Section C

Section C of the GDT is 204km (126mi) long with 8069m (26473ft) gain. It took us 7 full days and a quick morning walkout.  It’s home to world-renowned sections of trail, particularly Mount Assiniboine and the Rockwall Trail. This was by far the hardest section to logistically prepare for. Nearly all of the nights in Section C are popular areas with weekenders and daytrippers, which means they are in high demand.  Scoring one or two nights can be an entire person’s summer goal, lining up 7 nights on it was a lot of luck. Coming from Section B with a lot of ATV roads and overgrown, buggy areas it was like getting on the highway, the trail was almost always in great shape.

We started the section by taking the Northover Ridge Alternate.  If you aren’t familiar with alternates, they are essentially endorsed side trips.  There are a couple of reasons for alternates, the most common being strenuous but scenic side trips if the weather is looking good and you are feeling up for even more of a challenge.  The other main reason for alternates is to avoid sections of trail that may not be in ideal shape, commonly due to flooding or high consequence river crossings. 

Northover Ridge Alternate is the former, a high-alpine alternate that climbs to a whopping 2760m (9100 feet), which was the highest elevation we hit on the entire GDT. 

                    

Our first morning on section C we got a quick ride from our campsite through the campground to the trailhead.  Boulton Creek is very sprawling so we appreciated knocking off a few km of the walk.  We were fortunate to have spectacular views of Upper Kananaskis Lake all morning as we walked around the lake and took a quick swim in the beautiful and warm water.  We slowly started to climb up into the alpine, panoramic views of waterfalls, valleys and rivers were all around us.  An incredible way to start the section, particularly after so much low elevation walking in Section B which left us a bit uninspired.  We walked through a high-elevation floodplain and ascended up one final pass to 2 beautiful alpine lakes at about 2500m (8200 feet).

Well above the treeline, we pitched our tents and were thankful others had constructed small little wind shelters with rocks.  We were incredibly exposed to all weather, fortunately, it was clear blue skies and the forecast was promising. 

This camp spot would be marked as the best campsite on the entire GDT.

With icebergs still floating in the lake it was clear what had to be done, Stefan and I dropped the shorts and swam out to the icebergs for a photoshoot.  An amazing sunset appeared just after 10 and it was hard to sleep knowing the views were so remarkable.  That night I woke up around 2:30 for some night shots, with such a big sky and crystal clear weather I didn’t want to miss an opportunity for some awesome photos.

I awoke the next morning a little grumpy and tired, the picture taking just a few hours ago really interrupted my sleep. It was worth it but I needed a bit of a jumpstart that morning.  I was additionally annoyed by one particular hiker we met the previous evening.  He was part of a group and felt the need to patronize us on his extensive experience backpacking.  With so much time thinking on trail I really went down the rabbit hole on this.  

If you want to know how to grind my gears follow the next few steps:

Come over unannounced and start bragging about your “combined experience” between you are your buddies (I will never understand what the hell it means when people say we have 80 years of backpacking experience between the 3 of us, ok sweet dude), ask us how far we are hiking the next day then proceed to tell us that’s pretty far and we probably don’t realize how hard that will be, tell us we need to wake up early because we have a big day ahead of us, start offering unsolicited advice on how to do things better or sections of trail we need to be prepared for.  I’m not trying to lay down a blanket statement but this has occurred almost exclusively from boomers.  It was a weird experience for someone to think we were clueless when we had already hiked for 17 days and covered over 300km (200miles). Ok rant over.

That morning started immediately with a steep ascent of 250m (820feet)  in a bit over 1km.  Once we ascended we were on top of a narrow ridge following the official Divide.

It remains one of my favourite days of the entire GDT and would love to go back. 

Unfortunately, a bit of smoke had rolled in so the views were a little faded but the experience was remarkable.  We followed this ridge for a while, taking countless pictures trying to preserve whatever we could.  We all knew this was an incredible hike and at this point was the coolest day of hiking I had ever had.  We descended down the other side of the ridge and ran into a pair of weekend hikers, a Father/Daughter duo.  They were great! It was so nice running into such awesome people.  She must have been in her early to mid-teens and was incredibly inquisitive about our hike.  She had great questions and seemed particularly interested in the hike. I took it as my responsibility to act as a spokesperson for the GDT and really hope she tries it in the future.  

