike up to Rawson Lake.
Jasper looking for the unseen loon while I admired the mountains
The next day we decided to do something off the beaten track and landed on Gypsum Ridge. A hike that wasn't mentioned much but came up on Gaia Maps and in the guide book from 1980 that lives at the Visitor’s Center. Turns out few humans go up this mountain and, apart from on old mining road that brought us part way up, there was almost no trail. The area was, however, a veritable bear freeway. As we ascended, we noticed definite bear signs mostly in the form of skat. On the way down, we came into contact with the real thing. A mama grizzly and cubs.
I'm sure she heard us coming but had no intention of getting off the trail. When we came around the corner and froze in our tracks she was sniffing the air in our direction, her little cubs oblivious to the strangers who had just disturbed their forest. Cosenti and I backed up, talked loudly and thanked our lucky stars that Jasper, while on-leash, hadn't noticed or startled the Grizzly mama. We ended up bushwacking fall line and then along the river for 2 hours until we got to the river crossing and our car on the other side.
Dinner!!!
Later in the trip when we did an overnight at Bryant Creek, we had to do a similar menuver to avoid a mama moose and her baby. Luckly we were able to skirt around and complete a much shorter bushwack before returning to the trail.
Getting ready to set out from the sunshine parking lot
My dad, who grew up in the rockies and instilled in me his love of hiking, was particularly excited when I told him I was headed to Egypt Lake. “I rarely returned to the same place in the Rockies twice, there is so much to explore” he remembered “but I have been into Egypt Lake four times.”
Hiking towards ball pass junction
Looking down from Healy pass
The hike into Egypt over Heally pass was gorgeous and the alpine traverse from Egypt Lake to Ball pass Junction was one of my favorite places on this entire trip.
Looking back towards Egypt Lake as we made our way to Ball pass Junction
My thinking at the end of my time in Banff:
After hiking predominantly 10km days with some twinges in my Achilles but no lasting inflammation or sourness, I felt like I could carry on and hike the Rockwall; sticking with our original itinerary. I expected that I would be in some minor pain but there are a number of exits off the trail if it started to feel like I might do lasting damage. Hiking the Rockwall would also be an amazing way to end the hiking section of our trip before Heather and I jump ahead to the Canoe. An activity we can both do; ending the trip early but together!
Quick reunion before I started the Rockwall
Fast forward to the Rockwall. Heather has come to meet me after my decent from Ball Pass, we spent a night camped together at Marble Canyon and then she dropped me off back at the Floe Lake trailhead, food bag reloaded.
The iconic Floe Lake
Jasper loving the snow above Floe Lake
The inreach message I sent Heather at the end of my 1st 20km day of hiking on the Rockwall:
"Alright I feel kind of bad asking this because our plans have been in such flux but, would it mess up your work and fall plans if we went north on the 10th instead of the 5th? I feel like I am just getting into the groove of hiking and today felt surprisingly amazing."
A soggy day with glaciers
Her response was to say that the 10th might be a little tight for her to make it back to Invermere and take advantage of the work opportunity she had been offered at the start of September, but that she could make it work. She also said that she would support me if I wanted to continue hiking alone and finish the entire traverse as planned with her cheering me on. I have to admit, I have no desire to cycle the Alaska Highway alone. Dropping the second cycling part of the trip made it easier to end hiking early. That, and the fact that I know I will return to hike the rest of the GDT at some point because it is such a phenomenal route and so much fun!
It also just feels really right to be finishing this trip on the river in the Yukon as a team!
We came to a happy medium. I would keep hiking till the 7th, getting to finish the Rockwall and continue to explore the Yoho Iceline.
Glaciers, rocks, and tarns along the Iceline
More spectacular Iceline views
My last two days of hiking were 30km days with substantial elevation. Meeting Heather at her car I felt tired, accomplished and happily uninjured. As I gratefully chowed down on the tasty snacks she had brought me, my belly was filled with food as my heart filled with joy and excitement for the days to come!
Much love,
Amaya