Can't go to Fort Steele

Tonight we are in Cranbrook, British Columbia, only 15 miles from Fort Steele, after traveling 300+ miles from Jasper. We are on our way to the Coeur d'Alene area to visit Marlene and her family and to get the 50,000 mile servicing on the car. (An average of 2,777 miles a month that we have driven. That's life on the road!)

This morning we moved our campground from Wabasso to Whistlers, about 7 miles closer to Jasper townsite. We thought we were moving to a campsite that had electricity and water, but it turns out that we have only electricity and no water hook-up, just as it was at Wabasso.  The good news is that have have gotten very proficient at managing the water so that we will be able to go the whole two weeks without having to refill our fresh water tank or dump our holding tanks.

When we left Jasper at noon it was still only 45 degrees and rain was threatening.

The rain held off until after we passed the ice fields and this glacier next to Athabasca Glacier. However, within twenty minutes it began to rain and continued raining until we arrived in Cranbrook.

The sign for Fort Steele, and...

a little bit of the heritage town that can be seen from the road.

(All photos courtesy of Frederick who took them out of the window of the moving car.)

Tonquin Valley - Astoria River Trail

Astoria River Trail is the first section on the Tonquin Valley Trail loop that begins at Mt. Edith Clavell. Traveling the entire loop from Astoria to Portal is a 3 or 4-day hike. Just as we did on Friday, we only went the first day distance; today that was over 8 km, or 11.12 miles out and back, according to the Fitbit.

The first 4.7 km are a novelty for the beginning of a hike. The trail descends gradually along the Astoria River. (We prefer the climb to come at the beginning of the hike, which means that when we turn around to come back, it's all downhill.) 

The trailhead just below Mt. Edith Cavell which is wearing a crown of rain clouds.

Red mushroom with rain.

Looking across the Astoria River valley in the rain.

Along today's trail, and the one we took on Friday, horses leave their calling card.

Now who left this saddle on the trail? (It was not there on our return trip. Someone must have come and claimed it.)

The trail had beautiful vistas of the surrounding mountain peaks.

Chak Peak

At a bridge crossing the Astoria River, Throne Mountain looms.

A deep glacial cirque between the two north-east-trending ridges creates the mountain's "arm rests" and "seat".

Our lunch spot at Astoria Campground with the Astoria River below and Chak Peak across the river.

Switchback Campground junction, our turn-around spot, with trails going in many directions.

One way toward Amethyst Lake, the prize of the Tonquin Valley hike; or the Alpine Hut run by the ACC, Alpine Club of Canada.

At one of the bridge crossing, on the way back, there were these three beautiful view - one...

two, and...

three.

On the way back, the weather had cleared across the Astoria River Valley (see 4th picture above), and we were able to see waterfalls and really clear views with blue shy in the background.

But, just a mile or so along the trail, back at the trailhead, we were once again in the rain. 

Athabasca River

This is what the mountains around Jasper looked like today.

We took a brief hike along the Athabasca River and then went in to town to do laundry and shopping.

That's how it is somedays!

Tonquin Valley Trail - Maccaib Pass Trail

Tonquin Valley Trail is a 2 - 3-day loop that can be begun at either the Astoria trailhead near Mt. Edith Cavell or at the Portal Trailhead on the Marmot Basin Road, which is where we decided to start the trail. A strenuous hike, the Maccaib Pass Trail section climbs over 2000 feet and is 5.5 miles to the Portal Creek campground, our turn-around point.

The Maccaib Pass trail is dominated by several peaks.

At the trailhead were these visual aids for the upcoming hike. Here's the trail with the small "P", for parking, at the upper right, to the "Portal" campground icon at center left. 

Here's the elevation chart - from the left side to the first "tent" line is the distance and elevation gain.

As we were preparing to leave from the parking lot two vehicles arrived and disgorged this backpacking equipment and several women. Three of the women then took off in the vehicles and we deduced that they were driving to Mt. Edith Cavell to leave one vehicle and then return to join their companions for the loop hike and a car waiting at the other end of the loop. It turns out that they are Provincial employees and the six women plan a yearly backpacking trip together. They were in high spirits and were planning on 4 days to complete the loop, staying tonight at the Portal Campground, our turn-around point. We agreed that we would see each other along the trail and that they would probably pass us since we are slow-but-steady.

The trail follows the Portal Creek and this is one of two substantial bridges that allow dry passage over the creek.

Lovely colored mushrooms and

another group of mushrooms.

In the Tonquin Valley - Maccaib Pass Trail.

Now who left this shovel by the side of the trail?

At 5.5 miles we were alongside the creek at the Portal Campground where...

we saw these two grizzly bear tracks that looked fairly fresh.

Heading back to the trailhead we began tracking our progress against Aquila Mountain, seen from the south side.

As we returned through the Tonquin Valley we came around the southwest side of Aquila.

About 2 miles from our turn-around point we encountered the six women making their merry and, it turns out, slow progress to their 1st night's rest. If you have sharp eyes you will notice a 7th figure in the group, a young man in the red poncho right in the middle. We had passed him earlier in the day coming from Portal Campground. He said he had stopped there but there were no other hikers there and he didn't want to stay in the campground by himself. We told him there were six women just behind us and he might ask to join their party, at least for the night. He had an interesting accent and when we asked we learned that he is from Catalonia.

Here's the west side of Mt. Aquila.

The northwest side and...

the north side, as seen from the second bridge.

As we hiked towards the trailhead we descended into a more forested area and Mt. Aquila began to recede into the distance.

Barely visible but...

we got one last picture just before we turned a corner for the last 1/2 mile of the hike.

Wabasso Lake

We have been staying in Wabasso Campground, which is not on Wabasso Lake. Well actually it is technically only about 1/2 mile away, but to get to the trailhead we had to drive 20 miles because there is a ridge between the campground and the lake and the road goes around the ridge.

Wabasso is the Stoney Indian word for rabbit and the trail crosses the floor of the Athabasca Valley and climbs over a series of parallel ridges left behind by the glaciers of the Late Wisconsin Ice Age.

At the top of the first ridge we could look across the valley floor to the mountains on the other side.

The lake was created by beaver and there is plenty of evidence that beaver are active in the area. 

Our lunch spot. We were able to watch the antics of several loon as they dove for their lunch. 

Loons resting on a sand bar after enjoying a filling lunch. They dive under water and stay submerged 20 -30 seconds, then come up about 20 feet away from where they first went under.

On the way back.

Every horizon in the park is awe inspiring.

Some folks get oil deliveries, but here, in the campground, we get firewood delivery.