Brazeau River

As usual, the month of June has been very stormy in southern Alberta this year. When some friends asked if they could come and visit Andrea and I from Montreal and take them on a backcountry trip, I was happy to organize a 3-day adventure to introduce them to backpacking and the Canadian Rockies. But deep down I was nervous about the weather. Early July can still be rock’n’roll with potentially destructive storms. But such is life in the mountains. The best we can do is prepare well. The pressure was on me to come up with an itinerary that wasn’t too hard but that would also take them deep into the wilderness. Being a guide was new to me and so was hiking with a group. I chose the Cataract Pass area in Jasper National Park as a destination.

We got to the trailhead and the weather couldn’t have been more unstable. It didn’t matter, the spirits were high in the group. It was fun to see the excitement on our friends face. I could totally relate to them as I was remembering my first trip in the Rockies.

It was drizzling during the first few kilometers in the forest but the sky quickly cleared up once we reached Nigel Creek. With the last week’s temperature in the 30’s (Celsius), the creeks and rivers were raging. The upper alpine meltdown can create a lot of damages, especially when the hot weather is persistent for more than a week. We had to deal with this reality at the Nigel Creek crossing where the Parks Canada bridge had been washed out. Luckily, a massive down tree allowed us to continue on. It was tricky but we all made it.

With the crossing behind us, the next objective was Nigel Pass. The trail would go uphill until the pass, but with moderate steepness. The more we approached the pass, the thinner the trees were. A mellow start with a gradual approach was a great way to make our friends feel comfortable.

The only sign of wildlife we have seen the entire trip.

While the girls were walking behind, I took my “guide” role very seriously (or as serious a guy like me can be lol). While the sun was shining above our head, the sky in the distance was constantly changing. Knowing we would be in the storm season, I had planned for two options for the first day. The first was to go east on the other side of Nigel Pass and make our way to the White Goat Wilderness Area, outside of the National Parks boundary and random camp. But that would also mean we would have to go over Cataract Pass and be exposed to the elements for a long period of time with no camping options on the way. The plan B was to go west after Nigel Pass to a backcountry campground “Boulder Creek”. I had booked two sites for the first night, knowing that hiking as a group is slower than hiking solo. The decision would be made at the pass.

The steeper incline section just below the pass and…

… we made it! It was a little windy but it fell so good to cool us down. Hundreds of pictures were taken and then it was decision time. The girls were all in favor of pushing over Cataract Pass and it was understandable. I had shown them pictures before of where I wanted to camp and that might have hyped them up! Looking at a storm moving fast near the trailhead, I used my “guide veto” and recommended we opt for the established campground only 3KM from the pass. Our pace was not high enough to reach the White Goat Wilderness and I really didn’t like what I was seeing on the horizon.

Climbing up to a higher plateau above Nigel Pass.

The trail splits on the other side of the Brazeau River. So either way, we had to cross it. I liked the look of it from above. While it was wide, the water level seemed low enough to make it a somewhat easy crossing.

Down we went, walking in the snow for the first time of the trip on our way to our friends’ first major river crossing.

Barely higher than our calves, the water was still fast and absolutely glacial. We were pretty much all in pain once on the other side. But now was not the time to stop and enjoy the view, we had to keep on walking to re-establish the blood flow in our feet!

Below Nigel Pass, the Brazeau River flows through a mini canyon with steep rocky walls on each side. This forces the trail to run higher above it, through a massive boulder field.

Now navigating in the opposite direction of Cataract Pass and looking at the sky behind us, I was happy with my decision to take the group to Boulder Creek Campground.

After following the canyon from up above, the trail finally took us back down to the bottom of the Brazeau River Valley. The river comes out of the canyon through a nice waterfall. I would’ve gladly stopped by the waterfall to check out the impressive ice bridge above it but time was running out.

The very first kilometer of the valley turned out to be this massive floodplain. We knew the campground was near as the map placed it at the spot where the floodplain funnels into a single river channel. A bridge would take us on the other side of the Brazeau.

