After a few days in the frontcountry at Glacier, we were ready to try some backpacking. Well, some of us were more ready than others - one of us was, the other one of us was a bit more unsure about heading into
grizzly bear country (also, did you know that grizzly bears can
stalk people and attack them at night in their tents? I'm just saying . . . .).
But, anyway, after realizing that we could get a permit for one of the most spectacular hikes in the park, AND that this hike involved crossing the Continental Divide, it did seem hard to resist the opportunity.
We hiked from Lake McDonald (the lake on the left in the map below) over Gunsight Pass and past Gunsight Lake (the lake on the right in the map below) out to the road. The trip totaled 21 miles, and Mike calculated that in the two days it took us to hike it, we hiked over a vertical mile.
Here were just starting out
Not to stoke fears of bears or anything, but this was the sign on the trail as we began (you might have to click to enlarge for the full fear factor)
We hiked up all morning
We had lunch looking at this view
Just after lunch we passed
Sperry Chalet (and it looked very nice - too bad reservations fill up years in advance)
We kept going up
The views were amazing (that's Lake McDonald, where we started, way down below)
And then we crossed Sperry Pass and came down on the other side
Finally, Lake Ellen Wilson came into view. This is where we spent the night.
Time for a little rest
Once we arrived at the lake, we made camp, made dinner, and hung our packs
And then we went to watch the beautiful sunset reflected on the amazing rock walls surrounding the lake
I didn't sleep well at all that night - it was a combination of things: first, fearing the bears so much, I didn't want any part of me touching the side of the tent (not so easy in a small backpacking tent), and, second, although I'd planned for it to be quite cold during the night, it was strangely hot (perhaps all those rocks radiating the heat from the day?). I just couldn't get comfortable.
The next morning we were off to cross the Continental Divide. First, a treacherous waterfall crossing
Then we met some goats on the trail
Finally, Gunsight Pass - and the Continental Divide
Also, an actual conversation with some people we saw at the top of the pass:
people: Did you see those goats?
us: Yes - weren't they great. They were just trotting down the trail right toward us.
people: Did you see the grizzly they were running from?
us: Um, no . .. .
people: Yeah, the grizzly woke up and saw us and took off running up over the pass [the way we were headed]. The goats took off running in the other direction.
us: Uh, great to know.
The other side of the pass was also really pretty
This is Gunsight Lake, our lunch spot - way, way down below. The hazy look is due to smoke from a distant forest fire (although we were later told that forest fires in Glacier were a big problem, this was the only evidence we ever had)
Finally, we reached the lake - the view back up from where we'd come was amazing
After lunch, we descended into the forest, so the views got less scenic (although the descent was more gradual: I now understand why people prefer to hike the trail east to west rather than west to east!).
Note that there is no after picture - we were both too exhausted to remember to take it!
We never did see any bears, much to my relief!
Would I do this trail again? Despite the fact that I cried tears of relief when it was over, the answer is a resounding "yes" - the scenery was beautiful! I would do it in three days, though, not two. All that elevation gain and mileage should be spread out a little more.
The nicest part of camping in Jasper was getting to see our good friends Christine and Antti. Christine is the head teacher of the school in Japan where I taught art; Antti was a researcher with whom we became friends while living in Tsukuba. It was so great (and a little strange) to all be reunited in the middle of Canada.
Antti brought us these beautiful traditional camping cups from Finland, called kuksa(s). The cups are made out of wood and have our names and the date carved into them. There's also a ritual the first time you use it - you are supposed to swirl your liquid clockwise touching all parts of the inside of the cup, but not spilling any. Then, you do the same thing counter-clockwise. This is not easy - here's Christine demonstrating.
Antti also showed us how the real Finns chop wood (necessary for all those saunas!).
The next day we went on a beautiful hike, but first we passed this lake:
Pictures from the hike:
The next day it rained, so we explored the town of Jasper - dangerous!
But rain brings rainbows . . . .
One interesting thing about our campground was that it was over-run with elk
On the way home we stopped at Mount Robson, the highest mountain in British Columbia.
We also learned that Mike is not as big as a moose.
