By Eric Tremblay
Jasper Skyline Trail – July 11-14, 2026
The Edmonton ACC’s Skyline Trail trip was my first backpacking outing of the season. To make for an early and organized start, the group booked five campsites at the Snaring overflow campground on Friday night so all 14 could be ready to head out first thing Saturday morning.
On Saturday, July 11, the group was up bright and early and drove to the North Skyline Trailhead. The small parking lot made the vehicle shuffle slow and awkward, so a big thank you goes to Maligne Lake Adventures for giving the group a ride to Maligne Lake to begin the trip.
The hike started in steady rain, which made for a fairly quiet morning on the trail. After breaks at Evelyn Creek and Little Shovel campgrounds, the group finally emerged from the forest near Little Shovel Pass to clearer skies, and from there continued on to Snowbowl Camp after a solid day on the trail. Once in camp, everyone relaxed, and a few members still had enough energy left to head partway up Mount Aberhart as a bonus objective.
Day two brought another rewarding stretch of trail, with roughly 10 kilometres of hiking and 332 metres of elevation gain through beautiful alpine meadows before dropping into the valley toward Curator Camp. With time still left in the day, the group visited Shovel Pass Lodge for coffee, baked goods, and some local history around the wood stove. Later, some members scrambled up the Curator Mountain ridge, while others explored Curator Lake and got an early look at the Notch.
The third day started early with a return to Curator Lake and the approach to the Notch. The slope was steep with backpacks on, and a snow-covered cornice made the usual route less appealing, so the group worked around it before continuing across several kilometres of barren scree in strong winds but with outstanding views. From there, the trail dropped back into greener terrain, leading to the meadows around Mount Tekarra and Tekarra Lake, where the bugs were plentiful but the scenery more than made up for it.
On the final day, the group made the long descent to the trailhead by way of Signal Campground. Much of the mountainside had been burned by past fires, but the open terrain also brought wide views and plenty of flowers, even if the descent was hot and exposed. After finishing the trail, everyone regrouped at Folding Mountain Brewery for a well-earned meal before making the drive back to Edmonton.
Kootenay Rockwall Trail – July 24-28, 2026
Our Rockwall backpacking trip was a memorable one, even before we hit the trail. We had several people sign up, but a number had to cancel at the last minute, so our group ended up at seven hikers: Eric Tremblay, Mike Fulcher, Heather Aasen, Janie Kristensen, Isabelle Bolduc, Iain Kruszewski, and Carmen Young.
We began by meeting at Tunnel Mountain Village 1 on Friday evening, where we checked in to sites G36, G37, and G39 and got ready for the days ahead. On Saturday morning, we had an early wake-up call before heading to Paint Pots, then transferred vehicles to Floe Lake Trailhead and set out for Helmet Falls Camp. The weather stayed kind to us for the entire trip, with only a few hours of rain on the first day, which made for a great outing overall.
The first day took us 14 km with 750 m of gain, and after setting up camp at Helmet Falls around 4:00 PM, we had time to explore the falls up close, which was a real highlight. Sunday brought some of the best scenery of the trip, especially as we passed Rockwall Peak and got the kind of views that make it obvious why this route is called the Rockwall. We descended to Tumbling Creek Camp through equally impressive scenery, and after camp was set up, some of the group headed out to view the glaciers near Tumbling Peak. Much of the ice has now melted, leaving behind large moraines and a dramatic reminder of how much the landscape is changing.
At Tumbling Creek, some of the group stayed in camp and built a small bridge network to make creek crossings a little easier and get closer to the trail. On the third day, the descent into Numa Creek felt almost like moving through a jungle, with sections of vegetation reaching as high as 10 feet. The final stretch of that day was a big climb up to Floe Lake, but the view from the top was absolutely worth it, with the lake and surrounding peaks delivering exactly the kind of alpine payoff the Rockwall is known for. Floe Lake campground is spread out but offers plenty of great views, and some of the group even managed to sneak in a swim.
Our return on the final day was going smoothly until a sow grizzly and her two cubs decided to use the trail ahead of us, stopping the group for about 45 minutes. We waited patiently until they moved off the trail and then continued safely on our way. It was a fitting end to a trip that combined strong scenery, good weather, and a healthy dose of wilderness reality.
Banff Sawback Trail - Sept 4-8, 2026
Our Sawback backpacking trip from September 4 to 8, 2026 was my longest hike of the season and a big one by any standard, covering just under 80 km with about 3,400 m of elevation gain over four days. To put that into perspective, the final day was only 13 km and almost entirely downhill, which really shows how much ground we covered over the course of the trip.
We began with a relaxed evening at Lake Louise Campground on Friday, September 4, where we checked in to sites L1, L2, and L16 and prepared for the trail ahead. Our group for the trip was Eric Tremblay, Isabelle Bolduc, Michael Hodgins, Neil Neil Yakimets, Micheal Fulcher, Klaudia Gagne, Erik Peterson, Maryssa Iacobelli, Greg Rae, and Daryle Canart. It was a quiet evening overall, except for the disappointment of Heather’s injury-related withdrawal. She had initially hoped she might still be able to join, but after arriving late and trying to reassess at the trailhead, she wisely decided her leg was not ready for the weight of a backpack. As anyone who has been in the backcountry knows, that is never an easy decision, but it is often the right one.
On Saturday morning, we transferred vehicles at the Fish Creek trailhead parking lot and then took Fairview Limousines for a comfortable 45-minute shuttle from Lake Louise to Mount Norquay, which made the start of the trip much easier for the whole group. The hike began with a few humorous early challenges, including the surprise realization that there were no toilets in sight and a very improvised start near the ski resort. Before the first hour was over, Maryssa had broken a chest strap and needed a quick field repair, and Eric had also managed to misplace his bear spray. After that, the group settled into the rhythm of the trail, with breaks at Mount Cockscomb and Mystic Junction before reaching Mystic Valley Camp for the night. Mystic Lake itself was a bit farther away, so it became more of a second-day destination than a first-day stop.
Sunday brought bigger views as the group headed toward Luellen Lake Camp. We reached the pass and took some time to enjoy the scenery, including a try at pine gum along the way. After a long descent and a lunch break at Larry’s Camp, we continued on to Luellen Lake Camp, where Klaudia and Daryle celebrated the day with a swim. The terrain, distance, and changing light made for a strong middle day, and the group was still moving well despite the growing mileage.
Monday was the biggest push of the trip, with a long route toward Baker Lake Camp that included breaks at Badger Pass and Wildflower Creek. Because the day was so long, the group split up near the end and used walkie-talkies to keep things organized, with the faster hikers helping get camp set up before dark. The highlight of the day, and for many the highlight of the trip, was the approach over Pulsatilla Pass, which delivered the kind of big mountain scenery that makes the Sawback such a memorable route. By the time we reached Baker Lake and Ptarmigan Lake on the exit day, the route still felt wild and impressive, even after so many kilometres on the trail.
On Tuesday, the group completed the final 13 km descent to Fish Creek Trailhead and retrieved the vehicles by early afternoon. It was a strong finish to a demanding but rewarding trip, and the Sawback once again proved itself to be a true classic of the Canadian Rockies.
