are there famous hiking trails in Canada? (B.C./Yukon to Alaska)?

[Odd Man Out]

This is not a hiking trip, but for Canadian adventures, I know a person who took this unbelievable trip:
He drove 400 miles from Boston to Goose Bay, Labrador. From there he took the ferry two days (about 400 miles) north to Naim (the end of the line). From there he paddled his sea Kayak to the northern tip of Labrador through the fjords of the Tongat mountains (about 400 miles), through the McLelan Strait (which has the world's strongest tidal currents), and then down the east coast of Quebec (150 miles) to the air strip at Kangiqsujuaq from where he could fly home (but he had to leave his kayak behind as it wouldn't fit on the plane). And when not doing adventures like this, he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Boy do I feel like an under achiever.

[fiddlehead]

The hike up to Mt Robson base camp is spectacular.
I believe it's called "Land of 1,000 waterfalls" or something like that.
I hiked it back in '89 and will never forget the beauty along that trail (and at base camp)

[Venchka]

The hike up to Mt Robson base camp is spectacular.
I believe it's called "Land of 1,000 waterfalls" or something like that.
I hiked it back in '89 and will never forget the beauty along that trail (and at base camp)

The Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Provincial Park, B.C. Mentioned in my first post. It just doesn't get any better. Been there twice. Going back as soon as possible and continue on the North Boundary Trail.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...erg+lake+trail

The Valley of 1,000 Falls is along the Berg Lake Trail at the start of the climb up to Berg Lake.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...201000%20falls

A Bucket List hike for sure.

Wayne

[Venchka]

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/yt/c...v1/a_3.aspx#q4

We rented a car in Skagway and drove the Klondike Hwy over the pass into BC and then into Yukon. This parallels the Chilkoot Trail, one valley to the south. It was a beautiful drive and I'm sure the trail is even better. You can hike 33 miles from the coast to Bennett BC and then take the expensive train excursion back to Skagway. In Skagway there is a cemetery where they buried all the people who died trying to get to the gold fields. It is by far the creepiest place I have ever been in my life! Very few people made it to the Yukon and of those that did, almost none found any gold. It was about the saddest, most pathetic human endeavor I've ever heard of.

Not for the faint of heart.

ChilkootPass_GoldenStairs.jpg

Wayne

[Venchka]

Forgive me. I just found this. A very good overview of the trail. You really must go there! No all at once please.

http://heycolleen.wordpress.com/2013...ovincial-park/

Wayne

[Snowleopard]

There's the International Appalachian Trail/Sentier international des Appalaches, IAT/SIA. http://iat-sia.org/index.php It goes from Katahdin north. The sections through the Gaspe Peninsula and Gros Morne (Newfoundland) are supposed to be spectacular; both are on my todo list.

Algonquin provincial park is pretty nice, drove through there once. I once went as far north in Quebec as the road goes expecting to hike, but there were no trails and the bushwhacking (and mosquitoes) were bad. People explored up there on canoes, really the only way through. There are some really nice trails for a couple day hike on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

For hikers from the northeast USA, learn some French and head into Quebec and find a huge amount of wilderness with some trails.

I think there is amazing hiking further north than the treeline in the Arctic, but probably no trails.

Here's an article listing some trails: http://www.see-canada.ca/canada_hiking-trails.htm

[Trainguy]

A somewhat controversial trail to most Alaskan folk, and especially those around Healy, Alaska is the Stampede Trail. I'm not going to get into what Chris McCandless is/was or what he should have/should not have done, just offering up a trail that has a bit of history. Wikipedia has a good description of it.

Back in 2010 my son in law and I tried it. We made it as far as the Teklanika River where the current was running strong and we opted to take the safe way out and turned around. Two weeks or so before our attempt a young lady from overseas drowned while attempting to cross.

Having said all that, we had fun camping out beside the Tek and the trail out and back. Be forewarned though, the trail these days has become pretty much an ATV trail, it is muddy many places, and many small streams now flow on it. Crossing the Savage River was no problem, just don't do anything crazy at the Tek.

http://trainguyjim.com/stampedetrail.html

Denali National Park is nearby and we spent time there, as well as taking a ride from Fairbanks to Denali Park on the Alaska Railroad.

[QHShowoman]

I am backpacking the Chilkoot in August. I will report back.

[Venchka]

I am backpacking the Chilkoot in August. I will report back.

