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This event will be a hike (or snowshoe, if the conditions permit) to the Bryant Creek backcountry shelter, where we will be staying. Using the shelter as our base, we will have opportunities for extensive day- hiking/snowshoeing, including hiking/snowshoeing to a point where we will be able to view Mount Assiniboine up close.
The Bryant Creek shelter can accommodate up to 12 people. A booking for 6 people has been confirmed for both Saturday (November 11) and Sunday (November 12).
Because this trip will be taking place in late fall, my expectation is that there will be snow along most of the trail, although it's also possible that some portions may still be bare, but if so likely very muddy. Everyone must bring snowshoes, and everyone must be prepared to carry their snowshoes with them when not needed.
Trip Plan: I have set the start date as Friday November 10th, as it would be best that everyone leaves Edmonton in the evening and stays in the Canmore/Banff region on Friday night, to enable an early departure on Saturday. I have not yet booked accommodations for Friday.
We will be beginning our hike at the Mt. Shark trailhead in Kananaskis Country, within Spray Valley Provincial Park. Mt Shark is accessed from the Smith-Dorrien Trail road (Hwy 742), 36 km south of Canmore. We’ll begin by hiking on the Watridge Lake trail in Spray River Provincial Park. After descending to, and crossing, the Spray River, we’ll enter Banff National Park after hiking about 5.5 km on relatively easy terrain. Continuing along the Bryant Creek trail, we will pass through forested terrain, reaching the Bryant Creek shelter after hiking a further 8.3 km (total distance, 13.8 km from the trailhead). Over this 8.3 km distance there is about 150 m of elevation gain. Along the way to the shelter we’ll pass the Big Springs backcountry campground (9.6 km from Mt Shark trailhead). I'm anticipating that hiking time to reach the shelter will be about 3.5 to 4 hours.
Although we will be staying in a shelter, as a group we will need to carry most of the gear that would normally be required for a backpacking trip, including stoves and fuel, food, water filters, sleeping bags and sleeping pads. The shelter provides space for up to 12 people to sleep overnight wooden platforms, as well as a common cooking area. The Bryant Creek shelter is heated with a wood stove (firewood is provided). An outhouse is located near the shelter. More information is provided about the Bryant Creek shelter here.
Day Hiking Options: We will be staying at the shelter for two nights, and will have one free day for day hiking in the area. Our major goal will be to complete a day hike that will take us towards, and likely into, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, where we'll be able to view Mount Assiniboine (the "Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies") up close.At minimum we will aim to reach the Alberta/BC border at Assiniboine Pass, where Mount Assiniboine will come into view (about 10 km from the shelter, for a 20 km return day trip). Preferably, we'll continue for 2.1 km further towards Mount Assiniboine Lodge, where we'll get a closer view of Mount Assiniboine from the top of a bluff overlooking Lake Magog (a lake at the base of Mount Assiniboine) - this will be about a 25 km return day hike. There are additional options to continue even further, but these will depend on the group's pace and the conditions in the area.
There is gradual elevation gain along the route for the first several 5 kilometres past the Bryant Creek Shelter. As Assiniboine Pass is approached, the trail begins to rise more sharply. In total there is about 350 m of elevation gain between the shelter and Assiniboine Pass. There is only a slight decrease in elevation over the last 2.1 km between Assiniboine Pass and Assiniboine Lodge.
There will also be other options for shorter day hiking options during the weekend (e.g. on Saturday after arrival at the shelter, or on Monday on the way back to the trailhead), such as hikes to the shorelines of Marvel Lake and Owl Lake, both of which are located near the shelter.
The Bryant Creek/Assiniboine Pass trail is classified as a Risk One Avalanche Zone. Characteristics of this types of terrain include:
The shelter itself is located in a wide valley. I am aware of an avalanche runout zone that the trail passes through about 1 km before reaching the shelter. As well, there are runout zones that are reached as Assiniboine Pass is approached. I will be keeping an eye on bulletins put out by Avalanche Canada, and if the conditions warrant we will modify our plans accordingly.
More information can be found here about avalanche terrain ratings in the national parks.
| Required Items to Bring: Individual Items: Shared equipment (please let Ryan know if you are able to bring any of these): | | Recommended Items to Bring: Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need. |
More detailed directions are available here.
- We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines at all times while participating in EOC events.
- Please scroll through and read the entire online waiver when you sign up.
- Details of this event are subject to undergo a change at any point in time, with or without warning.
If you have a Parks Canada Annual Wilderness Pass, please provide the pass number to me, so that I can provide it to Parks Canada. These passes cover the $9.80 backcountry fee. The trip fee for holders of these passes will be $15.55, to cover the shelter fee and a share of the reservation fee.
Suggested donation amount for this event is: $2.00/Person.
Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our Cancellation Policy carefully!