Hiking Mt. Cheam, Chilliwack, BC

Mt. Cheam summit

I sat on the patio of my in-law's house in Agassiz, BC on a late August afternoon drinking a beer.

"You see that mountain there?" my father-in-law said. He pointed to a great grey hulk of rock that jutted up into the sky, dominating the view from the deck. "That's Mt. Cheam and we are going to climb it tomorrow!"

The view from the patio

"Great!" I replied. This announcement came at the end of about two weeks of hiking and camping we had done through Jasper, Wells Gray and the Fraser Canyon. Still a little sore from the Tikwalus Hike we had done only a few days before, I was not sure if I was up to another relentless uphill slog. He was pretty keen on the idea though so I could not refuse.

The following day we hit the road for the trail head. We took my Jeep Grande Cherokee as he had learned that to get to the trail head, you must first negotiate about 20 kilometres of forestry roads, of which the last 10 kilometres was pitted with something called "water bars". I had never heard of them before but he informed us that apparently when the forestry roads are abandoned, they go along with a backhoe and carve out these depressions to allow the water to flow across the road without washing the road out all together. Some were apparently deep enough to "turn a Volkswagen on its roof and drive over". Needless to say he had decided we would not be taking his Ford Explorer, but rather my Jeep. He would "never take his Ford down a road like that!" I agreed but in the back of my mind realized that I still needed to use that Jeep to drive the 1200km back home after this vacation all the while pulling a trailer. But, that's what Jeeps are made for right?

The trail head with Lady Peak in the background

So off we went bright and early the next morning. We got to the much anticipated forestry road and came across our first water bar almost right away. I stopped and got out to take a look. Not too bad if I took it slow, and so we made our first crossing. After our initial success my nervousness eased and we carried on. They were all pretty much the same, some a little worse than others but taking it slowly we only bottomed out once.

"How many of these water bars are there?" I asked after the first kilometre.

"Oh, my friend says about 25 or so," he replied. Turns out there actually around 111 according to my wife and son who were counting as we plugged along.

Monkman Pass Memorial Trail

Suspension bridge at KM7 over the Murray River

At times hiking along the Monkman Trail you can see where the "highway" pushed its way through the bush over 80 years ago. The walking trail is a narrow strip flanked on each side by smaller trees and undergrowth. If you imagine hard enough you can picture an old Model T truck being pushed, pulled and dragged along this route in an effort to prove a highway to the BC interior could be built from the Peace Country.

We had cached our backpacks in the bush near the junction of the trail that lead down to the camp site at Devil's Creek and decided before we started heading back to the trailhead to take a walk up to Monkman Lake. We hoped for some clear skies as the last couple of days had been pretty cloudy and rain fell periodically, not enough to drench us, but it was enough to keep a general dampness about. The mountains around us were enveloped in a layer of mist most of the week and had made us hesitant about a planned day hike up to the Monkman Tarns. Instead we had chosen to spend a day exploring the waterfalls in the area, as this was the main attraction that had brought us out here.

View to the south from the limestone ridge around KM10

One of the markers along the trail

At Monkman Lake

Tikwalus Heritage Trail, Fraser Canyon, BC

At the Tikwalus Trail Head

Around us the cedars towered so high their tops were lost in the canopy that blocked the midday sun. We sat in the coolness on a bench constructed from logs. In front of us an information sign had been posted detailing the history of this portion of the trail. The "Lake House" it read, once the site of a cabin that had been used as a resting stop for gold miners trekking through the Fraser Canyon in search of their fortunes. Up on the rise across the little stream was a level spot with a pile of stones at one end. This was the place where the cabin had stood and the stones were remnants of a fireplace. Who would think to put a cabin here in such a remote a spot? In those days I suppose all these places were remote, This one maybe not so much, situated on what was a major route in 1858 and a good source of water about a 100m away in a small lake, hence the name. The story also told of a native girl who had seen her spirit bear around here. A white bear that emerged from the forest and vanished. She tried to follow it but did not see it again. This place is eerie, steeped in history, a sacred place to natives but ancient even before they discovered it.