The rest of the day involved walking past 2 beautiful and warm lakes, Three Isle Lake and Beatty Lake.  Both would be fantastic options for a weekend hike.  We continued to descend pretty rapidly and had our first sizable river ford.  The water was completely opaque as it was glacier melt.  The grayish-blue water was running fast and it was very intimidating, luckily we went upstream a bit and found a much better spot to cross, the water level was about calf level.  

After the crossing Tanya went non-verbal, her cue for being tired and likely hungry.  We hit camp, were swarmed by hundreds of mosquitos, and ate a bunch, she perked right up!

The wants and needs on trail are so simple and easy to remedy.

Usually, it’s just food, water, a quick break, or a swim and we bounce right back.

The next morning we woke up to everything quite damp, we were camped right near the river and the morning dew and condensation meant we were in for a wet morning.  The rest of the day was the flattest and least challenging day on the entire GDT.  A 28km (18 miles) day with only 400m (1312 feet) of elevation gain, it was the meadow that never ended.  A few km before camp we made it into Assiniboine Provincial Park and the trail quadrupled in width and became very maintained, we flew past weekenders.  It felt great to move the legs fast and be able to look up, there weren’t any hazards on the trail.

We hit camp at Marvel Lake Campground, which in turn was quite a walk from the actual lake.  We set up our tent and ran into a local GDT celebrity, T-Fox!  She has completed the GDT 3 times, the first yoyo of the GDT, and did a solo SOBO hike in which she made a fantastic youtube series documenting her trip.  If you want to check it out, here is the link:

Solo on the Great Divide Trail – Episode 1

We woke up at 7 the next morning, a sleep-in! We only had to go 19km today and it looked relatively easy.  Our sights were set on the Assiniboine Lodge.  A backcountry lodge that caters to people in a different economic status than us, most people fly in via helicopter.  The lodge does have beer and pastries you can buy on certain days though so we were keen for a cold beer with a view. 

After a couple of hours we arrived at the lodge to find out they were only open on select days, and today was not one of them.

We ate lunch at the remarkable Magog Lake and went for a swim.  I could see the hype about Assiniboine Park, it was jaw-dropping.  After a couple of hours of chilling, we continued down the trail a few km to our camp at Og Lake that night.  Stefan continued on, he was going to Banff for a zero-day and was eager to hit town.  He hiked a few more km to the next campsite so his walk into town would be shorter.  This would be the last day we would see Stefan for 12 days, an eternity on trail.

We woke up early the next morning, we had a big day that would eventually turn out to be even bigger than expected.  Heather, Sarah, Tanya, and I hit the trail just after 6, Heather and Sarah were heading into Banff as well and were looking forward to getting into town.  Tanya and I were keen to get an early start on our big day as well.

Our goal for the night was Healy Creek, a 29km (18 miles) day with quite a bit of elevation change.  Healy Creek was off-trail 2km, meaning a bonus 4km.  We weren’t really looking forward to adding those km and talked about pushing through to Egypt Lake which was 5km (3 miles) further, however, we were nervous as we didn’t have a reservation for that campground.  Being on Section C this seemed to be the only area on the GDT that we would potentially have a problem.  We left it undecided.  

The morning flew by, we were 19km (11 miles) in by noon.  At this point, we were right next to Sunshine Ski Resort in Banff. 

The mountains changed here. 

It was quite an experience seeing the geology of the Rockies change as we hiked on.  When we hit Banff there is only one word that comes to mind: epic.  Sweeping vistas and valleys creating massive natural amphitheaters. The grandeur of the mountains was more than I could comprehend.

To top it off, the wildflowers were next level. 

Going up Healy Pass was one of the prettiest days of my life.

Thousands and thousands of flowers backed by awe-inspiring views.  More than I can put into words.  As we topped out at the pass we looked over and were met with glaciers, waterfalls, and lakes in the distance.  

We went down the pass and eventually came to Egypt Lake Campground.  We set up our tent but got the “weird vibes” sense.  There wasn’t anyone here, literally anyone.  It was too strange.  It was the middle of July in Banff National Park and there wasn’t a soul at the campground, a few red flags went off.  Knowing we would both be uncomfortable sleeping here we quickly came to the conclusion of continuing on.  The fear of the unknown was too great, why was nobody here? We later learned it was closed and there had been grizzly activity in the areas, happy we moved on!  

After having gone 34km (21 miles) already, pushing on was going to require a bit of a recharge.  We ate dinner at Egypt Lake before pushing on for an evening stroll up and over the pass.  We knew a group of GDT hikers were going to be at the campground so there was the potential of having an available site or the ability to squeeze our tent next to theirs.  

