Birdie's Updates for Hiking Canada's Great Divide Trail

These are my friend Birdie's updates to the guidebook that she sent me recently. Birdie hiked in 2005 following more or less the same route I did, though taking some more adventurous paths at times, including going all the way to Kakwa. Remember that things change, people are wrong (including me), and conditions alter over time. The GDT is not a guided walk and potential hikers should exercise their brains throughout their time on the trail.

P54- Lynx Creek Campground is now $7. There is a different company from what you have listed, managing the campground. IÕm sorry I didnÕt get the name of it. The campground offers camping on both sides of Lynx Creek Road. All the water pumps say to boil or treat water before using. The water pump in the picnic area was broken but in the camp area worked. The bathrooms are only open in the camping area.
P56-additional description to find the unmarked junction waypoint a36- There is a large erratic/rock standing on its end in a pasture on the right side of the road about 50 meters before the junction. The trail/logging road up to Willoughby Ridge through the burn was in good condition and not a bad walk. The wildflowers were amazing when I hiked through there.
P71-I received a note in Coleman from Lindy and Ishmael and did follow your recommendation to take Atlas Road to Dutch Creek Road and on to Tornado Pass, instead of the guidebooks route over Deadman Pass to North Fork Pass. Near Dutch Creek, I was unable to pick up the GDT orange blazes, but did easily follow the ATV track up to the Pass. If you want a report on the Deadman Pass to North Fork Pass, Kevin Rowe successfully hiked that route without entering the off-limits mining area summer 2004.
P89-93 Ð Recent trail work and new blazes in the area. Noted a nice trail re-route in the forest south of Cataract Creek and new bridge built over Cataract Creek.
P93- Logging activity and recent large clear cut after Etherington Creek campground. The ATV trails are now wide logging roads that the trail follows (no blazes on the roads). The trail ducks into the woods for a short stretch off the logging road before entering the large clear cut. (If one missed the turn where the trail re-enters the woods, it is no big deal since the logging road leads to the clear-cut too.) In the clear cut, the tread is covered up by clear-cut debris. Loggers left a few ÒhalfÓ trees with orange blazes to follow. Best to describe as stay towards tree line on right side of clear cut. The trail reenters the woods about half way up the clear-cut and stays in it until it reaches the ÒLunch SpotÓ and beyond.
P95 There is a campsite by the ford of Baril Creek before the waterfall and bridge crossing of Baril Creek.
P95- As you approach Fording River Pass, an outfitterÕs trail veers left and meanders over the Pass on left side on the top leveled-out alpine area. It leads past two small lakes on top of the Pass. The outfitterÕs longer route has a gentle grade on ascent and moderate grade on descent over the Pass. The outfitterÕs trail descends the other side of the Pass and leads directly to the small lake/tarin with the campground described in the Guide. From the campground the outfitter trail heads south of the small lake along a small creek to a seismic line/gravel road. When you reach the road/seismic line, one would need to turn left and cross Aldridge Creek to reach the junction with your described route. At that junction, turn right on the seismic line then pick up the GuideÕs description of Òsoon pass the boulder-strewn slope, moderate climb, spring and so onÓ.
P101- Chris Willett is wrong about Fox Lake. You are correct that Fox Lake is before West Elk Pass. The trail junctions beyond West Elk Pass leading to Elk Pass trail head were not marked. The trail signs/maps that are common elsewhere in Peter Longheed PP where missing. Perhaps they were being redone? All the intersections are unmarked and there are trails that are not on the Gem maps.
P143-Trail to Natural Bridge from railroad tracks walk is 50 meters after the electrical box-MI 2.50 Mountain Sub, or just after the telephone pole marked #679. this trail junction is difficult to see from the railroad tracks but evident once you get close to the woods and off the railroad embankment.
P111-Ford the Pallister River at waypoint c4--Before the ford, on the Òeast sideÓ or LeRoy Creek side, there is a diamond marker on a tree with 0.0 on it. (Helpful info for ÒsouthboundÓ hikers, northbound hikers most likely would not see it unless they looked behind them).