The Chief Pahallak Viewpoint

Behind us the trail stretched back about 4km to the Trans Canada Highway, not far from the old Alexandra Lodge. The trail goes up a few stairs and then crosses a nice footbridge that had been built by the Hope Mountain Centre volunteers. From there it rises steeply into the forest. Information signs along the way offer a reason to stop periodically and get your breath back.

Hiking Plans for 2015

Overlooking Yale, BC en route to the Spirit Caves

The plan for this year is to get in several hikes in various locations. Due to my operation last year I was unable to do any hiking until a hike down to Eaton Falls near Grande Cache toward the end of the summer. Considering a year ago today I went under the knife for my surgery for a perforated bowel, I am thankful that I am at the point I can consider doing some serious hiking this year!
I am in the process of building a group of people that would be interested in doing some of this hiking as I believe there is of course safety in numbers and since our encounter with the grizzly bear a couple of years ago I am reluctant to hike alone or even as a family. This may seem a little absurd to some but it is still the state of mind we are in.

So planning for 2015 I have the following routes in mind:

• Eaton Falls in Grande Cache day hike
• Grande Mountain in Grande Cache day hike
• Mt. Hamell in Grande Cache day hike
• Stearn High Country Loop 2 day backpack
• Wells Gray Provincial Park day hikes
• Spirit Caves in the Fraser Canyon day hike
• Tikwalus Trail in the Fraser Canyon overnight backpack
• Monkman Trail to Monkman Lake in Tumbler Ridge, 7 day backpacking trip

We have begun training already, mainly indoor track work at the Eastlink Centre and I have made

At the foot of Lightning Ridge, Grande Cache

one bicycle ride into work this year already, which is about an 8km one way ride. This has started to get the leg muscles built up. I still have a good size scar down my abdomen from the operation and have been slowly building up those muscles with crunches. The shorter day hikes at the beginning of the year should help me gauge how much I can handle leading up to the final Monkman Trail expedition which we are planning for September 5.

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness: Conclusion

It was now Wednesday. After the terrific storm of the night before and the warnings we had received from other travellers about the weather possibly turning, we decided that we would
pack up our camp and move back up the Mountain Trail to the campground at Seep Creek. This would put us about 10km closer to the trail head.  Once we got there we would set up camp, spend the night and when we awoke the following morning we would evaluate the weather. If it was nice I would go on a solo hike with one of the dogs up the Seep Creek trail while Harold remained behind with the other dog whose feet were not fairing so well. If the weather was bad we decided we would just pack up camp and head back to the cars. It seemed pointless to sit in the rain all day Thursday just so we could go to bed wet and hike out on Friday.
We packed up and headed out shortly before noon. The trip was mostly uneventful. We again crossed the various creeks. We stopped again at the patrol cabin where we ran into another group of hunters on their way out on horse back. This group also had a chuck wagon. They were pretty friendly folks.
We took a break at Carson Creek campground, which is well used by outfitters and the like. It was empty while we were there but I had no doubt that it would see lots of activity over the next few weeks.
We met one fellow on his way out to hunt carrying just a backpack and a rifle. He said his pack was about 50 pounds. If he shot something his plan was he would butcher the sheep out there. Then he would stash his camping gear and walk the 20 or so km back to his vehicle with the carcass. He would then have to walk back the 20km to get his gear and then walk back to his vehicle again. He said he was used to it as he was a pretty avid hunter and a “young buck”. We wished him well and then we parted ways.
We reached Seep Creek campground. I wasn’t too impressed by this camp as it was in the trees which blocked any good views of the surrounding area. The creek was a fair walk away as well. Again the clouds were threatening. One minute it was raining the next the sun was out. the weather just could not make up its mind. We spent the evening chatting and eating, alternating between sitting by the fire pit (without a fire) and ducking for cover under the tarps. When darkness fell the clouds cleared off and the stars came out. I decided it was too early to sleep so gathered up what dry wood I could find and built a fire. We sat around for a bit then turned in.
At 3 am I was awakened by the sounds of rain on my tarp. Fed up with it all I secretly hoped it would continue so we could pack up and leave. The rest of my night was snatches of broken sleep. At one point I heard a rustling around the camp site. As I peered into the darkness with my headlamp I caught the reflection of animal eyes. It was one of the dogs who had decided to go for a walk. Once I discovered it was  the dog, I actually relaxed enough to get a few winks when I was awoken again by Harold looking for where his dog had gotten to. He then wandered off into the woods to answer the call of nature. Next time I awoke it was to the sound of Harold who had apparently gotten disoriented in the dark. I had seen his headlamp flickering around in the woods a couple of times but had just assumed he was going about his business.
Eventually 5:30am rolled around. In the gloom of morning and amid the rain, I decided to get up, put on my rain gear and have breakfast. I made some coffee.We decided we were heading home. In between showers we packed up our bags and hit the trail just as the clouds cleared off. We rolled our eyes in the sunlight and decided “Screw it, we’re leaving”.
It was actually good we did pack up when we did because not long after the clouds rolled in and a steady stream of rain fell on us the whole way back. This compounded with the muddy trail chewed up well by horse hooves
and another couple of river crossings, made for a wet slog back. Fortunately, when you know that at the end of the trail there are dry clothes and a truck with a heater your spirits stay pretty high even for 8 or 10 km.
 We got back to the vehicles about 11 am. I had a bag with some dry clothes, deodorant and running shoes. I changed quickly in the outhouse. The parking lot was full of horse trailers and vehicles. As I pulled out the Fish and Game officers were pulling in with their horse trailer. They would be in the area for a while keeping tabs on the hunters.
At Highway 40 Harold and I parted ways, he back to Edmonton and myself to Grande Prairie. I planned a stop in Grande Cache for some Chinese food but when I got there found the restaurant had just closed after the lunch hour. I found a steak house and pigged out on a cheeseburger and onion rings followed by a slice of cheesecake.
I would regret that decision later that night as I awoke in my own bed and ran to the bathroom to spend a few minutes dry heaving. It takes a bit for the stomach to re-acclimatize after eating processed / dried food I guess. While I sat in the chair recovering I flicked on the TV. On PBS there was a show called “Night of the Grizzlies” about some bear attacks that happened in a park in Montana in the 60’s.

