Home»All Photographs»2014 Hikes»Moose Pass 09-06-14

This solo trip entailed 91 km of hiking from the very popular Berg Lake trail in B.C. over Robson Pass into Alberta, where the trail becomes faint and visitors are few. Over the course of the four day trip, I continued on to explore the Coleman Glacier route as well as farther back to Moose Pass, my ultimate destination.
The weather was nice for the first two days, and the scenery was quite breathtaking. It's clear to see why the Berg Lake trail is so popular with hikers. The mood changes almost immediately however, when crossing over Robson Pass at the 24 km mark. The trail becomes faint and there is a feeling of true solitude.
I set up camp at a random site on the banks of the Smoky River for two nights. This meant fording the river four times in my two days of touring the area, but had the advantage of not having to cross with a heavy pack (tent, sleeping bag, etc).
I went up toward the toe of the Coleman Glacier, past lonely Isabelle Lake and high up into the glacial valley.
The following morning, I was welcomed by fresh September snow. "No matter" I thought, as I spent the day hiking to Moose Pass to see what visual treats awaited there. The route was overgrown and muddy, but as the skies lifted and the snowfall abaited, I got excited on my approach to the pass.
Moose Pass is a place of unspoiled beauty. There were no signs of human activity anywhere...no footprints just animal tracks. I ate lunch at the pass and lingered for a while, until the cold temperatures forced me to get moving again. I returned to camp, chilling my feet in the unbridged Smoky River one last time.
Having completed everything I had come to do, I made the decision - considering the snow and low clouds - to outhike 29 km the following day, all the way back to the trailhead. This put me a day ahead of schedule, and meant a leisurely drive home on day five, after a night of frontcountry camping with a fire, beer and bratwurst.