P115-After fording the river, evident trail leads up over the creek bank to a small meadow, near a campsite (campsite is on the left). Continue west through the meadow towards the ÒcanyonÓ wall, then turn north to pick up a definite trail that leads north on the west side of Pallister River for 2km before crossing to the east side of the Pallister River and continuing up to the Pass. Back at the first ford (c4) of the Pallister River, after crossing to the west side, there is a faint trail that starts out near the west bank, but peters out. You donÕt want that trail. Again, go through the meadow towards the back of it, and pick up the proper trail that is easy to follow, although overgrown in spots, up to Pallister Pass. One additional note, it looks like a trail crew is working on a reroute towards the top of the Pass (before the ponds), where it is steep. There was a lot of flagging around the area.
115-There is established trail on the left (west) side of the Spray River valley. After leveling out at the Spray River gravel bars from the Pass, cross the gravel bars, and angle west to pick up the trail near the tree line. The trail crosses to the east side of the Valley just south of the junction for the Lemon Lake trail and Burstall campground. The second junction to Lemon Lake is unmarked. The trail stays on the east side of the Spray River valley for the remainder of the stretch, entering the woods after the Birdwood Creek warden station.
P137-the bridge over the Vermillion River is back and the trail to Floe Lake and campground is open.
P161- There was a series of footbridges over the Cairnes Creek as you described. On the south bank of the river, as you described, about 15 meters before the equestrian ford, an unmarked but flagged trail heads west, (to the left) for about a 100 meters to the place where these foot bridges are located. This trail is flagged with blue trail tape. On the north side of the creek, the trail leads west also for about 100 meters before reaching these footbridges. Currently, this trail is flagged with pink trail tape. The footbridges are not visible from the equestrian ford.
P161-second paragraph- The trail after David Howse Pass is in poor condition with many tree wind fall. Once down to the Howse River flood plain, it is easy to lose the trailÕs tread on the gravel bed. If canÕt find it as it meanders on and off the river bank and in forest, look for it near the treeline. Of note, for GDT southbound hikers, there is a random campsite on the gravel bed of the flood plain at the very south end of the route along the river. After passing the campsite, the trail route enters the woods and heads away from the flood plain for the remainder of the walk south until reaching waypoint d12 at the reclaimed campsite at the confluence.
P179-Trail is in poor condition from White Goat Wilderness boundary to Cataract Creek. It is easy to lose trail route in meadows/high grasses and marshy areas. After crossing Cataract Creek for the first time, (waypoint e8), a hiker should turn left and follow the creek bank for about 100 meters to pickup the trail again and make a sharp right turn to follow the trail heading away from the creek, weaving through forest to waypoint e9 at the trail junction on the low ridgeline.
P179- (second paragraph)There is a campsite on the gravel bar of Cataract Creek before it reaches the major confluence.
179- (Second paragraph), After fording Cataract Creek by the major confluence, one is to follow the Cataract Creek upstream on narrow trail, for about 1 km. I found the trail peters out quickly at that point. I did stay on the west side of the creek for about 1 km and then crossed over near where the canyon walls narrow. I then follow the ÒeastÓ bank of Cataract Creek upstream to the Cataract Creek basin where the sub-alpine meadow valley opens up.
P179-( Second paragraph)- At the foot of the Cataract Pass, (on the east/south side/cataract basin), the rocks of the glacial moraine turn light brown, in contrast to the dark gray glacial moraine rock ridge leading up to it. Here a few cairns have been built that lead to evident trail up to the top of Cataract Pass. This evident trail goes between two small year-round snow fields/patches and swings right to pass a third one before heading up as a moderate climb over the Pass.
P209-Miette Warden cabin is gone. But the site offers a flat area to camp.
P211-second paragraph-The trail route is most affected by the forest fire from waypoint f10 at the Colonel Creek Ford, to the Colonel Creek trail junction. Deadfall and overgrown underbrush make following the tread and still evident axe blazes on the burnt trees challenging but not impossible.
