Must-See B.C.
Mount Robson Provincial Park – Berg Lake Trail

How many times have you driven by the Mount Robson Visitor Information Centre along Yellowhead Highway 16? During the summer months it's a busy place with oversized tour buses pulling in and out and an endless stream of tourists wandering about. Quite often, Mount Robson's 3,954-meter peak is obscured by cloud, but if you're lucky, on a clear day you’re able to see the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.

Hiking the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park was on my 'To Do List' for a number of years but during the last days of June 2003 we finally made this backpacking trip a reality, not just a 'someday.' Lenard, 10 year-old Oliver and I loaded our gear into our van on Oliver's last day of grade four and hit the highway for the 305-kilometer drive from our home in Prince George to Mount Robson Provincial Park. Finally, we wouldn’t just be driving by the park. We planned to hike the 21-kilometer trail to Berg Lake in two days and also take two days to hike out. Our first night before departing on the trail would be spent in one of the provincial campsites conveniently located near the Visitor Information Centre.

The Berg Lake Trail is considered to be the most popular backpacking trail in the Rocky Mountains. From the Visitor Centre, the trailhead is at the end of a three-kilometer road leading to the Robson River Bridge. The first few kilometers on the trail are slow going as we adjust our packs and Oliver gets accustomed to the load. The busy trail follows the river through old-growth cedar-hemlock forest for four kilometers to Kinney Lake, a popular day-use area (bicycles are permitted to this point).

Kinney Lake is named for Reverend George Kinney, who along with outfitter Donald Curly Phillips claimed the first ascent of Mount Robson in 1909. That claim was later disputed and it wasn't until 1913, the year Mount Robson Provincial Park was established, that Conrad Kain and two Alpine Club of Canada members became the first to officially summit Mount Robson. The shore of Reverend Kinney's aqua-colored lake is an ideal place to ditch our packs, take a well-deserved break and enjoy lunch. Hard to believe that this picture-perfect site at the base of Mount Robson is only a preview of what we will see in the next day and a half.

It's a further four kilometers to Whitehorn campsite, a good place to spend the first night on the trail, especially when travelling with children. Firewood is available for the wood stove in the shelter, a welcome retreat, especially in the rain. Fortunately, we ’ve been blessed with sunshine.

The payoff for packing light begins shortly after leaving Whitehorn the next day, where the trail begins a steep ascent in to the Valley of a Thousand Falls. "Is there really a thousand falls?" Oliver ponders. There must be; everywhere one looks, cascading water flows like a bride's veil. After an elevation gain of more than 500 meters over almost five kilometers, we cool off in the spray of mighty Emperor Falls. The sunshine is glorious but the heat combined with the weight of our packs makes the climb challenging. It's another steep albeit short grunt to Emperor Falls campsite. The toughest part of the climb is behind us. We're proud of Oliver for his accomplishment thus far - this is his first major backpacking trip. Hikers along the trail pat him on the back and offer further encouragement.

The trail narrows as it crosses a talus above the creek-bed for the first section of the three kilometers between Emperor Falls campsite and Marmot campsite, a likely area to spot pika and marmots, and then descends into the open creek-bed where there are a number of water crossings. Finally, Mist and Berg Glaciers come into view, massive ice serpents with tongues spilling forth moraine. We revel in our surroundings and our pace quickens, as we get closer to our final destination.

The final two kilometers of trail along the side of magnificent Berg Lake provides glimpses of floating icebergs that have calved from the advancing glacier. Berg Lake campsite is a most welcome site, not only because it is the destination of many a weary hiker, but because you will truly be amongst some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

The campsite at Berg Lake is an excellent base from which to explore some of the other trails in the area such as the Toboggan Falls Route, a steep trail that leads to a lovely shallow waterfall and a stunning view of Berg Lake and Mount Robson. Our only disappointment is that we didn't book an extra day to further explore the area. We chat with other hikers who return to Robson year after year. Oliver spots a hoary marmot, burrowing in a hole near our tent pad. Lenard marvels at the shapes of the icebergs, one looks just like a swan.

We spend our final night at the Robson Pass campground, two kilometers from Berg Lake and decide we will hike out in one day. Despite the change in weather, the rain doesn't dampen our spirit. Although exhausted by the end of the day, we feel exhilarated and privileged to have experienced the unique beauty of this Rocky Mountain Park. The Berg Lake trail is no longer a 'someday I will do it,' but it still hasn't moved from my 'to do list' - I've heard that autumn in Robson is splendid!

Next time you’re driving by the park, stop at the Visitor Information Centre where you can pick up information on Mount Robson Provincial Park; downstairs there are informative displays detailing the ecology and human history of the park. Take the time to hike to Kinney Lake or, if you’re looking for an excellent family adventure, plan to hike the Berg Lake Trail. For more information: http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mtrobson.htm

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