I was glad I hadn’t seen it prior to my hiking trip.

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness Part Four

Once again we awoke to clear blue skies. I got up and ate the last bagel I had packed so it sort of marked the passing of time. I had brought along three bagels as part of my food supply and ate one each morning toasted over my MSR Pocket Rocket stove. Along with this I was having a package of instant oatmeal and some instant coffee. I enjoy starting the day off with a good breakfast. Generally when I'm hiking I have a hot breakfast and a hot supper.
Lunch is not really an official event. I like to refer to it as second breakfast or elevensies in honor of Lord of the Rings! During the day we are usually on the move so I graze on dehydrate fruit, granola bars and chocolate bars. All-Bran bars were also a staple of my diet for this week of hiking. I decided on this trip to forgo trail mix. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis earlier this year. Apparently it is aggravated further by things like nuts and seeds. Last year a bout of stomach cramps landed me in the emergency ward the night before I was to go on a three day hike. In the back of my mind I was worried about a recurrence on this trip which would have been compounded further if we were several kilometres in the bush. Thankfully I had no stomach problems. Trail mix is a good weight to calories ratio however I am not taking a chance on stomach troubles.

The plan for the day (Tuesday) was to hike to Eagle's Nest Pass and take in some of the sights. Harold said there wasn't much to see overall, but we would go anyway just to follow the Mountain Trail further into Willmore Wilderness. The trail went through the pass which was basically a couple of rock faces and then a long descent to Rock Creek where there was a small campsite where we rested. It was still early in the day so we decided to walk further along the trail until we came into a large open valley where the Starlight Range bordered to the west. We stopped here and rested again for a bit.

As we were sitting there a couple of horseback riders approached from the direction we had just come. It was a guy and his daughter on their way further into the park. Sheep hunting season was going to be starting on Saturday and they were on their way in to set up camp and scope some possible hunting sites. They were pretty friendly and they rode on. We were ready to turn back and make the hike back through the pass to camp.