Hiking in the evening is my favourite time to hike.

The light turns golden, rays of light shine between all the valleys, and the shadows provide striking contrast and depth to the views.  It was the middle of July, the weather was incredible and I just wanted to absorb it all.  We ascended up the pass and were yet again met by views that made me recognize the beauty of existence.  After a quick swim in a glacier pool and continued down, scoring the last site at Ball Pass. 

We arrived just before 10 pm, with plenty of light left at the end of our 42km (26 miles) day. Another Marathon distance!

After our marathon day, we could treat ourselves to a sleep-in! We slept in until around 8 and didn’t emerge from the tent until 9.  We had a slow breakfast and enjoyed some instant coffee.  Just as we were packing up a couple of trail runners came by, they cheered us on for the hike and were super stoked to hear about what we were doing.  It was such great motivation to hear such positivity.

Our morning started with a hike up Ball Pass to yet again, incredible views of glaciers taking up a massive portion of our field of vision.  After that was a pretty uneventful descent of 800m (2624 feet) to the highway.  Here we would cross the highway then start the Rockwall Trail.  I have hiked the Rockwall Trail twice already so I was eager to see how it went after hiking for over 3 weeks straight.  Tanya had a friend that was on the Rockwall Trail as well, they chatted a bit and we turned a weekend hiker into a trail angel! 

He stashed a couple of beers in his wheel well at the trailhead, we had beers for tonight!  

We started the climb up Floe Lake, which is one of the biggest uninterrupted climbs on the GDT of over 700m (2300 feet) in 10km (6 miles).  Our sleep-in meant we would be climbing this in the heat of the day, a bit of poor planning.  It is additionally in an old burn zone so shade is non-existent.  

We ran into a ton of people immediately after leaving the trailhead.  The Rockwall Trail is fully booked for the entire summer, and we were here in the middle of July. Literally peak season.  Tanya and I took guesses for how many hikers we would see before reaching Floe Lake. My guess was a measly 18, oh was I wrong. 

We crossed paths with 43 other hikers in 10km.  

During our hike up to Floe Lake, I got snappy at Tanya.  This was our first altercation on trail.  It was over 30C (86F) and she didn’t fill up her water before the big hill.  I was annoyed and wasn’t really in a situation to share water with her.  Worried she would be dangerously low I gave her some despite her rejecting the offer.  After this was a stretch of silence.  The heat had made me grumpy and justly so, she wasn’t taking my bull shit. 

On our way up we also crossed paths with Tanya’s friend Fraser. What a legend.  He left us the beers, he brought us a big bag of Skittles, some chocolate and they gave us their Nuun water flavor things.  After seeing Fraser our brief moment of frustration was completely forgotten about.  Sugar is probably the best way to motivate Tanya.

 Those Skittles didn’t make it very long.

We hit the glorious Floe Lake and went for a swim.  The other group of GDT hikers we had been bouncing around with were also there.  We had reservations to stay at Floe Lake for the night but knew we had a colossal day the next day.  We ate dinner with amazing views of Floe Lake and decided another evening hike was on the agenda.  Yet again, do as I say, not as I do.  We didn’t have a reservation for the next campground, Numa Creek.  Numa Creek is one of the larger campgrounds on the Rockwall Trail though so we figured there had to be a no-show.

From Floe Lake we hiked up and over Numa Pass, which would turn out to be a full 1000m (3280 feet) of ascent from the trailhead.  I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the evening views over Numa Pass were insane.  I was emotional hiking up and over the pass, appreciating the opportunity to hike the GDT and knowing there was truly no place in the world I would rather be than where I currently was.  Warm evening light, glaciers, rivers, peaks, and valleys sprawled out in front of us.  I was sentimental and filled with gratitude.  I never wanted that moment to end.  Summer in the Canadian Rockies at its finest.  

It was surreal and dreamlike.  Living a dream one step at a time.

We descended down into Numa Pass and the shadows got longer and longer. We heard a loud clawing at a tree, there was a large animal up ahead.  Accepting it was likely a bear we got our bear spray out and made plenty of noise.  It was late, much later than most hikers are on trail.  We continued past with elevated senses but never caught sight of the critter.  Hitting the camp just after sunset, yet plenty of light from the long evening glow of a Canadian Summer.   We found an unoccupied site and felt pretty comfortable nobody else would be showing up, it was 10 pm.  

