Tag: #Omniten

Summit Peak & Mount Saint Paul, Stone Mountain Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (8-4-17)

Day 5 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!

The sky was clear and bright, that pale arctic blue that promises rare adventure.  This was going to be a fantastic day!  Five days into her Dingo Vacation, Lupe was finally going to get to tackle her first major peakbagging objective.  She got a reasonably early start heading W on the Alaska Highway (6:41 AM, 50°F).  A sign said it was still 60 km to Summit Lake.

Summit Lake is situated at Summit Pass, the high point reached by the Alaska Highway as it goes through Stone Mountain Provincial Park in NE British Columbia.  There’s a campground and a picnic ground at the E end of the lake.  Lupe and SPHP had stopped there last year on the way through the park for the first time.

Lupe had been on her way home then at the tail end of her 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska.  She was out of time and couldn’t stay, but there had been new snow on the mountains, so conditions hadn’t been right anyway.  However, Stone Mountain Provincial Park had been an impressive, gorgeous surprise.  SPHP had left convinced that Lupe ought to come back some day.

Now, only 11 months later, the American Dingo was on her way.  She would arrive within the hour!

Suddenly, Lupe spotted a fox next to the Alaska Highway!  A skinny, somewhat strange looking fox of the far N.  The fox had tall, thin black legs, a gray and tan coat, and the most amazingly luxurious tail, ever.  SPHP slowed down hoping to get a picture.

Lupe had a conniption fit, barking hysterically.  Oddly enough, the little fox wasn’t fazed in the least.  It seemed to take Lupe’s hysteria as a friendly greeting from a fellow canine.  After SPHP got a photo, the fox trotted down the highway following the G6, staring hopefully at Lupe and SPHP as if it would like to hitch a ride, or wished Lupe would come out and play.

This strange, skinny northern fox seemed interested in making friends with a hysterical Dingo.

SPHP watched it in the mirrors for a few moments before accelerating away.  Best not to encourage the precious little fox to stay on the highway.  Besides, the decibel level in the G6 was totally out of control.

As it turned out, the fox wasn’t the only cause for hysteria.  Next came 3 caribou.  The caribou seemed to be licking something off the road.  Salt?  There was actually some traffic, but the caribou pretty much ignored it.  They were reluctant to move for vehicles, but warily kept their distance from the foaming-at-the-mouth Carolina Dog.

Lupe saw 3 caribou on her way to Stone Mountain Provincial Park. They couldn’t help but notice the deranged Dingo, too.
The caribou stayed busy purposely licking the highway. Maybe they were after salt? It was the only explanation SPHP could think of.
Although traffic had a hard time persuading the caribou to get out of the way, they were far more wary of Lupe.

As far as Lupe was concerned, the day was off to an exhilarating start!  She arrived at Summit Lake in great spirits.  SPHP parked at the picnic area next to the lake.  After a quick bite to eat, it would be peakbagging time!

Lupe arrives at Summit Lake in great spirits on a beautiful summer morning. The day had gotten off to an exhilarating start! Photo looks SW.

The Summit Peak trail starts right across the Alaska Highway from the campground and picnic area.  After a quick breakfast, SPHP moved the G6 to the roomy trailhead parking lot.  Only a couple of other vehicles were around.  Before Lupe hit the trail, SPHP took a look at information and maps posted nearby.  (9:04 AM, 61°F)

Information posted at the trailhead across the Alaska Highway from Summit Lake.
A closer look at the trail description.
This more general map of the Summit Lake area shows other nearby trails, too.

The posted description for the Summit Peak trail was vague and somewhat misleading about the significance of 3 stars shown on the trail map.  Only by comparing the posted information with what SPHP had brought along was SPHP certain what each star must represent.

The first star was only the first high point at the closest end of what could be considered Summit Peak’s long summit ridge.  It was both a false summit and a great viewpoint where apparently many people call it good and turn around.  The second star was the location of Summit Peak’s true summit.  The third star was the summit of Mount Saint Paul.  The trail description barely mentioned Mount Saint Paul, and made it sound as though the third star was the summit of Summit Peak.

As far as Lupe was concerned,  Summit Peak (6,611 ft.) was only her first objective.  SPHP really hoped the American Dingo would make it all the way to Mount Saint Paul (6,985 ft.).

The first section of the Summit Peak trail was short.  The trail climbed a bit, then emerged from the forest at an open level area where it passed by the end of a ridge on the L (W).  Once Lupe was past the ridge, the trail dropped into a shallow ravine where it crossed a creek before climbing an embankment on the opposite side to enter a conifer forest.

Lupe near the start of the Summit Peak trail in Stone Mountain Provincial Park in NE British Columbia. The trail leveled out here passing around the end of the ridge seen on the L. Part of Summit Peak is seen directly ahead. Photo looks N.
Crossing the little creek early on. This creek was the only water source on the way up Summit Peak.

Lupe climbed steeply through the forest until she reached the rim of the creek valley.  Here the trail nearly leveled out and made a sweeping curve around to the W along the rim of the valley.  Lupe was already high enough to have some beautiful views.  SPHP was particularly intrigued by a mountain off to the S, which looked easily climbable.

Once beyond the creek, the trail climbed steeply to the rim of the valley before nearly leveling out. Here the trail sweeps around to the W along the rim. The trail ultimately goes up the rocky ridge ahead on the way to Summit Peak. Photo looks N.
Lupe was already high enough to have some beautiful views. SPHP was particularly intrigued by the mountain on the L, which looked like something Lupe could easily climb. Photo looks S.

The pleasant trek along the rim of the creek valley didn’t last long.  Soon Lupe was above treeline at the lower end of Summit Peak’s S ridge.  The trail turned N here and headed up.

Looking NW up the creek valley from the base of Summit Peak’s steep S ridge. The trail turns NNE here to begin climbing up to the false summit at High Point 6,500 (1,981 m).

The S ridge became progressively more rocky.  The low vegetation began to disappear.  Looper came to various rock formations.  Sometimes there was a bit of scrambling involved, but nothing significant, scary or long.  The trail became less obvious, and began to fade away.  Sometimes Lupe followed cairns, though the general direction the route had to take was never in doubt.

