Alpine Lake Camping

The first day of August marks my birthday and since we moved to Alberta, we decided to start a new tradition to celebrate this day in the wilderness. There was one alpine lake I had marked on one of my maps a few months ago. I couldn’t find any information about it online so I came to the conclusion that for once, I might have found a secluded area of the Canadian Rockies that had not been exposed on social media. And as a bonus, the weather was perfect for the weekend, it was going to be sunny and hot. We had a 3-hour hike in front of us. Our packs were loaded to the brim with comfort items and my packrafting gear to enjoy the alpine lake.

The closer we got to the alpine meadow, the prettier the wildflowers were.

Once were reached the meadow, we left the main trail to hike towards the lake I had circled on the map. There was single-track trail and walking on flat terrain for the last few kilometers was a relief after having climbed for almost 11KM.

We passed a few lakes that were stunning but our final destination was the one at the bottom of this mountain.

Oh wow! I was so excited to finally be able to look at this incredible place. I knew from the topographic map that the area around the lake would be flat and it was indeed the perfect place to pitch our tent for the night.

We carefully selected a spot and set up camp. With the sun already hidden behind the mountain in front of us, the temperature cooled down and it made for a fun late afternoon on the lake. For the first time, I had Andrea with me in the packraft and I paddled with her around the lake. We explored for a while, before hunger brought us back to shore.

My Six Moon Designs Haven Tent.

While preparing dinner, we both got surprised by a big “splash” sound when we noticed a moose swimming as fast as Michael Phelps across the lake. Getting out of the water, it switched to Usain Bolt mode and sprinted across the meadow to disappear into the trees. The only thing I could think of was that it was probably being chased by a wolf. I kept scanning the horizon with my binoculars but couldn’t spot any predators coming from where the moose came. It was quite entertaining!

The moose swimming, near the end of the lake.

And then across the meadow.

Where the moose came from.

A tiny fire was carefully lit on some big boulders. Dead wood was scarce but we found some higher up into the forest to keep the fire up long enough to keep the annoying mosquitos at bay for the evening.

Dinner was consumed around the fire.

Our campsite, surrounded by wildflowers and larch trees.

We spent the evening near the lake, watching the sky change colors every few minutes as the sun was setting behind the mountains. The conditions were ideal and I was once more grateful to be where I was and with the person I love sharing these places with the most.

An almost full moon rising up.

35 sips of sparkling wine instead of 35 candles to blow out. It was a perfect plan if you ask me.

All morning long I couldn’t stop starring at this snow bump on top of the mountain in front of us. It looked like the silhouette of a polar bear looking down at us!

What a sweet birthday present I had the opportunity to test for the first time. I do love my down quilt but I recently found it too drafty on colder nights. I first saw Patagonia’s sleeping bags in the Patagonia store downtown Toronto a few years ago and always wanted to try one because of how incredibly lofty it seemed. It lived up to my expectations. It is a very comfortable sleeping bag. The 3D footbox allows me to keep my feet up without disturbing the down distribution. I am looking forward to using it over the next few years.

At around noon, the sun was warm enough to justify a dip in the (freezing) cold lake. Andrea turned out to be braver than me and stayed way longer than I, swimming and floating on her sleeping pad.

It was time to hike back, so one last view of our majestic campsite before packing up.

We ditched the trail for a while and just followed game trails on our way to the other lakes.

Back on trail!

The other lakes were pretty too, but they were missing the dramatic mountain backdrop.

He still had more than two hours to go on the trail when menacing clouds started moving our way.

They were growing bigger and taller. This particular towering cumulus forming up a few kilometers ahead of us made us increase the pace back to the car. Anticipating a storm, I packed up my cameras and focused on my footing for the rest of the way. At this point though, nothing could turn this weekend into a miserable one. It had been perfect from start to finish. The kind of birthday I want every year!