[Tuesday, 26 March]
The third day I had one goal: hike to the bottom of Kinney Lake and back. I had checked out the trailhead the previous day and found to my surprise that it was open. Last time I was here the Berg Lake Trail was completely closed. So I came back despite somewhat less perfect weather. In fact, the weather turned out to be great for hiking even if the views of Mt. Robson were at times shrouded by clouds.
I brought a friend from the hostel, who steadfastly refused to be photographed or captured on video but whose presence made the trip so much more pleasant.
The trailhead at Mt. Robson Provincial Park is easily accessible and had only a handful of cars in it. I love shoulder season because of this. I had talked to a few people returning the previous day and decided that while the micro-spikes were not completely necessary, they wouldn’t hurt and might allow me to get closer to trouble than I otherwise might. So i got those on.
No camera gear, just the GoPro and my phone, bear spray on my belt, and the Camelbak pack with sandwiches, water, a few emergency items.
The hike is about 4.5km each direction, and we stopped for lunch at the lake. Total time was about 3 hours. With the exception of one steep section through an avalanche path, it was mostly easy going. I only saw one set of tracks, which I’m confident belonged to somebody’s dog. We may have even met the culprit on the way.
The video captures the nature of the walk. It’s mostly along the Robson River and at this time of year is quiet and serene. The snowmelt has not progressed to the point that the river is full, and that makes it possible to see how much destruction the floods of 2021 caused along here. At various points along the way, piles of tree trunks are trapped over waterfalls and other obstructions, torn down and then deposited by the water flowing several meters higher than it is right now and well above the level of the trail in some spots.
Kinney Lake is partly frozen over, but not safe to walk out on. Mt. Robson is Canada’s highest peak, but the base area is much lower than where I was at Maligne Lake and it would not freeze as solidly. A picnic table near the lake served well as a spot to sit for a while and get lunch out.
Steak for dinner. I deserved it!