SPHP paused frequently to catch breath.  The views were incredible!  The higher Lupe went, the more spectacular they became.

Early in the climb up the long, rocky S ridge. The true summit of Summit Peak is seen on the L. Photo looks NNE.
Lupe’s route up the S ridge would take her first to the false summit at High Point 6,500 (1,981 m) seen on the R. The true summit is in view on the L. Photo looks NNE.
Summit Lake from partway up the S ridge. The campground and picnic area are visible on the L. The mountain beyond the lake and slightly to the right of Lupe is Mount Saint George (7,402 ft.). Photo looks SSW.
Puppy ho! Onward and upward! Lupe (L) leads the way. By now vegetation was scarce. Still a ways to go, though. Photo looks N.
The upper end of the creek valley Lupe had crossed much farther down is at lower L. Summit Peak (6,611 ft.) is in shadow on the R. Mount Saint Paul (6,985 ft.) is the high ridge in sunlight on the L. Photo looks NW.
Lupe sometimes passed over rock formations like this one on the way up. Once in a while there was a bit of scrambling involved. Never anything scary or serious, however. Photo looks N.
Getting close to the SE end of Summit Peak’s long summit ridge. The true summit is on the far L.

After a long climb, Lupe finally reached the upper end of the S ridge.  She was now at the far SE end of Summit Peak’s long summit ridge.  This was already a glorious viewpoint, but a somewhat higher point was in view not too far off to the NW.  That was the false summit, High Point 6,500 (1981 m), which corresponded to the first star on the trail map that was posted back at the trailhead.  The mountain’s true summit could be seen beyond High Point 6,500, still some distance away.

After the long climb up the S ridge, Lupe arrived here, at the far SE end of Summit Peak’s long summit ridge. High Point 6,500 is near at hand on the R. Beyond it, appearing in shadow straight up from Lupe’s rump, is Summit Peak’s true summit. Mount Saint Paul is the high ridge on the L. Photo looks NW.
Same view with help from the telephoto lens. High Point 6,500 (1,981 m) is on the R. The true summit is in shadow at Center. Photo looks NW.

After a pause to take in the views, Lupe and SPHP continued on to High Point 6,500 (1,981 m).  Getting there was cake.  Lupe stood by a cairn at the top, which she had seen from a distance.  This was the location of the first star on the trail map, and the place where most hikers supposedly turn around according to the information back at the trailhead.

Looper stands by the cairn at High Point 6,500 (1,981 m). The far SE end of the long summit ridge, where Loop had just been, is seen a bit lower at Center. Photo looks SE.
Looking down the long S ridge Lupe had just come up from High Point 6500 (1,981 m). Summit Lake close to where she’d started out from is in view below. Much smaller Flower Springs Lake can also be seen well beyond Summit Lake. Photo looks SSW.

All the hard work was done!  The weather was perfect.  No way on earth were Lupe and SPHP going to turn around here!  The American Dingo headed for the true summit.

Turn around here? No way! A fun, glorious, easy ridge walk to the true summit lies just ahead! The American Dingo was going for it! Photo looks NW.

The stroll along the ridge leading to the summit was pure joy.  So easy, such stupendous beauty on all sides, conditions absolutely perfect, and the happy realization that no obstacle was going to prevent Lupe from attaining her peakbagging success!

Loopster reached the summit cairn to claim her first Stone Mountain Provincial Park summit.

Loopster at the true summit of Summit Peak (6,611 ft.). Mount Saint Paul in the background. Photo looks WNW.
Summit Lake from the top of Summit Peak. The lower end of the S ridge Loop had come up is seen at lower L. Photo looks SSW.
Looking SE back at High Point 6,500 (1,981 m) (L). Upper portions of the S ridge are seen on the R.

Getting to the top of Summit Peak had been quite a trek.  Lupe and SPHP took a lengthy break at the summit.

There was so much to look at and admire from up here!  Many fabulous mountains of the Muskwa Range were in view.  Some of the highest, most dramatic peaks were on the far W or SW horizon, sporting big snowfields and glaciers.  SPHP had no idea what the names of those mountains might be.  They were simply beautiful, remote, and mysterious.

There was no lack of wonderful sights close by, either.

On the far horizon, mostly toward the SW & W, Lupe saw many mysterious high mountains with snowfields and glaciers. Photo looks WNW(?) with help from the telephoto lens.
Looking W(?) with help from the telephoto lens. SPHP had no idea what the names of any of these beautiful peaks might be.
Looking WSW(?)
Mount Saint George (7,402 ft.) in sunlight (R). Summit Lake (lower L) and Flower Springs Lake beyond it. Photo looks SSW.
View to the ENE. The mountains were lower in this direction.
Lupe wandering a bit down the N slope, the cairn at the top of Summit Peak in view beyond her. Photo looks S.
Back at the cairn. Although the day had started out totally clear, puffy white clouds were building. They didn’t seem threatening yet. Photo looks S.
An American Dingo surveys Stone Mountain Provincial Park from Summit Peak. Photo looks SSW.
View to the N.
Lupe stands at the N end of the summit area. Beyond this point the mountain dropped off very sharply. Photo looks ENE.

After 45 minutes on Summit Peak, it was time to think about starting for Mount Saint Paul.  Lupe and SPHP were about to leave when Lupe spotted movement.  People were coming!  They would arrive momentarily.  Lupe and SPHP waited, and met Dave & Nancy Leckschas.

The Leckschas were from the Okanagan region.  They were on a 2 month vacation, with plans to go up the Dempster highway.  Dave said he had climbed Mount Saint George once, some 31 years ago.  Summit Peak now seemed more difficult than that had been.  Encouraging news, since Lupe and SPHP were hoping to climb Mount Saint George tomorrow!

Lupe meets Dave & Nancy Leckschas from the Okanagan region on Summit Peak. The Leckschas were on a 2 month vacation which would include a trip up the Dempster Highway. Dave and Nancy were the only people Lupe saw all day, other than a couple of girls who had turned back early on.

When SPHP mentioned that Lupe intended to go on to Mount Saint Paul from here, Dave said there were already two people up there.  Dave lent SPHP his field glasses, and sure enough, two people could be seen very close to Mount Saint Paul’s summit.

