2022-08-27, Day 1
A strip of bright, green meadow rises in the middle-distance toward Elysium Pass, Victoria Cross Range, Jasper National Park, Alberta. Beyond the pass lies the trail-less wilderness and a hoped-for route past Monarch Mountain (9,111 ft; 2,777 m) and through Monarch Meadows, toward passes and forested valleys not yet comprehensible in their particulars at this point in the journey.

The Ancient Greeks developed the concept of Elysium, or the Elysium Fields. In earlier periods, the river Styx formed a barrier to Elysium past which only gods or heroes could pass. Later, the ticket for admission to Elysium was also bestowed upon the righteous. In Elysium, the blessed would remain after death, experiencing the enjoyment of what they most treasured in life. The word 'Elysium' derives from the Greek, "to be deeply stirred with joy," and may also be related to another word meaning "incorruptible". It is no wonder that Beethoven associated this word with his famous 9th Symphony.

We planned to camp at Elysium Pass at the end of the first day, and we read that a trail used to thread its way up and through the forest to the pass via a relatively broad and lush meadow. This trail hasn’t been maintained for many years, but it is still regularly if infrequently traveled by intrepid through-hikers on the Great Divide Trail who are seeking a bit more solitude and route-finding than the average person. As a result of some decades of no maintenance, the route has accumulated an ever-growing number of downed logs, which makes for interesting uphill travel when the pack is heaviest on the first day. Because the old route is no longer on the maps we could find, we assumed the way would ascend directly to the pass with the least amount of elevation gain required. We were surprised to discover this view, taken from somewhat higher up on the shoulder of Emigrant Mountain than we had thought the right-of-way would go. Indeed, we found that we climbed up to this vantage somewhat gratuitously before dropping back down to the pass and then bidding adieu to any sort of trail for the next four days to come. The trail disappeared as the forest gave way to the meadow, and both were wet from a weather system that continued to spit occasional rain throughout the afternoon and early evening. The vegetation was particularly adept at keeping the feet quite soaked.

Dinner consisted of split pea soup thickened with whole-grain rye crackers and paired with wild Sockeye that I brined and smoked some weeks previously, followed by chocolate and copious cups of herbal tea. I wanted to be sure that we did not carry the delicious fish oils any further than the first day, as I presume a grizzly bear would not be able to resist the utterly smoky, fatty goodness. Immediately after dinner, I made sure to incinerate the wax paper in which I had wrapped these morsels so that I would not have to worry about carrying any of the scent with me any further. As night fell, I reveled once more in the beauty of dry sleeping socks and a warm, down sleeping bag. It occurred to me before I fell asleep that should I have to pee before I woke up (from one of those cups of tea), I would have to put the cold, wet socks and shoes back on should I not want to make a barefoot egress and sortie. This was one of many details that did not occur to me during the planning stage. I am sure I must have experienced this problem at other times in my life, but apparently my solution to these experiences is to banish them from thought.

Tags:   Alberta Canada Canadian Rockies Elysium Pass Jasper Jasper National Park Landscape Monarch Meadows Monarch Mountain National Park Northern Rockies Rocky Mountains Victoria Cross Range alpine backcountry backpacking clouds forest high country high elevation meadow mountains rain rain clouds storm clouds subalpine subalpine forest trees wilderness

© All Rights Reserved

2022-08-28, Day 2
Low clouds obscure the highest peaks of the Victoria Cross Range, and the sun filters through a chance opening to illuminate the distant uplifted sediments that long ago departed the angle of their origins, Jasper National Park, Alberta. Emigrants Mountain (8,376 ft; 2,553 m) is on the right, and Mount McKean (8,999 ft; 2,743 m) is second from left.

A portion of Monarch Meadows forms a long, relatively even slope that gradually pinches to a narrow but easily navigable pass. In this photo I am looking down that slope and back the way I traveled while my friend and hiking partner climbs toward me. We were not sure what we would find over the pass as we entered the Snaring River drainage, but even at the time the name left me somewhat apprehensive. Our reading of the maps suggested a steep, forested valley would need to be negotiated on the other side before we could ascend above tree-line to yet another pass. The upside to the high route and its attendant passes was that we hoped to avoid many miles of travel through dense forest and downed logs. The downside is that we did not know how steep and negotiable (or not) the passes might be. As I mentioned previously, the 100 ft. (40 m) contour intervals on our maps are capable of concealing a great deal. Moreover, it was never exactly clear just what density of contour intervals translated to 'impassable', as even small cliffs might be problematic.

The upper reaches of the Meadows did reveal one abundantly clear lesson: there is a considerable amount of water moving through these mountains. As we approached the narrow pass, the ground remained spongy and dotted with sedge-lined pools, though there was hardly any watershed remaining. The pass itself began to form a stream on either side as soon as a slope became discernible. The soil at the pass was loose and coarse, and we counted not one, not two, but three impressive piles of Grizzly Bear scat right at the high point. It was comical to imagine so many bears gaining this commanding viewpoint and then consistently being moved to defecate as they contemplated their next move.

