Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, B.C.
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Kokanee Lake Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, B.C. |
August 11, 2013
Having arrived early in Nelson, British Columbia, with en entire afternoon
to kill, I drive about twenty total miles to a trailhead that is not on my
itinerary. The first thing I see is a car bundled up in chicken wire to
ward off porcupines, which apparently like to chew on wires, brake linings,
and even tires. Such precautions are standard for overnight stays,
but I'll take my chances during this shorter day-hike.
Don't tread-off me!
Several creeks intersect the trail
This route begins with a pair of very long switchbacks that are necessary, I suppose, but not very interesting.
Switchbacking to the west
Switchbacking to the east
After more than a mile of walking, some views unfold.
Mount John Carter on the right
Several wooden bridges enable dry crossings across small runoff creeks, some of which still are flowing.
This one is wet
This one is not
More work to do
Now the trail becomes much nicer. More flowers are around, and more
water is flowing — including a long, beautiful cascade.
Lovely
Fireweed Alley
Could the top be near?
Having finally reached the lip of the canyon, I can collect my reward:
A worthy objective
Hanging around for a few minutes hoping for the sun to come out on the lake doesn't work out. I had best not tarry further; for despite all my planning and resolve, I find myself in grizzly bear country, alone on the trail in late afternoon. It is time to head back.
I hope that feeding time has not yet commenced
Natural rocks
Unnatural rocks
Finally, I spot Gibson Lake below. Although it is adjacent to the trailhead, somehow I missed seeing it earlier.
More Fireweed above Gibson Lake
A Western Pasqueflower in mid-cycle
Alpine Asters
Grays Peak to the south
It remains only to endure the long mundane switchback, and the trek is finished.
Getting closer
§: This walk was something of an eye-opener for me, in that it was
necessary to climb through the forest for a couple of miles before getting to
any 'good stuff'. Back home, the trailheads tend to be located at higher
elevations, meaning that less slogging is required. Around here, because
the mountains are so much more 'up and down,' significant extra climbing and
generally steeper trails could well be the normal order of things.
I encountered no bears, which is good. Kokanee Lake would have been
prettier had the sun been out; also, a few more round-trip miles of
easy walking would have accessed several more lakes and a lot of pretty
country. I recommend continuing to Kaslo Lake, or even to Slocan Chief
Cabin itself for views of the park's namesake Kokanee Glacier.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Flowers | |
| Solitude | |