After a nice chat with Dave and Nancy, Lupe and SPHP headed out, leaving the Leckschas to enjoy the solitude they had no doubt expected to find on Summit Peak.

Referring to the rest of the route to Mount Saint Paul from Summit Peak, although not in a very clear manner, the information at the trailhead had said “After this viewpoint there are no more rock cairns or a visible trail but the peak can be reached by continuing on along the ridge of the mountain.”

Well, maybe, but that’s not exactly how SPHP would have worded it.  Looking toward Mount Saint Paul (6,985 ft.) Lupe could see the ridge the sign was referring to alright.  There was one teensy detail that had been left out.  Continuing on along the ridge meant dropping more than 1,000 feet (330 m) down an extraordinarily steep rocky slope to a saddle leading to the next part of the ridge.

Looking toward Mount Saint Paul (L), Lupe could see the ridge leading to it (R), but getting to that ridge meant dropping 1,000 feet down the very steep, rocky slope seen at lower R. Not to quibble, but it seemed to SPHP that this was a detail that might have been worth mentioning on the signage back at the trailhead. Photo looks NW.

At first, “continuing on along the ridge” going NW from Summit Peak looked like such a challenge that SPHP hesitated.  This route was way steeper than anything the Carolina Dog had faced on the way up.  However, there was no doubt this had to be the way.  If others had done it, Lupe could too.  Lupe started down.

“Continuing on along the ridgeline”, a simple matter of a 1,000 foot steep rocky descent to the saddle below (green area on L) before having to subsequently regain it all immediately climbing back up onto the next part of the ridge (seen ahead also on the L). No choice, though. If Lupe was ever going to get to Mount Saint Paul from Summit Peak, she had to do it. Photo looks NW.

For a while, Dave and Nancy could be seen waving encouragement from up on Summit Peak as SPHP slowly, cautiously trudged down the steep slope.  It was soon evident this was actually going to work, although SPHP was clearly destined to chew up a bunch of time on the descent.  Finally the terrain began to level out.  Lupe reached the saddle leading to the next part of the ridge.

After a lot of waiting around for SPHP, Lupe reaches the saddle leading to the next ridge. Photo looks ENE.

The weather was suddenly starting to become questionable.  Each cloud was now sprinkling rain as it sailed by.  While Lupe traversed the saddle, the rain showers intensified.  SPHP grudgingly called a halt to dig the plastic rain poncho out of the pack.

Putting on the rain poncho worked wonders.  Within 10 or 15 minutes the rain showers were kaput.  Nada.  No more the rest of the day.  No doubt failing to have put on the rain poncho would have caused a cloudburst.  Life can be like that.  Anyway, the rain poncho had done its job.  Back in the pack it went.  Lupe and SPHP began the process of regaining the 1,000 feet the American Dingo had just lost, and started up the next steep ridge.

Lupe just past the saddle area. Photo looks W up the valley leading to the base of Mount Saint Paul (L). Lupe needs to climb the lovely little ridge on the R to get there.
Looking back at Summit Peak (R) and the ridge Lupe followed down to the saddle seen below to get here. That whiner, SPHP! Doesn’t look bad at all from this angle! Photo looks SE.
Starting to get high again! Summit Peak on the L. The ridge going down from Summit Peak to the R toward the far end of the valley is NOT the same S ridge Lupe climbed. That ridge is out of sight beyond the one seen here. Anyone interested in climbing only Mount Saint Paul might do well to skip Summit Peak entirely, and come up the valley on the R. Photo looks SSE.

At first, the climb up onto the ridge beyond the saddle was steeper and more challenging than anything on the way up Summit Peak had been.  Part of the way, SPHP found some use of hands advisable, even necessary.  Lupe regained a lot of elevation before the situation improved.

The ridge beyond the saddle didn’t become an easy trek until Loop was back up even with Summit Peak again.  She was still gaining elevation from here, though, because this ridge went higher than Summit Peak.

On the way up. The first part of the climb up this ridge beyond the saddle was steeper and more challenging than the S ridge Lupe had climbed going up Summit Peak. It’s starting to get easier here. Photo looks NW.
Lupe (a tiny brown speck not far from the green patch on the R) up on the easier, more level part of the ridge. Mount Saint Paul is not pictured, still off to the L of this photo. Photo looks WNW.
In addition to grand views all around, there was beauty in miniature, too. The delicate, colorful tiny plants of the tundra are always fascinating.
Way up high again! The high point of the ridge beyond the deep saddle coming from Summit Peak is seen on the L. However, a 2nd saddle Lupe would have to go over was still ahead beyond that high point. Photo looks W.

A second saddle existed along this ridge leading to Mount Saint Paul.  Even if Lupe followed the very top of the ridgeline the entire way, she wouldn’t lose nearly so much elevation going down to this second saddle from the next high point as she had on that first enormous drop from Summit Peak.  However, there didn’t seem to be any reason to gain more elevation than necessary only to lose and regain it again.

Lupe climbed far enough to get a little higher than the second saddle, which she could see ahead.  Here a faint, nearly level animal trail went directly across the slope S of the ridgeline straight to the saddle.  Following this trail allowed Loop to skip the next high point she’d been approaching on the ridge.

Once Lupe reached the second saddle, only the final steep climb to the summit of Mount Saint Paul remained.

Way up in NE British Columbia in Stone Mountain Provincial Park, intrepid American Dingo explorer Lupe continues up the ridge. Summit Peak is now far behind her on the R. Photo looks SE.
The second saddle is seen ahead on the R. Lupe headed straight for it from here following a faint animal trail across the rocky slope, enabling her to skip going all the way up to the high point on the far R. Mount Saint Paul, her ultimate objective, is on the L. Photo looks WSW.
Loopster getting close to the second saddle. Mount Saint Paul on the L. On the final climb to the summit, Loop would stay slightly to the L (SE) of the ridge leading to it. Photo looks WSW.
Lupe pauses at the second saddle for a look back at beautiful Summit Peak (Center). The ridge she has been coming up is on the L. Photo looks SE.

The final climb to the summit of Mount Saint Paul from the second saddle was steep enough so it wasn’t entirely clear if Lupe and SPHP would even make it to the top.  At last that happy moment arrived when Lupe popped up onto the summit plateau.  The Carolina Dog had made it!  SPHP was ecstatic!

An easy stroll brought Lupe to a cairn along the W edge of the summit plateau.  This was it, the summit of Mount Saint Paul (6,985 ft.)!

Made it! Lupe on the summit cairn on Mount Saint Paul. Photo looks SW.
Looking WNW. High Point 6831 (2,082 m) is nearby at far R.
Looking N.
Oh, yeah! I made it! All the way up Mount Saint Paul! Photo looks NW.

Reaching the summit of Mount Saint Paul was cause for celebration!  And a break, a fantastic hour long break.  Lupe relaxed by the summit cairn.  She had water and Taste of the Wild.  She toured all around the whole roomy summit plateau, which was highest toward the NW, but relatively level overall.

And of course, Lupe and SPHP gazed long upon the splendid glories of the Muskwa Range on display in every direction of the compass in Stone Mountain Provincial Park way up here in NE British Columbia.

Looking down the valley to the SW. A little section of McDonald Creek is seen way down at the far end. Photo looks SW.
Loop at the SW end of the summit plateau. Photo looks N back toward the true summit.
Loop still at the SW end of the summit plateau. The triangular high spot (R) at the end of the near ridge is High Point 6752 (2058 m) Photo looks SSW.
High Point 6722 (2,058 m) is now on the L. Photo looks SW with help from the telephoto lens.
Zoomed in on High Point 6752 (2,058 m) in the foreground now. Next we’ll zoom in on some of those distant snowy peaks. Photo looks SW.
Zoomed way in on the high peak straight out beyond High Point 6752 (2,058 m). Photo looks SW.
Now zoomed way in on the distant peak slightly more to the R (W). SPHP has no idea what the names of these gorgeous peaks are. Photo looks SW.
Two nearby ridges rise up to meet at Center of this photo. A more level sharp ridge continues farther from the meeting point sweeping around toward the R. The high point at the far R end is the summit of Mount Saint George (7,402 ft.). Photo looks SSW.
Zoomed in on Mount Saint George’s summit ridge. Tomorrow Lupe would try to climb Mount Saint George (7,402 ft.). She would go up the ridge seen at lower L to the meeting point reached with the ridge coming up from the lower R. From there, she would follow Mount Saint George’s sharp summit ridge as it sweeps around to the summit at the far end on the R. At least, that was the plan. Photo looks SSW.
SPHP no longer remembers what direction this distant snowfield was from Mount Saint Paul, but believes it was likely toward the W.
Looking back up toward the summit of Mount Saint Paul from near the SE edge of the summit plateau.
The ridge Lupe came up from Summit Peak is highlighted in sunshine (Center). The first deep saddle from Summit Peak is at far R. The second saddle before the final ascent up Mount Saint Paul is on the far L. Photo looks NE.
Beautiful Lupe taking it easy on Mount Saint Paul.
At the summit. Photo looks NW.

Lupe’s beautiful, joyous hour on Mount Saint Paul passed by.  It was a long way back to the G6.  Best get a move on.  Looper wasn’t going to return using the same route she had come up.  It was late afternoon now, and she didn’t have time to go all the way back to Summit Peak.

Back on Summit Peak, Dave Leckschas and SPHP had commented that Mount Saint Paul’s SE ridge looked like it ought to serve as a good shortcut back and a reasonably easy route down.  Now looking down on it from above, it didn’t look quite so amenable.  Most of the SE ridge was fine.  Getting down to the easy part was the problem.  The upper end of the ridge near the top of the mountain was steeper and more challenging than SPHP expected.

Lupe relaxes near the E edge of the summit plateau. Here she’s got a fantastic view of Summit Peak (6,611 ft.) (Center L) and High Point 6500 (1,981 m) (Center R) leading to it. The distant ridge on the R is the one Lupe climbed on the way up Summit Peak. The near ridge at lower R is part of Mount Saint Paul’s SE ridge SPHP had expected Lupe would be able to take back to the G6.
The upper end of Mount Saint Paul’s SE ridge is in the foreground. Doesn’t look bad from this angle. Photo looks E.
At the top of the long SE ridge (foreground) leading down from Mount Saint Paul. Summit Peak at Center. Photo looks SE.

Lupe and SPHP started down Mount Saint Paul’s SE ridge.  The upper ridgeline was pretty ragged with drop offs that had to be negotiated around.  Lupe always stayed on the less steep R (SW) side of the ridgeline when she couldn’t make progress right on it.

SPHP is always terribly, terribly slow on steep rocky descents like this.  After a while, SPHP became discontent with the rate of descent.  Everything was fine, Lupe would have gotten there, but it seemed like it was taking forever to reach the lower, easier part of the ridge.  SPHP got the numbskull idea that things looked easier off to the SW away from the ridgeline.

They weren’t!  Soon Lupe found herself far from the ridgeline heading down a slope so steep and rocky that even the Carolina Dog was becoming alarmed.  Lupe begged SPHP to stop.  She wanted to be held, petted, comforted, reassured.  SPHP periodically obliged her, but never for long.  It was imperative to get down to the easier terrain far below.

Zigzagging ever so cautiously down the slope trying to avoid drop offs at a series of horizontal rock bands was incredibly slow, and Lupe had to go a lot farther down this way to reach more reasonable terrain than she would have staying on the ridge.  The American Dingo made it, though.  Anxious to be out of the rocks, she sped ahead long before SPHP was able to move freely.

Deep in the shadow of the mountain, SPHP finally reached the floor of the upper valley.  How long had that descent taken?  It seemed like hours.  Crazy!  Pathetic!  Nerve-wracking!  Thankfully, it was all over now.  To SPHP, the trek ahead down the huge valley was just a relaxing end to the long day of peakbagging.  To Lupe it was the best part of the whole journey.

Lupe ran and ran, far from SPHP, wherever she pleased.  She sniffed, played, explored.  SPHP had to keep an eye on that fleet brown and white speck dashing across the countryside, to make sure it never disappeared from sight for very long.  Loop periodically returned, grinning ear to ear, panting hard.