As we came through the pass a rainstorm blew in, not too intense but enough to make us don our raincoats. The rain was soon over however. We ran into four more hunters on horseback as we got closer to our camp. They didn't seem as talkative so we just let them pass. By the time we gotr to camp the sun was out and hot. I washed up in the creek again and cooked up a Mister Noodles for supper along with the last of my beef jerky.
Throughout the week we had been sort of neighbors with a couple and their dog. They weren't camped with us but they were somewhere close by. As we sat by our fire the man came over and asked us if anyone had been in our camp at all. We said we didn't think so as everything was in order when we got back. He said it looked as though someone had been in theirs while they were out day hiking. There were horse prints around the site and someone had unzipped their tent door and left it open. Unfortunately when the rain had blown in earlier that day it had gotten into their tent and their stuff was wet. I thought that was very unusual to happen way out here. Most people you would think would be respectful of each other's property. You need to have a lot of trust in your fellow hikers and so on as generally you leave your camp set up when you go on your day trips. There is no place to simply lock up your gear!
Once again a thunderstorm blew in about 9pm. This was by far the most intense. A couple of mounds of hail several inches high built up at the corners of my shelter and the lightning so loud you could swear it was striking only a few metres from the camp.
The nightly bouts with nature's awesome power were becoming a little tiresome. Nothing left to do again but turn in for the night. The guy we had spoken to earlier in the shadow of the Starlight Range had told us the weather was going to turn for the worse by the end of the week.
Regardless, this was our last night at this camp as we had decided we would make our way back toward Seep Creek the following day and do a day hike from there on Thursday before heading back to the trail head on Friday.

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness Part Three

Monday morning greeted us to clear blue skies and our main goal of the day was to hike up to an unnamed lake on the ridge line above our camp. I taped up my blistered foot with some gauze and duct tape and put on a fresh pair of thick socks over top a pair of lighter ones. We would be leaving our gear at camp and travelling with light packs with only a few essentials (rain gear, snacks, water, first aid etc.).
The trail was well used by both humans and horses and the climb took us about an hour through the trees. There were countless varieties of mushrooms along the way and I took a lot of pictures. I am really interested in plant identification but I am only just getting into it. As far as mushrooms go I know absolutely nothing. I never even realized how many varieties there were until this trip! There were many I have never seen before.

We eventually broke out of the trees on to a plateau that looked toward the scree slope descending from Cathedral Mountain. From this angle we got our first glimpse of the lake that was down in a valley. There was a stream flowing over a waterfall that descended toward the lake. We skirted the ridge line that rose between the slope down to the lake on one side and on the other an alpine meadow stretched toward the base of the scree slope. We stopped to drink out of the creek and eat some food all the while taking in the magnificent view of Cathedral Mountain. In front of us the lake stretched and beyond that were more mountains in the distance.
One of the things I like to do after a good hike is lay down in the grass and let the sun beat down on me. This inevitably leads to the nap monster creeping up and so I took the opportunity to doze for a little bit.

The wind started to get a little cool so I decided to go for a walk. I followed the ridge line up for a while to get some better angles of the the lake and the valley. We had toyed with the idea of hiking down to the lake but I wasn't too keen on the idea as my foot was still a little tender. I was quite happy to take in the views. From my vantage point I could look back across the meadow toward the foot of Cathedral Mountain. A person could follow that along and get right to the base no problem. At least that's how it looked. Experience tells me that some of those easy looking routes are not so easy once you start trying to actually do them.I scanned the mountainsides looking for signs of mountain goats or big horns but saw nothing. A few falling rocks attracted my attention but nothing came of it. I did see a marmot running about on the slopes.

Dark clouds started coming over the mountain top so I made my way back to where Harold was still dozing and suggested we should head back before getting caught in the rain. Just then thunder boomed around us again. We made our way back down to camp. The rain never came until about 7 when another terrific storm blew in, this one more intense than the night before and a little hail mixed in.
Looking back I think this day hike was the highlight of the week. It was a pleasant hike and the views from the top were just reward for the effort put in. It just goes to show that: Yes, places such as Jasper and Banff offer fantastic scenery but there are so many places with equally stunning vistas.
You just have to be willing to look for them!