With 45km (28 miles) left on Section C, we tossed around the idea of crushing it out in one day or sticking to the plan and going 30km today and then the following 15km tomorrow.  At our 6:30 alarm, the decision was pretty easy: SNOOZE.  Around 7:00 we woke up and went for breakfast, the eating area was packed!  We took the last available table and ate our sad breakfast compared to the luxurious lifestyle of the weekend backpackers.

The Rockwall Trail is a true gem.

However, after doing it twice already some of the wonder and discovery of it had been lost.  After hiking just shy of 500km (310 miles), familiar views weren’t as striking.  The Rockwall Trail has substantial elevation change.  Over the course of the entire trail which is around 60km (37 miles) there is around 2800m (9000 feet) of elevation gain.  Happy to already have my trail legs and a light pack, the hills weren’t nearly as much of a suffer compared to the overburdened weekend hikers.  

At the junction of the Rockwall Trail and the continuation of the GDT we took a small break.  It was still a hot day with a decent amount of distance and quite a bit of elevation gain.  One last pass and we would descend down into our camp for the night.  The hike up Goodsir Pass was great, low level switchbacks made the elevation gain a breeze.  However, we were pretty low on water and the water sources we banked on were dry.  

We would eventually find water but not before our spirits fell.  Coming down Goodsir Pass was a bit more than we were expecting.  The previous winter had quite a few avalanches so the trail had some trees over it and the trail had been washed out a bit.  Small challenges can lead to a massive mental shift.  Time to put in some tunes to bring me back. 

That was the plan anyway but Spotify had other plans.  

Spotify decided to remove all my podcasts (which were downloaded for offline use).  I was pissed.  Really really pissed.  Screaming and cursing pissed.  I wanted to snap my trekking poles over my knee.  I was looking for such a small luxury but I was not afforded that luxury.  When you have little, the scale of everything is drastically different proportions.  I just wanted to listen to a podcast but it felt like the world was out to challenge me.  My ire of Spotify lasted for a couple of hours after ranting and screaming out loud.  

Today was the first day I had real foot pain. 

My shoes were tired and the foam was compressed.  I had truly worn them out.  After tens of thousands of steps every day the cushion was gone.  Each step and there were thousands of them, my feet would throb.  Pain inside my foot.  The repeated impact of walking was really doing something inside my feet and there wasn’t anything I could do except take Vitamin I (ibuprofen).

In addition to my foot pain, I had really bad chafing on my butt.  Salt and sweat had created the perfect recipe for a sandpaper sensation in my butt crack.  It was about as great as it sounds. 

It literally felt like a piece of sandpaper was wedged in my sphincter.  

When we finally hit camp we were beaten from a long day under the hot sun.  We saw 3 other GDT hikers which did brighten our moods a bit, as did a quick wash in the river.  Once we had dinner and climbed in the tent all was well, as it usually was.  Comfort was the ultimate remedy.  The next day we would be checking in to the Lake Louise HI Hostel, unsure of our reservation we decided then and there that we would be upgrading to a private room.

The next morning we woke up early and hit the trail by 6 am, eager to hit town.  We cruised down, it was a long downhill descent on an old road.  We arrived at the highway and tried hitchhiking.  It was a terrible spot, there was nowhere to pull over and semi-trucks were flying by at freeway speeds.  After about 20 minutes we gave up and figured we were walking on the side of the highway into town, it would take over an hour. 

Luckily someone saw us walking and pulled over a bit up the highway.  He knew of the GDT and said he had been hitching in that exact spot not too long ago after hiking the trail.  He drove us halfway to the hostel.  We stocked up on goodies at a corner store and hitched the rest of the way into Lake Louise. 

Checking in to the hostel we had a PRIVATE ROOM! 

Apparently, we had already planned ahead, knowing we weren’t keen on sharing a room with anyone else after hiking over 500km in 3 weeks.  We were too early to check-in so we got some business done.  Picked up our resupply box from the post office, got a new pair of socks, got some beer and food then proceeded to get slightly day drunk.

Once we checked in we napped and then had a second dinner at the bar at the hostel, the best prices in town!  We were asleep pretty early.

The next day was our third zero!  This time with power, heat, cooking facilities and internet.  We slept in, ate yummy bakery food, took a nap, mailed stuff back, received our tent replacement despite it weighing nearly 4 times as much as our previous tent.

Section C was a wrap!