It was still a long way back.  Lower down, Lupe came to hillsides full of bushes nearly as high as SPHP.  Pushing through them threatened to become a difficult, hopefully not impossible, task.  The sun was down, and the long twilight of the N country was slowly fading when finally a deep ravine appeared ahead.  A creek was at the bottom.  Lupe scouted the edge of the ravine until she found a way down to cross the creek.

A 75 foot descent and subsequent higher ascent up a steep embankment on the other side of the creek brought Lupe to a much anticipated link to civilization.  The trail!  Yes it was here!  Lupe was at the base of Summit Peak’s S ridge.  No worries now.  Puppy ho!  Onward!  Back to the G6.  What a fabulous day!  (9:50 PM)

Summit Peak (L). Mount Saint Paul’s SE ridge (Center). Lupe’s playground on the way back, the vast valley on the R. Photo looks SE.

Related Links:

Mount Saint George, Stone Mountain Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (8-5-17)

Stone Mountain Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Want more Lupe adventures?  Choose from Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index.  Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.

Overlander Falls, Rearguard Falls & Ancient Forest, British Columbia, Canada (8-2-17)

Part 2 of Day 3, plus Day 4 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska

(Day 3, 8-2-17, noon)  My how things had changed!  When Lupe and SPHP got back to the Bow Glacier Falls trailhead near Simpson’s Num-Ti-Jah Lodge on beautiful Bow Lake shortly before noon, the parking lot, which had been nearly vacant when the American Dingo arrived early this morning, was jam packed with vehicles.  A long line was waiting to get in, and another trying to get out.

After some delay, the G6 made it out onto Icefields Parkway Hwy 93.  Only a few miles farther N at Bow Summit, SPHP made the mistake of taking the turn for Peyto Lake.  The situation was the same here.  No place to park, vehicles circling endlessly, and throngs of tourists everywhere.

Another delay getting back onto Hwy 93 ensued, but eventually Lupe was headed N again.  It was the height of the summer tourist season.  After an overcast late autumn feel to the start of the day back in Banff this morning, the sky was bright blue and temperatures were soaring.  As a result, the magnificent Canadian Rockies were completely overrun.

Loopster, you were dang lucky to have Bow Glacier Falls all to yourself this morning!

The early Dingo gets the … uh, squirrel, you know, SPHP!

Apparently, that was absolutely the case.  The mid-day drive N through Banff and Jasper National Parks was stunning as always, but at all the other short day hikes Lupe might have done, the story was the same.  No room to park at Parker Ridge, no room at Wilcox Pass, not even a single available spot at the giant paved parking lot at the Icefields Centre across from the Athabasca Glacier.

Heading N through the Canadian Rockies on Icefields Parkway Hwy 93.

SPHP did manage to sneak the G6 into a couple of pullouts on the way N.  Lupe got brief looks at splendid views before having to hit the road again to let someone else have a turn.

Looper at a pullout with a view across the Sunwapta River of the Stutfield Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield. Photo looks SW.

Despite the crowds, SPHP thought Lupe had an ace in the hole.  She would stop at her favorite secret picnic ground on the Athabasca river 5 or 6 miles S of Athabasca Falls.  Due to a total lack of signage, only a few locals ever seemed to realize it was there.  Everyone else roared right on by the inconspicuous turn.

When Lupe got there, SPHP was aghast.  New signage!  The formerly secret picnic ground wasn’t completely overrun, but it was no longer the Carolina Dog’s private preserve, either.  Lupe and SPHP stopped long enough to go over to the river to take a look at the familiar lovely views, but the solitude which had been so exquisite here even on super touristy days was gone.

At the Athabasca River near what used to be a very private picnic ground due to a lack of signage. Unfortunately, new signs were up and the solitude Lupe used to enjoy here on previous years had vanished. Photo looks NW.
Looking upstream.

Since the Canadian Rockies were so busy on what was rapidly becoming a hot summer afternoon, SPHP decided Lupe ought to just keep going.  After a quick stop for fuel and supplies in Jasper, Lupe enjoyed an air-conditioned ride W on Yellowhead Hwy No. 16.

Upon reaching the British Columbia border, Lupe entered Mount Robson Provincial Park.  When SPHP spotted the Overlander Falls trailhead next to the highway, no one was there.  Perfect!  SPHP pulled into the nearly empty parking lot.

Lupe had stopped at Overlander Falls on her 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska, too, so she knew what to expect.  The main trail down to the falls is a nice, shady 10 minute stroll through the forest.

On the main trail to Overlander Falls, only a 10 minute, mostly downhill stroll away.

Last year, Lupe had visited Overlander Falls on a cloudy, drippy day.  The falls had been impressive then, but in the sunshine this afternoon Overlander Falls was absolutely gorgeous!  The Fraser River was an amazing pale blue color mixed with a clean, foamy white.

Overlander Falls was absolutely gorgeous on this sunny afternoon! Only 30 ft. high, Overlander Falls is one of only 2 significant waterfalls on the Fraser River, the other being Rearguard Falls farther downstream. The trailhead is located on the S side of Yellowhead Hwy 16 about 2 km E of the Mount Robson Provincial Park headquarters and visitor center.

Lupe was glad to see Overlander Falls again!  The waterfall put out a cool, misty spray, which felt great on a hot afternoon.  The torrent pouring over the falls produced a soothing continuous roar.

Lupe was glad to see Overlander Falls again! The falls produced a cool, misty spray which felt great on a hot afternoon.
Loop by the downstream end of the big, beautiful swirling pool of water below the falls.

Lupe had lovely Overlander Falls all to herself, but only for 10 minutes or so.  Soon people were coming.  Best to let them enjoy some privacy here, too.  The Carolina Dog started back up the trail to the parking lot.

Enjoying a few minutes of cool, misty solitude down by Overlander Falls.

Not far from Overlander Falls, a longer side trail branches off the main trail and follows the Fraser River downstream for 2 km.  The side trail stays well above the Fraser River, which isn’t even in view a good deal of the time.  It ends at a road 0.5 km from Mount Robson Provincial Park headquarters and visitor center.

Lupe had taken the side trail last year, but had a painful experience when she got too excited about a squirrel.  A dewclaw caught on a root or branch while she was leaping about.  The dewclaw had broken off, which hadn’t been much fun at all.  Instead of taking the side trail, this time around Lupe let SPHP drive her to the Mount Robson Provincial Park visitor center.