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness Part Two

After we packed up on Sunday morning we continued on from Carson Creek along the Mountain Trail further in Willmore. The blister on my right foot was bugging me pretty good and I was cursing myself for having not got on it sooner. I think the new orthopedic inserts I was using in my hiking boots, which were supposed to help with my ankle problems, had raised my foot enough to find a new spot in my boot to irritate.
Harold was having a few problems with his heel so we decided that maybe we should hike the 4km to Eagles Nest Patrol Cabin and maybe plan to stay there for the night, rest up and do some day hikes the following day. Once we reached the Cabin, having to cross another creek in the process, we rested up and pulled some of our things out to dry in the sun.
It was early in the day however and it seemed a waste to seek the shelter of a cabin so early in the trip, we had not really roughed it at all yet. We decided instead to hike another couple of kilometres to a horse camp on the other side of the Wildhay River. The trail follows this river and it's tributaries so there are frequent water crossings, most of which require taking off your boots, putting on sandals and crossing the icy water. When we got to the planned camp we found that there was a couple staying there already along with their horses. They were pretty friendly and even offered us some canned food to take along with us. I decided against it as I had

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness Part One

Our original intention had been to hike from Rock Lake to Grande Cache but we had been informed by Parks services that some of the trails were washed out and we were concerned about high rivers. We decided to modify our plan and work mainly in the southern end of the park.
I left from Grande Prairie at about 7:30am to drive down to the Rock Lake Staging Area where I would meet up with Harold. We departed the trailhead at approximately 12:30pm following what is called the Mountain Trail. This is basically an old logging road from way back. Willmore is a protected area that it is off limits to vehicles. The only way to travel is by foot or on horseback.
The weather was quite hot (high 20's). The hike in was uneventful. There was the crossing of the Wildhay River which would have been mainly straight forward apart from when Harold's blind dog walked off the edge of the steep bank and ended up in the river. He had to perform a quick rescue and the dog ended up a little cold and wet but other than that she was unharmed.
At Seep Creek we again removed our hiking boots and donned sandals to wade across the shin high water. We were planning to stay at the outfitter's camp at Carson Creek for the night, approximately 12km down the Mountain Trail.  When we arrived, however it was occupied by a large group of trail riders

The Grizzly Bear Part 2: Afterthoughts

After having a day or two to process the events that happened at Poboktan Creek I have a few thoughts on the whole matter.

• I have no anger toward the bear. When we choose to go into their territory it is the risk we take. We can do things to minimize those risks such as making noise and so on. I think my biggest worry is that the easy pickings he got by discovering our food bag will make him more likely to look again. This puts other hikers in danger. I don't know though. Perhaps another hiker had been in the area and left an easy meal. The warden did say it was unusual for bears to actually enter the campsites. If they are clean of garbage and offer nothing the bear would be interested in then he would have no reason to be there. They generally avoid human contact. We had only been on site maybe half an hour when it showed up.
• I am very proud of the way the kids responded to the situation. We so often see kids over exaggerating things like being sick or falling down and hurting themselves. I am just as guilty as others of wondering: Are my kids wimps? This incident proved to me that when things are really serious they were able to keep a cool head. As soon as they saw the bear they quickly but calmly left the area. They walked away and didn't shout or freeze. We had just hiked in 8 km. When we hit the trail again to get out of there we were slogging through the mud and water. We were in a dangerous situation. They didn't just stop and cry, they followed along at a good pace and we hiked 8km back. No complaining. No whining. They just did what they had to do.
• My son felt horrible for leaving his beloved teddy bear behind. My wife overheard him say that he was a "terrible parent" for doing so. I told him that what he did was right. We got out of danger so we could send someone back to save the teddy bear.
• We did the right thing by reporting the incident. We had a responsibility to let other hikers know that there was a bear in the area. It was a bear that may become aggressive given his actions. The trail was closed the next day and will remain so for at least 2 weeks.
• I am a little concerned because this was the first time we went backpacking as a family. We have hiked before but this was going to be a step up for us. I hope the kids do not get put off becase of the incident. We won't rush them though.
• I wonder about the bear. I hope this was a one off incident. I would hate to think that he may be put down for this or it may lead to more aggressive behaviour. There are between 600 and 800 grizzly bears in Alberta. They are an endangered species. Most of it is because of humans.

Looking back on the experience I have to say I am glad it turned out the way it did. We did what we needed to do. We have since been in contact with the officer who has sent us a few pictures of bears in the area he has been monitoring hoping he can find a match. So far no luck.

