The Rockies are magical, sparkling, breathtaking, special. A slow and meandering road trip from Glacier National Park in Montana to Jasper National Park in Alberta (and British Columbia-ish) offers not only diverse opportunities for food, history and outdoor adventure but also illustrates the vastness of Western North America. These beautiful Rockies have a special, deep and purposeful place in our family history including the one trip that began them all.
During the summer of 2024, our trip North held a thread of bittersweet, maybe sadness. It was our last summer before launching Kenedy off to college. And also urgency: how many more summer adventures would we have together, our pack, our Tribe, our family? Alas, we cannot stop time…but this place, this activity…this I would not change for anything. This is exactly what I would choose to do again and again and again if it is, indeed, that one last summer together.
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Kenedy before launching off to college! |
Backpacking to Mount Assiniboine was not our first choice. The Tonquin Valley still holds a place on our bucket list but somehow, through a meandering twist of luck or possibly a twisted sense of logic, we landed on Assiniboine and in March we were able to reserve campsites for a five day out and back via Sunshine Ski Resort. This allowed us to have Joonah along for the adventure and a distance per day that was collectively acceptable for even the grumpiest of family members (Tucker). We added frontcountry camping at Wapiti to the front of that reservation and without any planning we were able to land overnight to Laughing Falls (WOW) and Glacier Lake (WOW AND WOW). So lucky!!
Tonquin Valley aside, Assiniboine is glorious: the Matterhorn of the Rockies, accessible only by foot and helicopter and definitely deserving of another trip. Magog Lake sits at the bottom of the big mountain and has both a Lodge and a backcountry campground. You can get there via a multitude of routes and it's worth either spending as many days as you can (last without showering) to explore the whole area. Or, maybe stay at the lodge if you can grab one of those highly coveted reservations. In other words…get here and come back as many times as you can!
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Snowy! |
In the weeks and eventually days leading up to our trip which was planned for the first week of July, we agonized over whether or not to even go for it. The Canadian Rockies had late snow and we continued to read trip reports of post-holing miles and miles from all directions into Og Lake. In the end we decided to go for it and head back if things got too gnarly. Of course, as we were finally setting out at the beginning of the trail, a concerned Canadian hiker questioned our trail runners and lightweight pants in favor of gators and boots. This did not instill confidence but we are so glad that we still went and did not let fear get the best of us!
Day 1: Sunshine Village to Howard Douglas Campground
We parked (and plugged in!) at Sunshine Village and walked three to four miles up the dirt road under the Gondola because Joonah was not welcome on the gondola and we were not confident in our car on the other access routes. The walk was as sucky as it sounds but after dodging hotel shuttles and construction equipment, we gladly sat for a break at Mad Trapper’s and enjoyed pre-backcountry beers and nachos. The trail from Sunshine to Howard Douglas was well-marked but snowy in patches as expected. Really, not that bad. The worst part was not knowing how deep and steep it would be over the next hill. We followed tracks so didn’t post-hole much and made it to the campground with wet and muddy feet in warm and sunny weather.
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Howard Douglas Backcountry Tent Pad |
We had only two awesome, adventurous neighbors at Howard Douglas that first night. They were also at Og Lake with us. The privy was glorious and new (no TP), the picnic table and all but two tent pads were covered in two to four feet of snow but we were able to clear a spot just fine. We tiptoed through mud and snow piles to a dry spot by the lake where we enjoyed the evening. We slept cozy in our tent under starry skies in the quiet wild.
Day 2: Howard Douglas to Og Lake
The hike from Howard Douglas was breathtaking and marmot-y. We followed tracks in the deep snow (about 1 foot deep) up and out of the campground and across another spectacular meadow of squeaky marmots to Citadel Pass. Snow patches contrasted with glowy green larch trees and abundant, extra, streams and ponds from snowmelt serenaded us as they trickled sometimes down the trail. We stopped for a snack at the Assiniboine Park boundary and were stalked by an huge, old and grizzled marmot so hurried off to finish lunch at Unnamed Lake-Pond. The trail from there goes down, down, down on a dry, forested trail. We skipped Porcupine Campground in favor of the (maybe it should be called sketchy exposure) cutoff to Og Lake.
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Watch out for that grizzly marmot! |
If we had not been so afraid to miss a step and slide off the trail and a thousand feet down the side of the mountain, we would have been in awe at the 360 views on that sketchy exposure trail. From the exposure cutoff we found ourselves in the dreamy, silent and majestic valley of rocks; reminding me of the Neverending Story Rock Biter. After our typical and incurable late start we arrived at Og Lake Campground on a beautiful Saturday evening well after everyone else and happily pitched our tent in the center, least private site. Quick dinner was at dusk and we settled our exhausted bodies into a warm, seemingly private tent.
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Sketchy Exposure Cutoff to Og Lake |
Day 3: Og Lake to Assiniboine Lodge and Magog Lake
Many campers left before we woke, quietly thanks, but there was still a wait for the privy in the morning. By the time we finally roused for breakfast, the camp was mostly empty and we enjoyed a breathtaking dip in frigid Og Lake before setting out on our short, easy hike to Magog Lake.
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Og Lake |
The 6 mile out and back to Assiniboine Lodge and Magog Lake continued to fill us up with big, snowcapped mountain views surrounding a wide U-shaped meadow. We missed hiker tea/beverages at the Lodge and made a pledge to come back and stay if we ever had the chance. Oh to be one of those lucky lodge people in this place, with that view, and the comfort of a log cabin, running water and a restaurant! But, seriously, I wouldn’t choose a hotel room over a tent on most days. A huge grizzly bear briefly joined us as we lounged in the rock chairs on the shore of Magog Lake and moseyed along without event.
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Day 4: rewind to Howard Douglas
The view hiking Og Lake back to Howard Douglas continued to dazzle and we took the Porcupine Campground route this time instead of the sketchy exposure cutoff. Lunch and a dip in the stream didn't really cure the dread building for up, up, uphill climb to the top of Citadel Pass. We made it, breathless, to the top and back to the campground which was… full! And a totally different experience from the first night. We arrived late (surprise) and got the last tent pad which still had about a foot of snow. Whatever! The Lake had melted and we dunked our feet (for a second time that day) and enjoyed our evening meal on the shore.
Day 5: Out!
The hike out was almost snow free. Such a fast melt! Yes, the hike from the top of the gondola to the bottom was sucky (again) but we fueled up with yummy nachos and beers (again) at Mad Trapper's and stopped to gawk at the logistical talent it took to fill up a bucket with concrete, while dangling from a helicopter, to deliver to the top of the mountain for ski lift construction.
Our car was fully charged upon arrival and we welcomed a hand wash in the restrooms at the Village. Little did we know as we headed South and back home, through the what-we-thought-was-extraordinary heat for the Canadian Rockies, that a forest fire in Jasper was spreading, hot, and burning fast, really fast.
A few other notes on the trip…
Water was abundant and we did not see anything but sunshine for our entire hike (5 days) but we were fully and completely drenched backpacking in Yoho two weeks prior so anything can happen...just like it should be!
Canadians have very much mastered the human-wilderness nexus with consolidated and limited camping to preserve and protect resources. While the communal eating was not our preference, it luxurious to have a bench, easy food storage and a privy. This is so much better in high traffic areas like this and Coloradans have something to learn. (For example, our last few section hikes on the Colorado Trail have been pretty gross with sprawling camp areas, including TP and trash left behind.)
If we had time, we would have enjoyed another day or two. But we'll be back! Tonquin Valley is still on the list and we already have reservations for the West Coast Trail in May 2025!
The visual: