A Winter Hike (in October)

The dream

The plan was to do a Thanksgiving weekend hike with friends (‘Friendsgiving’), enjoying all of the Fall colours on the trees, the crisp smells, and the moderate temperatures.

The reality

However, the blizzard began shortly after we departed Edmonton…

After the concerning drive, the group all met for the night at a hostel outside of Jasper. A lengthy discussion ensued on whether or not to proceed with the hike the next day. There were a few people in the group who had done the trek before which was very helpful, but no one had done it in the amount of snow that we were facing. We were all prepared for cold weather and decided that we had to try! Everyone set their alarms for earlier than expected and prepared for the day ahead.

A risky start

The plan from the start was to eliminate 7 km of boring fire road at the start of the trail by canoeing across the Athabasca River. We stuck to this plan but it became riskier with the snow and colder water. The river was also flowing very quickly. If anyone fell in, they would not be able to proceed. There was one canoe to take twelve people and their packs across the river so the process would not be quick. After the canoe was brought down to the river bank, ropes were attached to be able to guide the canoe against the river flow. The first group set off and while it was a very bumpy ride, it was successful! The paddlers went back across and made the trip several more times. There was a triumphant celebration while the canoe was stashed away in the woods for the return.

Perhaps the most stressful part of the day was over but there was an enormous task ahead: 16 km in fresh snow including the finale of the ominous headwall as well as a decent amount of elevation gain. But we were all energized to start and get to the reward of the Sydney Vallance Hut for warmth, food, and beverages (that were weighing down our backpacks).

And off we go!

The fresh snow was covering the usually clear trail to follow so we had flagging tape and used it quite frequently to mark our route. Given that it was currently snowing and the forecast did not show it stopping, this would help us if we needed to turn around but also for our hike out in three days when our path might be gone. We took turns leading as it was quite exhausting trudging through and breaking trail. It was a long 8 hours of walking with a few stops to have lunch, filter water, and rest, but those could never last long as the chill would swiftly set in once not moving.

The work was hard but the views along the way were incredible!

We even made it up the daunting headwall! It was a steep 200-meter climb that was slippery in the snow and especially challenging with tired legs but we all knew the reward at the end was close.

We made it!

And finally, just as dusk was arriving, we made it to the long-awaited ACC Sydney Vallance Hut. A fire was immediately started and fun treats and drinks were cheerily passed around. We celebrated surviving the tough hike and watched the snow fall some more before we chose our bunks and fell fast asleep with exhausted bodies.

We now had two full days to spend hanging out and exploring the world around our new home. One of the first activities was sledding down the hill just behind the hut.

We wandered the area around the hut and found the snow really beautiful now that we had a safe and warm retreat close by.

Too soon, on the way home

Everyone had a great time and soon enough it was time to do the whole hike again but in reverse! Surprisingly, the headwall proved to be trickier on the way down. It was slick and with sharp rocks under the snow we had to take it slowly.

Once that part was completed though, we really picked up the pace. Everyone was determined to get back to civilization and we did our best to hustle through the 16 km. At times that was easier said than done but in the end, we made it out! And also got to enjoy some more beautiful (snowy) views as we did so.