The Great Divide Trail Pt1 – On to Jasper

After an eleven+ hour bus ride, I began my trek at seven in the morning.

My trek began in the rain. And the rain would be a constant companion for the next four days.

I found Robson Provincial Park to be quiet that early in the morning.

The cars at the Berg Lake trailhead, however, gave evidence to the busy nature of the park overall. At least the first part!

I went up the trail and enjoyed the scenic vistas of the lakes and waterfalls.

Alas, the hoped-for views to Robson and the glaciers ended up being muted due to the clouds and rain.

I came up.a warming hut. Many people out for the weekend seemed to be enjoying the amenities of the cozy hut. The cold and wet weather seemed conducive to relaxing with a hot drink and good conversation with friends.

Another trip for another time.

I would not see any people until Jasoer three days later.

I walked into the rain. The clouds continued to conceal Robson and its famous glaciers.

Still, I promised a “start of trip” selfie. I took one with Robson peeking out among the clouds.

Start of trip selfie (more or less). Four days in and lots of rain! Pleased to report that the @montbellboulder Versalite worked like a champ. Here is Mount Robson barely peaking out from the clouds. The Canadian Rockies are awesome. Sometimes I feel like I am in a 1980s “Buuuuscchhhh” beer commercial. 😉 Oh, and I saw three grizzlies in one day! . . #canada #rockies #backpacking #hiking #thruhiking #greatdividetrail

A post shared by Paul Mags (@pmagsco) on Jul 24, 2018 at 4:26pm PDT

Not long after, I came to the Moose River. A ford where the bridge washed out and some careful scouting allowed for a safe and efficient crossing.

Apparently my first crossing of the Moose River is considered the most difficult. A bridge washed out that BC Parks never repaired. I scouted out a crossing up stream. Good times… . . #canada #rockies #backpacking #hiking #thruhiking #greatdividetrail

A post shared by Paul Mags (@pmagsco) on Jul 24, 2018 at 5:37pm PDT

The rain brought out the subtlety of the terrain. Some columbine dotted the path I took.

Eventually, I came to Moose Pass itself. Dustin Lynx, the driving force for the creation of the GDT, thinks it us one of the most scenic passes on the GDT.

I am inclined to agree!

The following days involved a pattern of fording the Moose, losing the path through marsh (and dodging the many mosquitoes!), bit being entranced by the scenery.

But the highlight? Seeing not one or even two, but three grizzlies in a day!

I spotted a mother bear and a cub in the distance. They did not notice me as I snapped some photos. They ambled up the mountainside before I could take more photos.

The third griz I spotted on my route in the distance. I took one photo when he (?) noticed me. Excuse the framing. I took this one photo at an extreme zoom.

After I snapped the photo, he stood up his hind legs, sniffed, looked at me, and trotted quickly in my direction.

One photo proved to be sufficient under the circumstances. I decided to make an early lunch on the other side of the hill instead. 🙂 Satisfied that the backpacking interloper vanished, the griz scampered up the other side of the hill.

The first few days of the GDT had proven to be wild, stunning, and satisfying.

I look forward to the trail ahead!

• The Great Divide Trail Pt 2: Alpine passes galore