Wells Gray Park, 5 days, 4 nights in summer
Wells Gray Traverse, July 29 to August 2, 2016
Text: Vincent Pigeon, edited by David Cater, photos from Won-Hee Pigeon, and others
Six members from BOC, David Cater and Elena Antipenkova, Vincent and Won-Hee Pigeon, Lucia Tam and Maria Thalmair, as well as 2 ladies from Vancouver, and 2 sisters from the Toronto area met at the offices of Wells Gray Adventures at 9 am on Friday morning July 29, 2016.
That’s where we met our guide, 20 year old Jordan Brunsch, a TRU student in Kamloops from White Rock. Signed another form and then all loaded into the large van for the 1 hour drive up the mountain to the trail head of our hike. Parts are outside Wells Gray Park, but we soon entered the park and spent the next 5 days hiking in the park.
Before we headed off, Jordan made us all take our share of perishables, fresh food such as salads, fruit, meat, cheese, bread. All non perishables are helicoptered to the cabin before the 2 seasons, ie, in the spring for the summer season, and in the fall for the winter season.
Day 1: Over 2 hours, we gain approximately 400 metres over 4 kms to the Trophy Mountain cabin at 2153 m. elevation. We’re there by 12:30. We have lunch and then sent off of a 2 hour hike in the surrounding hills, to the summit of Marmot Hill, which is part of Trophy Mountain (el 2600 m.). For the day, we travelled approximately 10 kms, and rose a total of 700 m. Our guide, despite his young age, proved to be a great hike leader, very knowledgeable of the flora, fauna, geology, history and whatever else one might want to know about the environment we were in.
Have to describe the cabin: 2 levels, with kitchen, large dining and communal room, shower, small « washroom » and sauna (which serves as a storage room in the summer) on the ground floor. The upstairs is basically a large dormitory, but with dividers between each 2 beds, on both sides of a hallway, and a curtain to close the « rooms ».
There is electrical power from solar panels, supplying LED lighting, and a few outlets for 12 volt power supply, which allowed some of us to recharge the batteries of our iPhones, used as cameras.
There is propane for the stove and oven, as well as for propane lamps (rarely used, in winter only, due to the cost of buying and bringing the propane tanks in).
Water was an adventure: supplies were a certified creek for drinking water (Lucia and Maria developed muscles carrying many buckets of water to the cabin), and rain water accumulated in 4 large barrels right by the cabin for shower and other needs.
Showers were an adventure: marine showers like on boats, water heated on the stove, dumped into a bucket next to the shower, and foot pumped up the hose to the shower head. The women with long hair were particularly wary of running out of water before finishing their showers and apparently often glanced at the bucket.
Similar process to brush our teeth (except for heating the water): a bucket with a foot pump and a small pipe from which came water seemingly from an eyedropper.
And then there were the outhouses: a duplex, equipped with composting toilets. Menu: human rejects, waste food (no meat products), NO paper. The paper goes into a paper bag to be burnt when full. When one finishes a roll of paper, that person has the pleasure of dumping a small container of wood chips into the toilet to promote the composting.
We all adapted very quickly: when you need to shower or brush your teeth, or otherwise, you adapt.
Jordan, our by now « esteemed » guide and host, proved to also be an excellent cook, and delegator. He had us all sharing in the meal experiments, whether breakfasts or dinners, assisting in preparing the meals, setting the table, cleaning up, washing dishes, whatever. He has us a smiling while doing our share.
And then there were the mosquitoes, deer flies and horse flies. They seemed to get worse as the week wore on, especially the third day (moved from Trophy Mountain cabin to Discovery cabin, in the rain), the fourth day in the flower meadows, and the fifth day (flower meadows and our walk down the mountain to the end of our hike). We all wore bug spray perfume, and a few wore nets over their heads. Some seemed to attract them more than others. Why? Bad blood? Great taste? Exotic skin?????
The evening treated us to a thunderstorm with lots of lightning and thunder, not too much rain, but 2 glorious rainbows over Raft Mountain facing the cabin to the east. The rain fell during the night.
Day 2: This day was a « day trip », under cloudy with sunny periods conditions. We headed north over Marmot Hill, down and then back up to Ptarmigan Hill (all part of Trophy Mountain). Had lunch at the summit of Ptarmigan Hill, with great views of surrounding hills, with Trophy Mountain itself seemingly within touch. Then headed down to a swimming lake (as opposed to a drinking water lake), where 5 hearty souls swam (a bit cool, with a few rays of sunshine to warm us from time to time). Our route back circled marmot Hill, with however a considerable climb. Total distance travelled was 11.1 kms, with total ascent of 680 m, over 6 hours.
