Remembering Beauty in 2012: Berg Lake Trail

Dan and I did a few backcountry backpacking trips in the Rockies last summer.  These are some of my favourite pictures from our trip to Mount Robson National Park to do the Berg Lake trail.    

 

The vegetation in this park, particularly at the base of the mountain, was ridiculously large.  This is Dan's hand, in comparison to the size of a ground cover plant leaf. 

 

Dan versus the vegetation.  Yes, yes that is some sort of rhubarb type plant that is taller than Dan.  And yes, Dan is carrying a backpack that probably weighs as much as him.  Our packs were so heavy on this trip that we had to help each other lift them onto our backs.  One of the most ironic aspects of backcountry camping is that your burdens are always the heaviest for the most difficult part of the journey- when you're going uphill.  Admittedly, we also packed waaaay too much heavy wet food for this trip (this was before we figured out how to make good use of dehydrators), but what a delicious trip it was...

Pretty as this waterfall is, the most amazing thing about it is how long it is.  The Berg Lake trail follows this rush of water in its alternating rivers and falls for over 5 kilometers.  This is maybe the bottom 15th of the falls.  It originates from Berg Lake, which is about 2 kilometers up Mount Robson's total 4 kilometer height. 

After our climb-800-meters-in-one- day Day, we did this really pleasant level day hike from our camp site to Berg Lake which crossed through this long flood plain.

How to keep your children occupied on a long mountain treck without bringing along excess toys/electronics (which, when you're back-packing means excess weight).

That is a glacier.  Yes, they are actually blue in colour; it's not just an artists' rendition.  Weird, I know.  

 Me and Dan.  I'm happier than I look, I promise.  I just think this was before we ate lunch.

Mount Robson and the glacier that feeds Berg Lake.

A zoom in of the glacier.  Yeah, it's pretty cool.

Some mini bergs in Berg Lake

My feet after dipping them in the lake

And these would be photos of Tobaggan Falls (photos above, beside, and 2 below).  Neatest looking water falls I've ever seen.  They just run straight down the maintain at a nearly perfect 45 degree angle through these shoots that look like they should be water slides.

 This is a spot about 1/2 way up the Tobaggan Falls when I couldn't hike anymore because my blood sugar levels were dropping too low.  We stopped in a little cleft in the rock and cooked pizza and hoped no bears would come to eat us and our pizza.  As I said, waaay too much wet food, but such a delicious trip. 

Remember I said the falls are really long?  This is the beginning of them (Emporer Falls).

Eventually we had to go home again (sigh).  

These are mountain sheep we encountered around a sudden bend in the road and the reason why you shouldn't speed too much while driving through the mountains.