Over the years we have hiked the Asulkan Trail in Glacier National Park many times. One winter we skied up into Asulkan Pass from Wheeler Hut and back. This is one of the most scenic routes in the province. A new Kamloops Trails video is now available on YouTube: Click the YouTube link for more KamloopsTrails videos.
The Great Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park starts at the main trailhead by the campground and follows Asulkan Creek upstream before heading up the Illecillewaet River Valley. When the trail was first established, hikers could leave Glacier House and walk for just 15 minutes to the toe of the Illecillewaet Glacier. So now the trail winds up the valley …Continue reading…
The Glacier Crest Trail is a steep hike up a forested slope to an open ridgetop that lies between the Sir Donald – Perley Rock Cirque and the Asulkan Valley. For much of the route, we usually wonder why we have chosen this trail, but once we get to the top, we remember. For this reason, only do …Continue reading…
Many of us have hiked the Asulkan Trail which ends at the Asulkan (ACC) Hut. This is a favorite route and has been described before (Asulkan Trail – Sept. 2013). We have scrambled above the hut several times, but eventually we reach the ice and have to cross the glacier, but we know to go onto the ice only if …Continue reading…
There are so many good hiking trails in Glacier National Park that it is hard to choose which ones to do for each trip. The very “best trails list”, though includes Abbott Ridge, Asulkan, Hermit, and Balu Pass. Balu Pass is sometimes closed due to grizzly activity so check at the Ranger Station before heading out. The trail starts at …Continue reading…
When Glacier House was opened in Rogers Pass, tourists could take the trail and stay in the hotel. Swiss guides took visitors out to climb the peaks and visitors could walk to the toe of the Great Glacier in 45 minutes. Historical photos and glacialogical research shows the extent of the Glacier and its retreat over the last 115 years. …Continue reading…
The Perley Rock Trail starts at the Campground then follows the east side of the Illecillewaet River at the stone trestle. The first section is shared with the Sir Donald Trail as the route climbs up through the forest into the Sir Donald – Perley Rock Cirque. One section goes through an old slide area and the creek draining …Continue reading…
The trail up to the col between Mount Uto and Sir Donald is very steep, but the views are spectacular. Sir Donald stands high above Rogers Pass, a pyramid of quartzite 3297m high. It is a classic climb and indeed there is a small campsite at the last bit of meadow below the col, used by climbers as a high …Continue reading…
We try to stay for a rew days of hiking in Glacier National Park each year and we hike the Asulkan Trail almost every time. The first half of the trail is an easy walk through a valley bottom and the second half is a steep hike up moraines to an elevation level with the tongue of the glaciers near …Continue reading…
In my opinion, this is the finest trail in the province. The trail starts at the south end of the Glacier House National Heritage site and turns west up the hill. The trail is well-designed, switchbacking through the cedar-hemlock old growth forest. After 2 km, it arrives at Marion Lake, a small tarn under cliffs, surrouned by trees, a good …Continue reading…
The Hermit Trail starts at a pull-off on the Trans Canada Highway in Rogers Pass and climbs to a high meadows at the foot of the Hermit Range. When we drive to Glacier, we have often chosen this hike because it is shorter and can be done with a later start. The trail climbs through cedar-hemlock forest steeply. In fact, …Continue reading…
The Illecillewaet Glacier covered 9.3 square kilometres in 1850. By 1978, it was reduced to 6.8 sq. km. It is still shrinking and most of the loss is in the tongues of ice that stretch from the neve on top down into the valleys. When the railway was completed in 1885, tourists and climbers came to Rogers Pass to see …Continue reading…