Mount Robson (12,989 ft.) is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies.  In 2013, Lupe had taken the Berg Lake trail all the way up to Berg Lake, where she’d had a grand view of Mount Robson and the Berg and Mist Glaciers after traveling through the Valley of a Thousand Falls.  That had been a truly glorious adventure, but a long, long day.

Last year, Mount Robson had been mostly hidden in clouds when Lupe dropped by the visitor center.  Today the mountain soared in sunshine, highlighted against a brilliant blue sky.  The sight was enough to make the American Dingo want to take the Berg Lake trail again.

Lupe drops by the Mount Robson Provincial Park visitor center to see Mount Robson (L), the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies.
Lupe would have been willing to stay and take the Berg Lake trail all the way around to the other side of Mount Robson (23 km one way!). SPHP had to admit that would have been a tremendously fun thing to do, but Loop had other great adventures in store for her on this year’s grand Dingo Vacation!
Mount Robson with help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks NNE.

From the visitor center, it was only eight miles to Lupe’s next stop at Rearguard Falls.  On the way, the temperature hit a sweltering 89°F!

Like at Overlander Falls, the Rearguard Falls trailhead was right along Yellowhead Hwy 16.  A 10 minute walk down a good trail brought Lupe to an extensive boardwalk system with metal railings.

Lupe on the boardwalk platform closest to Rearguard Falls. Rearguard Falls wasn’t as high as Overlander Falls, but being downstream, contained an even more tremendous flow.

Rearguard Falls, though not as high as Overlander Falls roughly 10 miles upstream, has great significance as the only other waterfall on the 854 mile long Fraser River.  Rearguard Falls is high enough and powerful enough to be an effective barrier against nearly all migrating salmon.  While a few salmon may be strong enough or lucky enough to make it over Rearguard Falls, none make it past Overlander Falls.

Few migrating salmon can make it past Rearguard Falls. Even those that do are ultimately blocked only 10 miles upstream by Overlander Falls.

Rearguard Falls was the last stop Lupe would make for a while, so she lingered as long as she could by the beautiful waterfall until SPHP said it was time to be moving on again.

Oh, mighty interesting about the salmon getting stuck here, SPHP! Sounds pretty good! Think we can catch one? I like salmon!
Don’t think so Looper. Not seeing any salmon here today. Maybe it’s the wrong time of year? This is a provincial park, anyway. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be too happy with us feasting on the salmon here.
The beautiful Fraser River immediately downstream of Rearguard Falls.

Lupe and SPHP went on, continuing W on Yellowhead Hwy 16.  Soon after leaving Rearguard Falls, Hwy 5 branched off going S to Kamloops.  Nearly all the traffic went that way.  Lupe stayed on Hwy 16 following the Fraser River valley toward Prince George.

The Carolina Dog barked at cows and horses as she cruised by occasional green fields scattered among the forest.  The Fraser River was seldom in view.  The valley was miles wide, and bordered by high mountains on both sides.  The mountains to the NE were closest.  They weren’t as spectacular as Mount Robson, but were still very scenic.

Gradually the fields with their cows and horses disappeared.  Forests lined the highway.  Lupe calmed down and relaxed.  The late afternoon heat faded to a comfortable level.  The busy crowds had vanished.  SPHP owned the road, driving with the windows partially down to let fresh air swirl through.  As mile after gorgeous mile went by, the drive took on a peaceful, dream-like quality.  The G6 hummed steadily NW.

It was evening, when a sign came into view.  It was a big new sign where a year ago there had only been a small one.  “Ancient Forest”.  Well, why not?  A huge, wide, short gravel road led up a hillside to an enormous gravel parking lot.  Everything was new.  The immediate area had been stripped of trees.  At one end of the parking lot were two picnic tables and a couple of outhouses.  That was it for facilities.

Lupe arrives at the Ancient Forest along Yellowhead Hwy 16, about 70 miles SE of Prince George, British Columbia.

A guy with a bicycle was using one of the picnic tables.  Only one pickup truck was parked in the absurdly gigantic parking lot.  No one else was in sight.  Lupe and SPHP got out for a look around.

A few signs were posted near a registry at the start of a boardwalk trail leading into the forest.  The signs said this area was a rare ancient inland rainforest.  Huge western redcedars, many over 1,000 years old, and some over 2,000 years old are the dominant tree.  A map showed a trail system with two loops and a couple of spurs.

One of the signs at the registration station near the start of the loop trails leading into the Ancient Forest.

Several vehicles came and went while SPHP read the signs.  The occupants were only interested in using the outhouses.  No one else came to explore a trail, or even glance at what the Ancient Forest was all about.

The Ancient Forest seemed quite different from Lupe’s usual adventures, but she was here now, and Loopster was certainly ready for action.  SPHP registered for her, and the American Dingo set out on the handi-cap accessible boardwalk leading into the rainforest.  (7:43 PM, 70°F)

Lupe enters the Ancient Forest of western redcedars on the handi-cap accessible boardwalk.

The ancient western redcedars were enormous!  The redcedars stood straight and tall with few branches until high above the ground.  Most branches seemed pathetically small for the size of the trees.  Clumps of moss clung to the tree trunks.  The forest floor was covered with ferns, plants with huge leaves, and more moss.

Moss clung to the trunks of the ancient western redcedars. These trees were enormous – straight and tall, with few branches until high above the ground.

The level handi-cap accessible “universal” boardwalk was on supports keeping it several feet above the forest floor, and had railings on both sides.  Lupe followed it all the way to a promised viewpoint at its far end, a distance of several hundred meters.  The “viewpoint” turned out to be just another spot in the forest like any other, except that a foot trail left the boardwalk and continued on from here.

The foot trail was the E end of a much longer trail that crosses a small creek nearby before gaining more than 3,800 feet (1,169 m) of elevation on its way up to a high point in the subalpine on Driscoll Ridge.  The 8.1 mile (15.5 km) long Driscoll Ridge trail ultimately loops back down to Yellowhead Hwy 16 at a point 3 miles (5 km) W of the Ancient Forest trailhead.