Good for you. Standing by.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[Northern Lights]

I am backpacking the Chilkoot in August. I will report back.

I hiked it in 2010, we did it in 5 days, it can easily be done in 3 though. It was nice but I like the AT more

[Spirit Walker]

Great Divide Trail goes from the US border at Waterton north 700 miles. It's a mixture of good trail (in the National Parks) to logging road, to cross country along the ridges. Incredibly beautiful, but very difficult. Hiking season is July to September.

The Trans-Canada Trail has several northern branches, as well as the main east west route. There is a good website for the trail, and someone is currently hiking it (look up "The Great Hike" on facebook).

The Canol Trail is a very remote east west trail in western Canada. Access would be a real issue, plus the river you have to raft across.

[Venchka]

since Canada is so far north, would that mean their 'hiking season' is even more limited in length?

Actually, winter travel is, in many places, easier than summer (both weeks-LOL!) travel. Frozen streams and lakes become highways. Frozen muskeg becomes walkable.

Wayne

[Ewker]

here is a great book for hiking in the Canadian Rockies

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Waste-You.../dp/0968941974

51MHX17F2EL.jpg

[Venchka]

I own an older edition of this book...

http://www.amazon.com/Canadian-Rocki...6K2FW278HCKXFR

I got it out after Ricky started this thread. I have been reading it all over again.

Wayne

[BCPete]

The Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Provincial Park, B.C. Mentioned in my first post. It just doesn't get any better. Been there twice. Going back as soon as possible and continue on the North Boundary Trail.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...erg+lake+trail

The Valley of 1,000 Falls is along the Berg Lake Trail at the start of the climb up to Berg Lake.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...201000%20falls

A Bucket List hike for sure.

Wayne

Just did this last weekend ... I live in a nice neighborhood, eh! One thing I didn't know about the Berg Lake trail is that they no longer allow Tarp or Hammock use ... which is probably of some interest to folks who read this forum.

BTW ... if you can only do one trail in the Canadian Rockies and you want it to be the most scenic possible, then this is the one to do.

[Venchka]

BTW ... if you can only do one trail in the Canadian Rockies and you want it to be the most scenic possible, then this is the one to do.

Agree 100%.
I was wondering what the hammock rules were. Thanks for that update.

Wayne



Sent from somewhere around here.

[Mags]

Just did this last weekend ... I live in a nice neighborhood, eh! One thing I didn't know about the Berg Lake trail is that they no longer allow Tarp or Hammock use ... which is probably of some interest to folks who read this forum.

Interesting. What is the reasoning behind that?

[BCPete]

Interesting. What is the reasoning behind that?

I guess they were finding too much damage on the trees near the campsites. This is a very busy trail, and you can only stay at the designated campsites (legally anyway). This is the busiest overnight trail in the Cdn Rockies I believe - it's not a world Unesco Site for nothing! Definitely worth doing if you can - we do it at least twice a year (it's that beautiful).

[handlebar]

IIRC, the Berg Lake Trail now has use restrictions, so, if you plan to hike it, check with the Provincial Park (Mt. Robson Provincial Park) well in advance to be sure you get a permit. It ends at a cabin overlooking Berg Lake which has a unique deep turquoise blue color. Behind the lake rises a face of Mt Robson for a vertical mile and one can hear loud cracking sounds as icebergs calve off into the lake. If making that hike, be sure to take the hike to IIRC Snowbird Pass overlooking a huge ice field. One of the most spectacular views I've ever seen. To turn this into a multi-night backpack trip, check the "Don't waste your time in the Canadian Rockies" guide for the Moose River Route. This starts from Yellowknife Highway west of Jasper and comes to Berg Lake from behind via North Boundary Trail in Jasper NP. It's a sometimes muddy track that rangers use in patrolling a section the park and includes multiple fords of Moose River which in Aug '94 were relatively mild along with a gnarly ford of the outlet stream of the ice field mentioned above. We searched upstream and found a bridge, thank goodness. There are outfitters that can cache food so you don't have to carry everything the whole way---at least that's how it was in 1994 when I hiked it with a group from Sierra Club.

[Spirit Walker]

Berg Lake was one of our first backpacks in the Canadian Rockies. I agree, it's gorgeous. We returned as part of our GDT hike. Moose Pass was also awesome, but there was some rough trail in between.

I agree with the recommendation of Don't Waste Your Time . . . It was really helpful since there are so many great hikes in that area.