I will easily qualify Boulder Creek campground as one of the worst established backcountry campgrounds I have stayed at. The designated tent pads were all slopped and the entire sleeping area was in a bowl, sitting a least a foot lower that the surrounding grounds. With an episode of rain and thunderstorms happening as we were setting up camp, I had concerns we would be camping in standing water all night long. Fortunately, it only lasted half-an-hour and we were able to get out of our shelters and meet up near the river to have dinner.

The sky cleared out above us but the low-hanging clouds were looming around so we didn’t venture too far away from camp in the evening.

The night stayed dry despite distant thunderstorm activity. We got lucky. The morning was chilly. The clouds were tick and low. We didn’t stay in camp too long. On top of the 3 kilometers we had to hike to get back to the Brazeau River crossing, another 15 kilometers would separate us from our planned camping location in the White Goat Wilderness Area on the other side of Cataract Pass.

The clouds were still low, but the group mood was high. Climbing back up to the boulder field warmed us up and we were all looking forward to this second day of hiking.

Back at the Brazeau River crossing, the real adventure began. We were leaving the official “Brazeau Loop” trail and continuing on the unmaintained trail to the White Goat Wilderness. There was no turning-back at this point.

Some blue sky patches gave us hope that the weather would hold but I was worried about the pass being covered in the clouds in the distance. I shared my thoughts with the girls and we agreed to stop for lunch on the other side of the immense rock pile ahead of us to talk about our options.

Cataract Pass is somewhere in the “V”, in the clouds in the middle.

Our progress had been slow across the rocky section and our lunch break longer than expected. The time required to reach Cataract pass, climb it, get to the other side, find a camping spot and then establish camp was taking us way too late in the day for my liking. The vote was divided 50/50 in the group as to whether we should push on or start looking for a place to set up camp in this valley along the Brazeau. Ultimately, I once again voiced my concerns with the volatile weather surrounding us. Camping along the Brazeau was technically illegal as per the Jasper National Park rules, but it was safer to stay here (and leave no trace) than to climb up to 8200 feet in this kind of weather. My gut feeling proved to be right when rain started falling as soon as our tents were up. Time for a nap then!

The downpour lasted an hour, which we all spent napping in our respective tents. With once again patches of blue sky, we continued setting up camp, drying our clothes and walk around camp to check out the area.

The rock pile we had to negotiate on our way in is actually a section of this mountain that broke and slid all the way down. Impressive.

I was in peace with my decision to call it a day here. The sky was so menacing the entire evening. We had a good camping spot and ultimately, the safety and comfort of my group was my priority. The evening was spent eating, laughing and chatting.

We retreated in our shelter just before darkness as the weather closed in (again) on us.

Six Moon Designs Haven Tarp (Zero Gravity) + Serenity Net Tent. Blocking the breeze with a sleeping pad as a rainstorm is starting.

Blue sky and sun, how’s that for a change!

There was no rush to leave this morning. The sun was warm and we lingered around camp for a while. While having breakfast I proposed that we go back by using the Brazeau meadow we were in to get back to the Nigel Creek trail. It would be fun to go off-trail and skip two crossings of the Brazeau. I had spot a gully on the map that could take us down from the meadow and get us back on the trail.

The girls enjoyed this section, I was showing them the general direction of travel and let them hike together while I was breaking trail ahead.

Back on trail. One last bushwalking session through the shrubs along Nigel Creek to find a nice place to have lunch.

I am mostly a solo hiker. These girls were quite entertaining for someone used to solitude on trail!!

We intended to use the horse trail on the other side of the creek to change things up but the condition of it was brutal and we abandoned the idea after only a few minutes.

The bridge was still out on our way back. I opted to cross the creek on foot instead of using the fallen log. The water was very fast and murky so a fall from the log would have been dangerous. We helped each other crossing and made it to the other side easily.

The trip came to an end and it’s safe to say that we all had a blast. While the Rockies and backpacking was a new experience for our friends, Andrea and I were also discovering something new with this adventure: hiking as a group. The dynamic had been great and another trip next year is already being discussed. My job as a guide was also fun. But the thing I am the most happy about is being able to share these mountains with new hikers. This is what it’s all about for me.

Wonder Pass

Rae Lake

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