GDT – Christmas in July

Saskatchewan Crossing to Maligne Lake – 135km

June 2 – Washout

I left Saskatchewan Crossing on a crisp morning. It felt like September, not the beginning of July. The walk along the highway was actually quite enjoyable. There was no traffic at all.

I’m on to my second pair of shoes! It feels great to put on brand new kicks. Almost right away, though, my achilles tendon started to hurt. To relieve the pressure, I had cut open the heel of my first pair of shoes. It irked me to do the same to a brand new pair, but I didn’t really have much choice.

The views over North Saskatchewan River reminded me that I’d like to paddle that river someday.

Soon, I began climbing up Owen Creek. Very quickly, the creek turns into an incredibly deep and narrow slot canyon. I had no idea this was here, despite driving past it many times.

The creek has washed away the trail in many places, leaving me to pick my own way up, hopping boulders in the creek or just clinging to the side.

I made sure to move quickly but safely. I sure wouldn’t want to be here in a rain storm!

Once I got above the trees, the views really opened up.

Owen Pass was still covered in deep snow and I didn’t have my snowshoes anymore. I could have actually made good use of them up here.

I found a great place to set up camp overlooking the spectacular Upper Michele Lake. Helicopter tours and hiking is popular here but I saw no one else at all.

July 3 – GDT High Point

It was a chilly night. My first objective of the day was (unofficially named) Michele Pass – the highest point on the Great Divide Trail! The snow was so firm that I couldn’t ascend directly but instead went far to the right where the snow is less steep.

It felt great to make it to the top! All downhill from here, right?

I made my way down from the pass through increasingly mushy and wet trails. The weather grew colder as I went and it began to rain.

July 4 – Christmas in July

I woke the next morning to damp air and cold rain. Usually, I just speed up to keep warm but I couldn’t walk fast enough given the poorly defined trail and tricky navigation, so I stopped under the shelter of a big tree and put on my nice warm fleece hoodie.

The rain turned to snow. Bushes saturated with cold water droplets soaked my feet with every step. Each soaking sucked the heat out of my body. Somehow, it was still quite fun. After not too long, I broke out of the trees and the foot-soaking stopped.

My first thought: “Wow, there’s a lot of snow up here!” Kicking steps up the soft snow was actually warmer for my feet than the soaked bushes and I enjoyed the feeling of being up high. Limited visibility made me pretty cautious, especially after hearing the rumble of a far-off avalanche.

I made it to the top of the pass, standing in ankle-deep fresh snow and with big fat Christmas-like snowflakes falling all around me. My views were pretty limited but it sure was fun to be up there in the middle of a July snowstorm.

I made my way down, very happy with the feeling of accomplishment you get from completing something that looked so uncertain, feeling progressively warmer as I went.

July 5 – Over Jonas Shoulder

Brazeau Loop is a very popular backpacking trip and I have fond memories of doing it five years ago with good friends.

The “terrible” weather must have sent a lot of people home. I saw only one other person on my way up to Jonas Pass.

Jonas Shoulder often has snow at the top but now the cornice extended much further than it did on my first trip. I managed to find a less steep spot and made my way down the snow.

Soon, I was back on solid ground. Well, it was muddy and mushy but not covered in snow.

I was actually quite worried about a notice on the Parks Canada website: “Bridge out, creek impassible, no detour available”. I decide to give it a go anyway, reasoning that I could always turn back and I’d get to see Jonas Shoulder once more. To my relief, a new bridge was already in place! It must have just been put in – fresh sawdust covered the ground.

July 6 – Forgotten Maligne Pass

I felt unusually tired in the morning, sleeping in until 8am. Usually, I’m up by 5:30am out here! The trail worked its way up higher and higher, crossing some pretty impressive creeks. Parks Canada doesn’t maintain this trail anymore, so I was impressed to find any bridges at all.

Maligne Pass is beautiful! In a way it’s a shame Parks Canada has decommissioned this area because it means not many people will ever see it, but it sure was nice to have it all to myself.

It was a slow day for me, so when I reached long forgotten Mary Vaux campground I decided to call it a day.

July 7 – Scary Maligne River

Maybe it was a bad idea to stop so early. The next morning it began to rain, picking up as I went. The walking was slow with all the dwarf willow taking over the trail.

The rain became more intense and the trail filled with cold water. I was worried about crossing the Maligne River. Later in the season, it’s pretty easy but with all this rain it might just be too deep for me.

When I got to the crossing, the river was flowing strong and fast. At the marked crossing, I’m sure I would have gotten swept away. There’s an old bridge but Parks Canada has removed it, leaving it at the side of the river. I carefully made my way downstream of the old bridge, making each step very intentionally. Bit by bit, I made it across, safe & sound.

The rest of the day went uneventfully. A hoard of mosquitoes found me and were so intent on drawing blood that only a hard rain shower forced them away. What a relief that rain was. I made it to Maligne Lake ready for a break but excited for my next section, the famous Skyline Trail!

Next Post: Jasper Skyline Trail + Jasper to Miette River