The Grizzly Bear Part 1: The Incident

A couple of years ago my friend and I went to Jasper National Park to try climb up to the Brazeau glacier. We had  very limited success with that trip but on the way we stayed at the Poboktan Creek back country campsite. At the time I thought that this would be an excellent trip to introduce the kids to backpacking. The trail is about 8km and well maintained. It has some uphill and downhill but nothing that is too intense. It follows Poboktan Creek and so there is plenty of water available for drinking and so on. The campsite itself is primitive but it does have a couple of picnic tables, a firepit and a food cache stand to hoist your food up into the trees. There's even a toilet! Seemed like the perfect destination.

For 2 weeks we went over our gear and did some test hikes. My wife agonized over the menu. We were only going to be gone 48 hours but there was still lots of planning involved. I called the park office and reserved our campsite for two nights and paid the back country fees.
On Thursday evening after work we hit the road. We stayed that night at Cache Campground in William A Switzer Provincial Park and then on Friday morning we continued on to Jasper. The trail head is about 45 minutes south of Jasper town site on the Icefields Parkway. We arrived, got geared up and were on the trail around 1:30 in the afternoon. I had told the kids to make as much noise as they wanted because that was the best way to let bears know we were in the area. Generally if they know you are there they will avoid you. As we went down the trail we did come across some bear sign (tracks and poop) but that is not unusual. I usually see it in any hike we have been on the in the past. Generally it just reminds you to keep making noise and stay aware. In fact in all the hiking I have done I have not so much as even SEEN a bear, not even from a distance.

The hike up the trail was pretty uneventful. We rested a few times for a drink and some snacks. There was a great little spot by the creek we rested for a while. The kids splashed in the creek and we cooled off in the breeze. Around 5:00 we arrived at the campground. I had a quick look around to make sure there was no sign of bear activity and everything was in order. We took off our packs and rested a bit. Me and my daughter took off our hiking boots and put on sandals to let the feet get a break. I showed the kids how the bear cache worked and then told them all to take whatever food they may have out of their backpacks so we could consolidate it and hoist it up into the cache later.
I hauled my pack down to the tent pad which is about 50m from the picnic tables where we would be doing our cooking and then I grabbed the tent pegs from my daughter's pack and proceeded to start setting up the tent. My wife came down with her pack and I asked her to give me a hand put the tent poles in. We were just about done when the kids came over.
"There's a bear over there," my son whispered.
"What?" I asked, shocked.

"There's a grizzly bear over there," he said again. I looked over to the picnic tables and sure enough there was a huge brown grizzly sniffing around the site! I found out later that the kids had been sitting over by the tables having some trail mix when they heard some movement. My son saw the bear's head as it came through the bush. It was chewing on some branches in the bush. They both calmly left and came over to us.
We stood in our little group and watched as the bear began nosing around where half our gear was. I luckily had my bear spray still attached to my pack so I got that ready. We decided to make it known that we were in the area. We started to speak loudly but calmly. This technique is supposed to let the bear know you are there. Sometimes it is enough to scare them away as they generally try to avoid human contact. I'm not sure if it was the sound of the creek rolling by and he couldn't hear us or what but he barely acknowledged we were there. I think he knew it. Turns out something else had piqued his interest.
"The food's on the table," my wife announced. It was. Since we were still getting unpacked and next up on the agenda was supper we had not even had the chance to get the food bags up into the trees. Generally when hiking, you stash your food when you go to bed or when you are leaving the campsite. It is not something you do the moment you get into camp! Looking back though it may have been a good thing. The bear started going through everything!
I got the kids and my wife to move as far back into the campsite as possible and we assessed the situation. It became apparent after about 15 minutes that he wasn't going to be going anywhere soon. A couple of times I lost sight of him but it turned out that he was still around. He was swatting at my daughter's backpack. I saw my son's shoe in its mouth once. We had some bagels he was munching on.
I became concerned that once he was through the buffet we had left there he may come over to our tent and start looking for more. We decided that it was best if we just left. I was concerned because all I had on my feet were sandals and socks. My hiking boots were up at the picnic table. When I saw him carry off our bright orange food bag into the bush I said:
"OK. Here's what we'll do. We'll take the two packs we have, we will follow the creek downstream until we hit the main trail and get the hell out of here."

This is where I really need to give my kids a big shout out. My son's biggest worry was that his teddy bear was up there and we would have to leave him behind. My daughter was extremely calm and cool. We hoisted the gear on our backs and off we went. It was a muddy, wet slog through the bush in sandals but that that was the least of my concerns. We got out of the area and then took a break. I was a little leery of the bushwhacking because that is how all these survival stories go. Luckily cool thinking and the kids' knowledge from a couple of years of Junior Forest Wardens gave them the confidence we needed to push on. After about a kilometre we still had not hit the trail but we took a break and assessed what we dide have. Map and compass, matches, shelter material and lots of drinking water the creek would provide. It was about this time the reality set in and the kids had a little cry. We assured them that we would be OK. We pushed on and suddenly off to the right I thought I could make out trees that had been cut down by a chainsaw. We had found the trail! We were about 2km from the campsite.
From there we bee lined it back to the trail head arriving there about 8:30pm. The adventure pretty

much over we headed back to Jasper where we got a hotel for the night, showered up and I spoke to the Warden, Steve Malcolm about what had happened. He was very understanding and told me it was very unusual for bears to enter the campsites. He said we were right in our decision to leave. He was going to head up there the next day and retrieve what he could. I told him about the teddy bear and he said they would keep a special eye out.
Later on the next day Mr. Malcolm and another officer, Barbara, showed up with our gear. I have to say I was quite grateful especially when I learned that they had hiked in. I had assumed they would go on horseback. He told me that that he was hoping to see the bear. Apparently after it left our campsite it continued up the trail to toward Waterfalls campsite another 5 km up the trail. My son's teddy bear had its head ripped off but we think it's repairable.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Hiking Prep 2012: Keeping the Batteries Charged

On the trip in August I am planning on doing some "live blogging" from the trail. I just gave up my BlackBerry phone and have joined Team Android with a Samsung Galaxy S3. This device now gives me an 8 MP camera and video capability. I also downloaded the WordPress app so I feel that once I get the hang of using the onscreen keyboard I should be in a good position to send posts from the field with a small but powerful platform.
Now the big issue: Batteries! How will I keep the batteries charged on a 6 day trip through the back country?

One option is to not worry about it! I do not know how much cell phone coverage I will even have. It will at best be spotty if we are able to get up high enough. At worst I may get some on the final day or two as we approach Grande Cache.

My plan is to record blog entries on the phone and save locally. If we get in range of a tower I should be able to upload them and set times for their publication. In this manner I would solve battery issues by only turning on the phone to type, photograph and upload.

I have considered a few of the solar chargers available through the likes of a Mountain Equipment Co-Op. These are basically a battery pack this charged by solar and then you plug your device in and charge from the battery pack.

This weekend we are doing a 2  night backpack in Jasper. I will take my phone along and do a test run.  After that I should be in a better position to make a  decision.

Hiking Prep 2012: The Bivy Bag

This year I was able to convince my mom to put togther the bivy bag that I had bought the materials for about two years ago. Originally I was going to do it myself but since my mother is always busy making quilts, knitting or some other related craft I figured it would be best to just let her have at it.

For those of you who are not familiar with what a "bivy" bag is, it is a waterproof and breathable bag that you put your sleeping bag inside of. "Bivy" is short for "bivouac". There are a number of commercially available types at stores such as Mountain Equipment Co-Op or Wholesale Sports Outfitters, practically any store that caters to the outdoorsman.

I got the pattern for this particular one off of the Internet. It is made from two fabrics that I was able to get from Fabricland: a "Gore-Tex" - like upper  and a tougher nylon material for the bottom. We included a hood that can be pulled over just in case of bad weather and cold conditions.



Bivy bags are useful for the backpacker because it protects the sleeping bag from the elements. Because of this it is possible to sleep on the ground without having to carry a tent. In inclimate conditions you can string up a tarp to keep the rain off you. Under ideal conditions you can simply roll it out and sleep on the ground under the stars. The sleeping bag is protected from dirt, light rain and dew. It also adds a layer of wind resistance ( by this I mean the outside wind, not the wind you may produce within your sleeping bag!) and another layer of warmth. The bag is lightweight as is the tarp so the reduction in weight is beneficial.