Day 3: A travel day, moving from Trophy Mountain cabin to Discovery cabin. When we arrived at Trophy Mountain cabin, it was spotless, all water containers were full. We had to leave the cabin in the condition we found it. Jordan distributes the chores, including preparing breakfast, cleaning up, cleaning the cabin, replenishing the water, etc…
We head off north again, fully loaded, over Midnight Hill (50m to climb just outside Trophy cabin, on a stomach full of breakfast and coffee), and then a long downhill, down 400 m over 4 kms.
Back into the forest, the rain starts: this is not the Day 1 thunderstorm, but the Vancouver drizzle. Shortly, everybody is covered with rain gear. We’re going downhill, quite steep at time, a narrow, muddy, slippery trail. We arrive at a lake, and stop for a break at the bottom of a rock slide, before heading up the Eagle Pass. On the way up, another lake, where we stop for lunch on a beach front. Fortunately, the rain stops, and after lunch, we continue our rise up to the summit of Eagle Pass, where we arrive to great views. 30 minutes of gentle downhill and we arrive at Discovery cabin (el 1861 m), after 13.3 kms and 500 m of ascent. A 9 hour day done in 6.5 hours. Jordan is impressed with our efficiency.
Although it’s only 3 pm, we are all too tired for a day hike, we settle in to showers, dinner, and another evening of stories and jokes.
The evening ends with a card game of Spoons, played by the 8 women and Jordan, while the Vincent and David wisely stay away, shaking their heads and wondering what was so funny.
Day 4: Possibly our most glorious day, a day trip over Table Mountain, best for flowers, worst for mosquitoes.
It started out on the Wells Gray trail, heading north. within minutes, we were in fields of mountain flowers like you’ve never seen. They’re more like ski slopes. In fact, in winter, they are, for back country skiing. Jordan, our guide, sends us up one of them, out of line, so as to minimize damage to the flowers. They include Indian Paintbrush, yellow and purple Aster, Sitka, white Rhododendron, bog Laurel, Arctic lupines, bog Orchid, mountain marsh Marigold, western anemone, buttercups, fireweed, cow parsnips, spreading Phlox, bluebells, south heal, Yarrow, orange Hawkweed, Douglas aster, and more….
We make it past the tree and flower line to the top area of the mountain. It’s till probably 1 km to the summit, across a wide open area to the cairn at 2265 m, where we break for lunch, with 360 degree views. This is where Jordan shows his real maturity and mettle: 1 in the group, old enough to be his grandfather, throws his apple core away.
Jordan: « We carry our apple cores out. »
Offender: « What apple core? »
Jordan: « The one I see over there ». He then leads the offender step by step to the apple core, the offender sheepishly picks it up, packs it into a used Baggie, and carries it out to the compost toilet.
After lunch, Jordan leads us at least another km north, over more flat rock fields, to a grove of evergreens. He spends 5-10 minutes explaining the flora at this level, Engleman Spruce and sub-alpine fir.
He then leads the group back southwards, eventually finding the Wells Gray trail, through the flower fields, and back to the cabin, for showers and dinner. 13.6 kms, 482 m elevation gain, 6:30 hours.
After dinner, several walk the 150 or so metres through the grove in front of the cabin to a large meadow, with mountains in the background. The mosquitoes are there to greet us. We all admire the scenery, and most head back to the cabin. Won-Hee and Kelly (1 of the Ontario sisters) linger, and then come running back to the cabin, yelling, screaming, apparently having « heard » a bear. As the bear is never seen, the evidence is questionable and the rest of us take turns teasing Won-Hee and Kelly, who continue swearing it was a bear. Hummmmm…..
A Russian card game was played. Once again, Vincent and David stayed away.
Day 5: Our last day, breakfast served at 7 am, with chores shared by all to clean the cabin, replenish the water supply, etc… We are on the trail at 8:15 am.
Back on the Wells Gray trail, some uphill to the edge of Table Mountain where Jordan gave us our flora lesson the previous day, past the lupin and asters fields we walked in on day 4, and the then long downhill to where a vehicle has been left by Wells Gray Adventures for our drive back to base camp (Wells Gray Adventures’ offices). At the Philip Creek crossing, we meet a group of teenagers. Jordan tells us this is his next group, which he’ll be guiding in a few days on a 4 day canoe trip. Should be a lot more fun than a bunch of old folks!
Following our hike down to the vehicle, Jordan takes us to Helmcken Falls, in the park. This is a classic fall over a lip, 141 m. high (twice the height of Brandywine Falls) and probably 10 times the water of Brandywine, on the Murtle River. Beautiful.
We then drive back to base camp (Wells Gray Adventures offices). During the hour long drive, we experience our second thunderstorm of the week, but in this one, we get a taste of very heavy rain and hail, which continues for at least 1/2 hour, all the way to base camp.
The week ends with dinner for all at Hop ‘n Hog Smokehouse in Clearwater. We invite Jordan who joins us, and with the help of a bit of beer and wine, and great food, we have a wonderful evening of more stories and laughs.
Vincent Pigeon