"I was simply blown away by the natural beauty and isolation of Wells Gray Park. I loved the feeling of having the whole park to ourselves." MW, Rochester, MN 2003
Highlights:
- Being surrounded by the beauty of mountains, lakes, and wildflowers
- Not seeing anyone else for 5 days
- Sleeping in cozy huts in the middle of nowhere
- Gazing at incredibly bright stars untouched by city light pollution
- Swimming in crystal clear mountain lakes and drinking water that doesn't need to be filtered
Rarely is it possible to combine hiking a wilderness that is so remote we are unlikely to see other people for the entire time, with a warm hut and comfortable bed at the end of the day – but on this trip, you can have both! If you have been wanting to hike in remote and beautiful Canadian wilderness, and love the idea of a warm bed at night, please join us as we spend five days roaming this remote area of lush meadows full of wildflowers, beautiful peaks, pristine lakes, and streams that are so clean you can drink directly from them.
This trip is for: any woman in very good physical condition who enjoys hiking in a beautiful and remote mountain wilderness, and likes the idea of staying in comfortable no frills huts. Since you will need to carry your clothes for the trip (and the fewer the better) your pack will weigh 15-20 pounds. Previous hiking experience is highly recommended.
Accommodations:
- two nights in a motel
- four nights in rustic huts without indoor plumbing.The huts are comfortable, well heated, fully equipped, and we have each all to ourselves.
Maximum group size: 10
Trip price: $1350 (deduct $50 for registration prior to 5/1/08). $300 deposit.
Trip price includes:
- experienced guides
- two nights motel lodging and four nights in huts
- all meals from dinner Monday through Sunday breakfast
- round trip transportation from Clearwater to the trailhead
- transportation to Clearwater is not included but we will organize transport on a cost-share basis from Seattle
Trip starts: at 5 pm at our motel in Clearwater. If you are sharing transportation from Seattle, plan to leave there at 8 am.
Trip ends: anytime the last morning. The van will return to Seattle by 6 pm that day.
More information: a summary of all this information, packing list, notes on packing list, and general information (must have Adobe Acrobat Reader)
For pictures from previous years' trips, click here. To see a truly wonderful web site constructed by a 2004 participant, click here
To learn more about Wells Gray Park, visit the web site of the park
Register for this trip or Contact us for more information
Itinerary
September 1: Our hiking trip begins at 5 p.m. on Monday at our lodging in Clearwater, British Columbia. If you are sharing transportation from Seattle, we will leave there at 8 am. We'll gather to introduce ourselves and then share a welcome dinner. That night we'll review the plans for the trip and make a final clothing check.
September 2: Starting about 9 am, we leave any clothing that we don't need on the trip in our vehicle and are transported by the Wells Gray Adventures staff to the trailhead, about an hour drive. Our hike to the first hut, Trophy Mountain Chalet at 7000 ft, will take 2.5 to 3.5 hours and includes fairly continuous, at times steep, uphill hiking. We travel through mature forests and lush meadows while gaining 1700 feet elevation. After settling-in to the hut we go for a short hike to start exploring the nearby area with sparkling lakes and alpine meadows.
September 3: This is a layover day that we'll use to go for a longer day hike, with the opportunity to climb two or three peaks, walk along ridges, and maybe even take a refreshing dip in the numerous alpine lakes.
September 4: Leaving the hut about 9 am, we hike about 7 miles through alpine meadows, dropping down to the Valley of the Lakes for a lunch break, and then crossing Eagle Pass at 6700 ft. The 6 to 8 hour hike includes crossing a field of boulders and some steep up and downhill trail until we reach our destination at Discovery Cabin, which is located in a remote and wild valley. While 7 miles doesn't sound far, the terrain is guaranteed to make it seem further.
September 5:We have our second layover day, this time hiking into remote lakes and to the top of Table Mountain. Or possibly just electing to stay at the cabin and relax- it's a beautiful setting and a lovely place to hang out.
September 6: Our final hiking day includes travel off-trail down a ridge of Table Mountain, with spectacular views of Moul Lake and the Phillip Lakes. We descend into the forest and continue on a steep downhill trail for our final 3-hour hike back to the van. The entire hike will take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours. Depending on the time and weather, we may drive to the spectacular Helmecken and Dawson Falls, located in another area of Wells Gray Park. We'll return to our lodging in Clearwater and, after taking showers, rejoin the group for our farewell dinner.
September 7:Women are welcome to leave anytime this morning. The van will retun to Seattle by 6 pm that day.
Register for this trip or Contact us for more information