P217- from the Colonel Creek Trail junction to Steppe Creek, the route continues to be challenging through the old burn. Most hikers including myself lost the trail route on the east side of the Moose shortly after the junction. It is recommended to ford the Moose River to the west bank and pick up the trail there which is fair condition through areas affected by the burn and has occasional orange blazes at various points along the route and especially further up river at fords. I could not ford the Moose River safely by the Colonel Creek trail junction due to high water, so I bushwhacked up river on the east side until I could cross. Once across the Moose River on the west bank, I was able to pick up the trail just beyond the tree line.
P221-Trail to Bess Pass from Chown Creek: Cross the bridge and hike up the north side of Chown Creek as described in the Guide. Beyond the bottleneck 2.5 km from the bridge, where the south side opens up, a hiker should start to look for a safe place to ford the CreekÕs many braids of the main channel to reach the south bank. Once on the south bank, head along the gravel bank angling west towards the tree line. You will first reach a small campsite, and then about 50 meters beyond it is a tree with an orange trail marker marking a trail entrance. Take the trail and follow it over a low ridge and down to the GuideÕs described tributary. Ford the tributary, (a nearby large fallen tree across the tributary offers a dry crossing) and pick up the trail on the other side that (although overgrown with willows), leads a bushy ascent to Bess Pass.
P229-The trail junction, waypoint f22, where the GDT emerges onto the Jackpine River gravel bed maybe difficult to see if heading ÒsouthÓ. Rock cairns mark the junction, but evident tread is not visible from the gravel bed due to overgrown willows until about 10 meters in.
P227- You changed the first sentence to read Òhiking north through avalanche debrisÓ. The change to the sentence makes it confusing because the trail actually heads west from the Pass through the first part of the avalanche debris before veering north to head up the steep ascent through brush to timberline.
P234-(second paragraph) From Pauline Creek campground, the trail to Big Shale Hill actually can be found by going through the campground. Pick up the trail in the back of the campground, on the right side after the hitching rails. Of note, once the trail reaches the alpine, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow. The trail stays below the top of the ridge for awhile, paralleling it as it winds around or hooks left of the top. Look for cairns and faint tread.
P239-I could not find the south Casket Mountain shoulder cut-off trail junction. I did find the boggy lake but never located the trail until I bushwacked up to the alpine shoulder and picked up the trail there. I know of at least one other northbound hiker who had the same problem.
P239 (second paragraph)-There is a fairly new campground built by equestrians on the north bank of Sheep Creek just west of the north Casket Mountain shoulder cut-off junction.
P239 (second paragraph) - The trail junction that leads towards Surprise Pass from Sheep Creek is difficult to find in the meadow. Even with all the horse traffic in the area, I could not find where the trail veered right and headed northwest towards the Pass. I was able to pick up the trail again near where the tributary ford, waypoint f37.
P241- A little north of Providence Pass to past Kakwa Pass, trail flagging/ribbons help indicate the trail route where the the trail tread has vanished in the marshy meadows.
P241-(second paragraph)-Upon reaching Kakwa Lake equestrian camp or camp #2, I lost the route. The blazes indicate to cross a deep marshy area near the southern tip of the lake. IÕm not sure if the area had a higher then normal water level due to the wet summer or I missed the correct route, but it was confusing until I picked up the trail on higher ground, on the other side of the marshy area that lead to the outflow.
P253-Please add to your lodging list- A Safe Haven B & B and Cadin. 8126 #3 HWY, Coleman, AB T0K 0M0, 1-800-290-0860 or 403-503-5030, asafehaven@shaw.ca, www.asafehavenbb.ca The owners, Alannah and Dan Stepa are very interested in hosting GDT hikers and go out of their way to accommodate them. They also offer a discount price to hikers that includes gourmet meals, laundry, showers, internet and phone use in their price. They also will accept packages. If ever in the Crowsnest Pass area I highly recommend their B & B.
P253-In Jasper, if you go into the Jasper National Park Information Centre on Patricia Street, the Jasper Area Tourist has a desk. There one can get information about guest houses and rooms to rent in the area. They have a brochure with a list of all the area accommodations. They also have a board that guesthouses post room availability on a daily basis. Visitors can use the free phones to call guesthouses to make reservations.
P254-Boulton Creek Trading Post no longer accepts packages sent to them. There is a Canadian Post substation at Kananaskis Village one could send a package. Near Kananaskis Village is a HI Hostel.