Tags:   Canada Emigrants Mountain Jasper Jasper National Park Landscape Monarch Meadows Mount McKean National Park Northern Rockies Rocky Mountains Victoria Cross Range afternoon afternoon light afternoon rain alpine backcountry backpacking clouds high country high elevation meadow meadows mountains wilderness

© All Rights Reserved

2022-08-28, Day 2
A bright, yellow field of late-season asters adorns a sub-alpine meadow and affords a view of a trail-less route below Emigrants Mountain (8,376 ft; 2,553 m) and Elysium Pass, Victoria Cross Range, Jasper National Park, Alberta.

From the vantage of our first night's camp at the top of Elysium Pass, we could see Monarch Meadows in the distance, which was our intended route. Separating us from the Meadows was a ridge-line that was thickly forested on the lower slopes, and braided with meadows higher up. We couldn't see whether short cliffs or difficult rocks were on the other side of the meadows, but we decided to chance the upper route because we abhorred the thought of navigating through the thick forest with its attendant downed logs. Should the upper route prove impassable, we would just descend and loop down around the shoulder of the ridge and follow the path representing the appropriate compromise between safety and expediency.

Leaving camp in the morning, we discovered that thick trees crowded us toward the edge of a small, steep gully that was not apparent on the map (100 foot contour intervals can hide important details), and we could hear a creek gathering strength in the rocks below us. At length, we found a way down, crossed the creek, and made our way up to the meadows you see here in the foreground. I marveled that we would spend the next four days threading passes and valleys with no trails, and I was apprehensive about staying on course and being able to make the 8 miles per day that would be required.

We continued upward, pushing through a tight band of Subalpine Fir, and we found ourselves above a small cirque that was too steep to descend safely to Monarch Meadows below. However, there was another route that stayed high for a while and then lead to a slope down that was steep and vegetated but navigable. From where we stood, it appeared that although it was densely forested in places, Monarch Meadows contained enough interwoven patches of grasses and flowers to constitute a strikingly fine walk through the wilderness. We also noticed that climbing up to take the high route proved an excellent decision, as the forest we avoided in the valley was very dense with logs both vertical and horizontal. If only the clouds would stop providing each petal, blade, and leaf with such bounteous drops of foot-soaking water.

Tags:   Alberta Canada Canadian Rockies Elysium Pass Emigrants Mountain Jasper Jasper National Park Landscape National Park Northern Rockies Rocky Mountains Victoria Cross Range alpine backcountry backpacking clouds flowers forest high country high elevation meadow mountain mountains rain rain clouds storm clouds subalpine subalpine forest trees wilderness wildflower wildflowers

© All Rights Reserved

Ice and snow slowly transition to liquid water in a small, shallow tarn high above the Innvikfjorden and the town of Loen, Norway.

The climb up a different fjord on the previous day was significant enough that some in our party balked at repeating the effort so soon on its heels, so on this day we elected to plonk down our kroners and enjoy an effortless ride to the top of the Innvikfjorden via the Loen Skylift. The Skylift is a large gondola supported by only two towers, one at the beginning and one at the end. On the ride up, the angle of the lines is such that one is essentially hauled straight up a good portion of the cliff, providing quite a sensation of the heights. The top of the Skylift has a restaurant with an extraordinary view, and a ledge frequented by people wearing squirrel wingsuits to launch into the void, for what must be the mother of all adrenaline rushes. We witnessed several people preparing to make the leap, and I cannot say I was inspired to attempt such foolishness myself.

Seeking adventures on a somewhat less exciting scale, I had it in mind to walk up one of the peaks that is several kilometers from the top of the Skylift. Not long after setting off, we encountered more or less continuous snow cover, and it was clear that the route to the peak I wanted to ascend was steep and snowy enough that it would be dangerous without axe and crampons. Lacking such helpful instruments, I noticed a rock band that looked possible to climb up and around the steepest of the snow, but my wife put her foot down firmly and informed me she was not at all interested in such things, but that I was welcome to head up myself if I wanted. My two boys also demurred. Feeling that common sense might be percolating through the rest of my family, I gave up the idea and we set our sights on a somewhat closer, and reasonably safer overlook in a different direction. Along the way I discovered this small tarn, and I was captivated by the abrupt phase transition from solid to liquid that divides the frame.

Tags:   Landscape Loen Norway alpine clouds high country high elevation ice mountains snow melt tarn water Vestland

© All Rights Reserved

2022-09-01, Day 6
Glorious streaks of sunset cloud float like luminescent banners above the alpenglow-kissed shoulders of Mount McNaughton (9,531 ft; 2,905 m) and Mount Machray (9019 ft; 2,749 m), Jasper National Park, Alberta.

We cooked dinner in the foreground meadow visible here, and I jumped up now and again with the camera to investigate ideas as the light gained in both increasing wavelength and intensity. The day that started with a deep creek crossing and the elation of again finding trail now provisioned us with chicken mushroom risotto, hot tea, and wondrous light to behold. After a 10 mile day on the heels of 4 trail-less days, we felt tired and a little sore in the legs. However, as the sky darkened, it was apparent that staying up to watch the stars would be an Imminently Good Idea (to channel one Pooh Bear). The skies do not get much darker than what can be witnessed from this part of Canada, and it seemed that going to bed early would be a foolishly wasted opportunity to lie on our backs and gibber into the cosmos.

Tags:   Alberta Canada Jasper Jasper National Park Landscape National Park Northern Rockies Rocky Mountains Victoria Cross Range alpenglow alpine backcountry backpacking clouds evening evening light high country high elevation magic hour mountains sunset wilderness

© All Rights Reserved