Well, Lupe certainly didn’t have time to do all that this evening, so she turned around and went back to where the Waterfall/Tree Beard loop of the Ancient Forest trail system left the handi-cap accessible trail.

On the handicap-accessible “universal” trail heading back to where the Waterfall/Tree Beard loop leaves it.

Once off the handicap-accessible trail, Lupe headed for Tree Beard.  The loop trail was still raised boardwalk, but it wasn’t nearly as high above the forest floor as on the universal trail, and now there were low steps and no railings.  Most of the boardwalk was covered with a shingle-like material for better traction.  The trail gained elevation at a moderate pace as it went up the slope leading to Tree Beard.

Maps like this one were posted at several points along the Ancient Forest loop trails.

Tree Beard was a particularly large, ancient western redcedar, and still very much alive.  Nearly all its spindly little branches were way, way up above the ground.

Lupe next to Tree Beard, a particularly large, ancient western redcedar.
Gazing up Tree Beard’s enormous trunk.

Lupe’s next stop was the waterfall.  The waterfall was located at the end of a spur off the main loop trail.  This was the high point of the whole Ancient Forest trail system, some 343 feet (104 m) above the trailhead.

The pretty waterfall flowed down green moss-covered rocks, but was sort of small.  After seeing Overlander Falls and Rearguard Falls earlier in the day, the Carolina Dog wasn’t particularly impressed.  Of course, the waterfall might be more impressive at other times of year.  Perhaps this was the dry season?  For a rainforest, everything seemed very dry.

The pretty waterfall at the high point of the Ancient Forest trail system.

Lupe returned to the main Waterfall/Tree Beard loop and continued on through the prehistoric forest.

This Ancient Forest really is cool, don’t you think, Looper?  Seems like a place where you could meet a dinosaur!

A dinosaur!  In Canada?  Not too likely, SPHP.  Haven’t seen a single one since we got here.  In fact, I really can’t remember the last time I saw one anywhere.  Dinosaurs are pretty scarce these days.

True enough.  Maybe a bear, then.  You saw bears in Canada last year, remember?

Oh yeah!  A bear would be exciting!  Maybe we’ll see a bear?

Lupe keeping an eye out for bears, and maybe even dinosaurs! Who knew what might lurk in the Ancient Forest?

When Lupe reached the Gold-Dust Tree, she found the tree had taken the unusual step of posting a sign boasting about the view it had of a distant mountain named Mount Sir Alexander (10,745 ft.).  The sign said Mount Sir Alexander had been climbed only a few times, though the Gold-Dust Tree didn’t claim to have done it.

The sign posted by the Gold-Dust Tree about Mount Sir Alexander.

This was all quite interesting to a peakbagging Carolina Dog.  She was fortunate enough to be here on a clear day when she could actually see the real Mount Sir Alexander, too.  It was an impressive peak, glistening with glaciers just as the Gold-Dust Tree claimed.

Lupe was disappointed, though, to see that the mountain appeared well beyond SPHP’s peakbagging capabilities.  That being the case, she knew she wouldn’t ever get to climb Mount Sir Alexander herself, either.

Mount Sir Alexander was an impressive peak, but Lupe could see that SPHP would never make it up something like that. Sadly, that meant she would never get to climb it, either. Photo looks NE with lots of help from the telephoto lens.

Apparently, the sight of Mount Sir Alexander had gotten Lupe thinking.

You know what, SPHP?  This Ancient Forest would be a great place to come to on a cloudy wet day.  It wouldn’t be worth climbing any mountains on a day like that, because you wouldn’t see anything anyway, but the Ancient Forest would be fantastic!  All drippy, misty, foggy and spooky-like!  Makes me feel all scary and wild and ferocious just thinking about it!

Hah!  Great idea, Loopster!  Makes me wish it was all misty, drippy, and foggy right now!

I’d be the top predator, the most ferocious Dingo in the Ancient Forest!  I’d go roaming and prowling among these monstrous trees on the hunt, ripping apart and devouring everything and anything I came to.  Most fun ever!  You could come with, SPHP, and help out.  It’s always smart to hunt in packs, you know.

Maybe.  I dunno know, Loop, we might run into Big Claw!

Big Claw?  Who’s that?

Oh, don’t you remember fighting Big Paw on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state?  That was a rain forest, too.  Down there, they had Big Paw, and he almost got the best of you.  Up here, they probably have Big Claw, maybe a massive bear or something like that.  Perhaps a giant grizzly!  Big Paw was bad enough.  You might not survive an encounter with Big Claw!

Lupe glanced around the forest, ears pricked up, nose twitching.

Big Claw wouldn’t be here on a day like today, do you think, SPHP?

Not entirely certain about that, Loop.  I don’t see any ripe berries around, so probably not, but who knows?  Best to stay alert.  Don’t go wandering off.

Maybe we should get out of here before it gets dark, SPHP.  Let’s keep going and see what’s next.

What was next was the Radies Tree, another huge western redcedar.  The tree was named after Dave Radies, a graduate student at the University of Northern British Columbia, who had noticed in 2005 that trees in this area were marked for logging.  Mr. Radies alerted the public, which led to the preservation of the Ancient Forest.

Loop near the Radies Tree (R).

A few hundred feet (100 m) beyond the Radies Tree, Lupe came to a trail junction.  She could take a shortcut back to the G6 completing the Waterfall/Tree Beard loop, or explore the Big Tree loop.

The Big Tree loop was the smaller of the two loops.  It wouldn’t take much longer to check it out, too.  There was still plenty of light out, and exploring the lonely Ancient Forest was pretty fun.  Loop decided she’d like to see Big Tree.

Big Tree was a monster so large SPHP couldn’t even get a decent photo of it.  A short side trail went to a platform right at the base of the tree.  To get to the platform, Lupe had to pass beneath a huge tree that had fallen over.  That fallen tree was mighty cool, too.

Lupe on the short spur off the Big Tree loop leading to a platform at the base of Big Tree. Big Tree is just around the corner from here.

Having seen Big Tree, it was time to head back to the G6.  Most of the return trip was an easy, downhill stroll on the boardwalk.  Lupe never did see Big Claw, nor Medium Claw, Small Claw, or Tiny Claw, either for that matter.