I am looking forward to trying this out!

 

"H" is for: Hiking This Summer

Last summer I did not get out on a good overnight hiking adventure at all!

To make up for it this year, me and my friend Harold have set aside a full week in August for an epic journey through Willmore Wilderness area on an 80km (we think) odyssey that will begin at Rock Lake Provincial Park and end at Grande Cache, Alberta.

At Peace With the Coleman Stove

I have a secret to tell you.
I love Coleman camping stoves!
I don't mean those ones that you screw a bottle of propane to, but the "real" ones. Those naptha / white gas green ones with the red tanks that you pump up and light. I love the blue flame, the smell of the fuel burning and that quiet roar they make as they spew the fuel forth and produce a hot flame.
When I  was in the army, we used to go on exercise in winter (winter indoctrination they would call it). We would hump up and down hills and across fields and through forests on crappy snowshoes, pulling an overloaded toboggan full of rations, ammunition, axes, a ten man tent and of course the precious Coleman stove. When we finally stopped for the day we would unpack the tent. The first guy to crawl under the canvas was the pole man. He would put the pole up and set it into the baseplate and stand there as we stretched the canvas out and started securing the guylines and tentpegs. But even before we had all the pegs and lines nailed in, one of the other guys would crawl in and get the Coleman stove going to heat up the tent. After a long day of slogging through the bush or sitting in an ambush feeling your boots freeze around your feet, the best thing was crawling into that tent already warming with the heat from the two burner stove. It sat there by the entrance roaring away. A good soldier would already have snow melting in the pot ready for coffee and heating up our boil in the foil rations. The Coleman lantern would also be roaring away hanging from a hook on the pole pumping out even more heat. Next we laid out our sleeping bags and mattresses and it wasn't long before wet mitts, socks, boot liners and other assorted articles of clothing were hanging from the clothes drying strings attached to the inside of the tent.
People wonder how we could sleep in those tents in the dead of winter. I kid you not! We were above the arctic circle, it was -80 degrees celsius outside with the windchill and we were sitting in that tent in our shirts as happy as can be with the two burner stove, the lantern and a single burner stove for some extra heat.
We would then set up a stove watch of a couple of hours each. Courtesy was for you to fill up the fuel tanks on the stoves just prior to your relief taking over. Once in a while you got the shaft from someone as you just settled down and suddenly the blue flame would fade away and the hiss died. In the hectic life that being on exercise in the army can be, those 2 hours sitting there in the quiet while the rest of the section slept and only the hiss of the Coleman stove broke the silence....well those moments were golden.
This summer I ended up buying two Coleman stoves.
The first I got at a garage sale for $10. I was a little leery when the guy I bought it off told me how he had used it while fighting forest fires and burned helicopter fuel in it. I got it home and lit it up. It was burning really good when suddenly the whole thing burst into flame. My army training had prepared me for this, having been privvy to a few stove mishaps in the winter tents. I kicked the thing out the garage, shut off the valve and let it burn itself out. When the flames died down it was none the worse for wear so I figured it must have been burning off some of that "alternative fuel" the ex-firefighter was so fond of. I relit it a few minutes later and it burned as it should without further incident.
The second stove I picked up for $1.50 at the Thrift Shop in Boston Bar, BC.  It was a bigger model than the other one. A bigger fuel tank and larger case. It was also old. When I opened it up it was full of dirt and several spiders had built their nests in it. I was skeptical it would work as it was pretty rusty, but I took it back to my mom's and hosed it down to get the spiders out. I brought it back home and it sat in the garage for a couple months. Just tonight I decided to see if it would work. I put some naptha in it. Pumped it up but it wouldn't hold pressure. The fuel was leaking out from the cap. I took the cap off the other stove and got a good seal. I figured the generator was probably bad but after pumping it up and I was welcomed with a hiss so biting the bullet I hung the tank on the stove, pumped it up and lit a match. I was a little cautious after my previous adventure with the firefighter's stove but it lit up just fine and soon I had a nice blue flame. Next I lit the other burner and it too worked!


I stood out there in the driveway as the sun was setting and the darkness of the evening began to creep in. I listened to the stove hiss and roar.  A feeling of peace and warmth came over me and my mind wandered back to the long ago time.