Day 3: July 4, 2012 by Jenn

Last night's winds were wild. They kept us up most of the night. The 40mph gust of wind turned into continuous gusts that howled down the mountainside. We asked the ranger this morning how high the winds actually got and they said 50-60mph! Our tent survived but we hardly slept. Upon closer inspection, one of the poles got bent. Still windy today, but nothing like last night. 

Today's plan was to head to Waterton, Alberta, Canada. We got up early - 6:30AM - and packed up the site and made breakfast. On our way to Waterton we saw, what we think, were two grey wolves in a prairie. They looked bigger than coyotes and we think they killed a horse that was laying on its side, not too far away. They ran when they knew they were spotted, but we still got a couple of photos. 

My "Sniper Lens" caught the shot

We got through customs with no problems but had to dump our firewood. It's my first time here, but not Geoff's. The views in the town center were great. One side is rolling hills and prairie and the other side is mountains. Were supposed to go on the International Peace Hike but it got cancelled, as the guides felt it to be unsafe with high streams. 

On top of Bears Hump

Instead, we climbed up Bears Hump. It was really steep - 738 feet of elevation gain - and short - .9 miles up to the top. It was really windy at the top, but the views were worth it! Upper Waterton Lake was framed perfectly. 

Geoff next to a tree's roots (tree is on it's side)

Crossing into British Columbia!

Next we decided to hike to Wall Lake, per the ranger's recommendation. She had said that this miraculous natural occurrence (forgot the name) happened recently, where extremely high winds cam down the slopes and took out many trees. Apparently it's the thing to see, since it happens about every three hundred years. So, We hopped in the car and drove through the park. We parked at the Akamina Pass Trailhead and we were on our way. The first mile or so was very uphill, but then it leveled out a bit more. We hiked through pine forests for over three miles until the forest opened up. Oh - I should mention we crossed into Akamina-Kishnena Provincial Park in British Columbia. Anyways, the view was awesome. Wall Lake looks just like you'd imagine - the lake is surrounded by a wall of mountain rock with plenty of snow. When we reached the waters edge we found what the ranger was talking about. Massive pines were uprooted from the ground and on their side. The breaks were still very new and blocked the very end of the trail. So far, this was our favorite hike. In all, it was 6.5 miles long and climbed 361 feet. My legs are getting sore, but we had hiked 8.5 miles today!

Wall Lake

Waterton Townsite Campsite

After the hike we went back to Waterton Townsite to check in. We had reserved a campsite already. It ended up being right next to the bathrooms and shower, but the views were still great.  After our site was set, we walked through the small town here and showered for the first time since Sunday. You forget how good a shower can feel! 


Now we're just basking in the sun and enjoying the views and the company. Life is good!