Although forest was already getting gloomy, it was quite light out despite the late hour when Lupe and SPHP emerged from the Ancient Forest back at the huge, open parking lot (9:44 PM).  The guy with the bicycle was gone.  Only one other vehicle was around, a pickup with a camper which appeared intent on spending the night parked way down at the far end.  Good idea.  Lupe would spent the night here, too.

(Day 4, 8-3-17)  Early, very early.  The Big Dipper was so bright in the night sky, SPHP could see it without glasses, which was saying something.  Later, a single bright spot appeared near the horizon.  Must be Venus.  Dawn was coming.  Up at 5:48 AM, SPHP made use of one of the picnic tables, while Lupe sniffed around close by.  Soon she was on Yellowhead Hwy 16 again, heading W for Prince George.

Prince George was only 65 miles (104 km) from Ancient Forest, so it was still early when Lupe arrived.  SPHP fueled up the G6, then discovered that Save on Food didn’t even open until 8:00 AM, which seemed crazy.  It was such a long way to the next substantial town, however, it was best to wait.  Shortly after 8:00 AM, Lupe was on her way again, the G6 stocked with fresh provisions.

Loop and SPHP headed N out of Prince George on Hwy 97.  The Carolina Dog enjoyed lapping up newly acquired chocolate milk, as she watched the scenery go by.  Lupe had lots of nice breaks from the G6 yesterday, so this was going to be a travel day, spent mainly making tracks N.  Even so, there would be a few stops along the way.

Looking at maps, SPHP had gotten the idea that it might be fun to see the Parsnip Reach of Williston Lake.  This involved a 19 mile (30 km) side trip (one way) on Hwy 39 to Mackenzie, which according to SPHP’s wholly inadequate and deceptive maps appeared to be on the lake.  No doubt the lake wasn’t too far away, but despite driving through the entire length of Mackenzie, and several miles past it on a dusty gravel road, Williston Lake refused to appear.

Driving back through Mackenzie again, SPHP saw no signs indicating how one might obtain lake access.  Fiddlesticks!  However, there was one strange thing Lupe might have a look at in Mackenzie.  A gigantic yellow machine sat next to Hwy 39 right at the edge of town.  Lupe stopped by to see what it was.

The yellow monster turned out to be “The World’s Largest Tree Crusher“.  The electrically powered tree crusher had arrived at Kennedy Siding, wherever that was, in late 1964.  Plagued with problems, it saw use in 1965 clearing 2,590 acres of forest, but apparently little actual use for its intended purpose after that.  Now it was a tourist attraction.

Lupe visits “The World’s Largest Tree Crusher” in Mackenzie, British Columbia.

It’s a mighty odd tourist attraction, Loop.  How many people make travel plans to see a giant tree crusher, anyway?

You did.

I did not!  This is purely accidental.  We came here to see Williston Lake, and found this beastly behemoth instead.  No doubt it’s an engineering feat of sorts, although the sign says it had lots of problems, but it’s kind of a nightmarish thing, isn’t it?  Can you imagine this metal monster smashing down entire forests, leaving an indiscriminate wake of destruction in its path?

It does look terrifying.  I’m glad it’s dead!

The World’s Largest Tree Crusher was just plain scary to think about!

Without ever catching so much as a glimpse of Williston Lake, Lupe and SPHP returned to Hwy 97 and continued N.  Near Chetwynd, SPHP took Hwy 29, a shortcut to the Alaska Highway NW of Fort St. John.  Lupe stopped by Moberly Lake, which looked beautiful and remote where the highway first reached it.

Lupe at the E end of Moberly Lake where Hwy 29 first reaches it coming from Chetwynd. Photo looks W.

Lupe and SPHP took a short walk.  Moberly Lake was certainly beautiful, surrounded by low mountains.  Lupe could see only part of it from here, since it was miles long.  However, the lake was not as remote as it first appeared.  It turned out there were recreational facilities along the S shore, and lots of homes in the community of Moberly Lake along the N shore where Hwy 29 went.

Moberly Lake wasn’t as remote as it first appeared, but was beautiful nevertheless. Lupe discovered there were recreational facilities along the S shore. The community of Moberly Lake was strung out along the N shore where Hwy 29 went.

Beyond Moberly Lake, Hwy 29 eventually crossed a bridge over the Peace River, whereupon it turned NE following the Peace River valley downstream.  The valley was very pretty, bordered by forested ridges on both sides, and full of fields along the river bottom  After some distance, Hwy 29 climbed out of the valley to a high point where there was a rest area with a great view.

Lupe had a great view of the Peace River valley from a rest stop positioned at this high point along Hwy 29. Photo looks SW.
The Peace River with a bit of help from the telephoto lens.

The Peace River flows out of Williston Lake.  Information at the rest stop showed that Lupe would have been able to access the Peace Reach of Williston Lake, if she had left Hwy 29 at Hudson’s Hope taking Canyon Drive to the W.A.C Bennett Dam.  Oh well, too late now.  SPHP had no intention of backtracking that far.

Looking downstream from the rest stop. Photo looks ENE.

The nice Peace River sight-seeing break at the rest stop was the last big one Lupe got all day.  Hwy 29 ended at the Alaska Highway a few miles NW of Fort St. John.  SPHP drove into town to gas up the G6.  Then Lupe cruised N and W on the Alaska Highway the rest of the day with only a few brief stops along the way.

Dusk found Lupe W of Fort Nelson, stopped for the night at a pullout at a low spot along the Alaska Highway.  A creek could be heard nearby, but this must have been a swampy area.  Swarms of mosquitoes discouraged any lengthy ventures out of the G6.  The world turned dark.  After a bite to eat, SPHP pulled Lupe’s blankie over her, and it was off to adventures in Dingo dreamland.

Taking a brief break along the Alaska Highway somewhere between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson.
Big clouds sailed over the Alaska Highway on the way to Fort Nelson. Lupe eventually passed through rain showers, then saw a rainbow in Fort Nelson.

Related Links:

Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls, Overlander Falls & Rearguard Falls in the Canadian Rockies (8-3-16 & 8-4-16)

The Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (7-30-13)

Want more Lupe adventures?  Choose from Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index.  Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.