Castleguard Meadows (Day 5)
As expected because of the clear sky in the evening, the night was cold. We woke up to a frozen ground and a frosted tent. Who cares, the sunrise was promising and we were walking out of the trail today. Mother Nature was on our side, like she had to make it up for the horrible weather she threw at us on the first half of the hike.
It was 8:30AM when we left the cabin. We were in for a long day, at least a good 8-hour hike back to the car. Like usual, breakfast was kept for later in the morning. Two hours separated us from an old campsite where a nice bench would allow us to have a comfortable breakfast. Looking behind me, I realized it was the first time we had a clear view of the pretty Mount Alexandra and its stunning glaciers. Turned out I looked back the entire morning every time I had a chance to see it through the trees.
The nature was so calm around us with the sound of the Alexandra River flowing peacefully towards the North Saskatchewan River. It was hard not to smile at such a pristine landscape. Breakfast and tea were needed and we stopped at the old campsite as planned. The sun was warming us quite rapidly and for the first time of the trip, I removed my hardshell jacket.
Right after the campsite, the trail continued to follow the river but further away in the trees. Just as it opened up to a wide section on the river flats, we noticed the sound of a helicopter. It became louder and at some point we saw it flying really low along the treeline next to the river. Next thing you know, it landed 40 feet from us just as we reached the flats. I was concerned at first… with the amount of bear scat we saw, did something bad happened to other hikers? Parks Canada knew we were in the area because of our backcountry permit. I waved at the pilot and then saw two ladies from Parks Canada getting off the chopper and walking towards me. They seemed as surprised to see us as we were to see them. I looked at them while asking “what’s up ladies?!”. “Hello! Sorry to bother you, we are just recovering pictures from a few wildlife cameras in the area”. I was surely not expecting that! What were the odds a chopper would land in the middle of nowhere at the exact same moment we walked by? We exchanged for a bit but they were on a schedule and after waving goodbye at the pilot, we continued on.
Having a better idea of the path to take, it was easier for us to let the trail aside for a while and just walk along the river and its multiple channels. It was shallow enough that the water was warm and we had fun walking in it.
After a while though, a couple of channels merged back into a stronger and deeper one. We got back on the trail at this point, knowing it was right along the shore. With our shoes back on, we now had to brave the hot sun to end our trip. I peeled off a little more, down to my t-shirt. My thermometer was showing 22°C. Not bad at all for September in the Rockies!
All good things come to an end, and with only three hours of walk to do, we had to say goodbye to the Alexandra River and the gorgeous views it gave us since the morning. The trail was leaving the river to go back into the woods for the last stretch.
Physically, it was hard to keep pushing. This was the section full of deadfall and bear scat. Our energy levels were low after a long and constant day of hiking. I counted the kilometers left… We decided to set little targets here and there. Our last target was the avalanche zone. From there, we knew the car wasn’t too far.
It took us all we had left but we made it. The Alexandra River/Castleguard Meadows trail was now completed. What a journey. It was intense but looking back at it, this is the kind of adventure I look forward to. Well defined trails filled with people are not what I like. I want to make my own trail. I am the kind of person who constantly needs to be challenged. This backpacking trip was a nice challenge. I am happy we stayed safe the entire time and that we were able to take the best decisions every time one had to be taken. Fair enough, it was probably not the kind of trip Andrea was looking for. I warned her before going for it that it would be rough. But honestly, I never thought it would be that long, dreadful and intense. She handled the challenge like a real trooper and having her by my side for this trip was awesome.
We drove away, stopping along the North Saskatchewan River to eat and re-hydrate. Our feet were so swollen, we walked in the river for a while to rest them.
Before leaving for Banff there was one last thing I had to do… the water was so clear I had to fill my water and taste it. The victory drink!
If you have any updates about the Alexandra River Trail or the Castleguard Meadows, you can leave a comment on the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide website by clicking on the image below.
