July 27th to July 29th, 2018 – When Pete invites you on a bikepacking trip you can expect two things:

1. It’s going to rain.
2. The route will be a gem.

So when Pete, Erin, Grete and I planned a long weekend adventure up into Canada we had an idea of what we were getting into…

The group rallied out from Whitefish and got a solid noon start from up in Baynes Lake.  The route moseyed up through Fernie – where we grabbed late lunch pizza – then headed over Hartley Pass and down into the Bull River valley.  After nearly a month without a drop of rain, we encountered our first deluge climbing towards Harley Pass. Thanks Pete. Thankfully it was brief and we were dry before the crest of the pass. We enjoyed our descent down Sulfur Creek and a lovely roadside campsite that evening.

The next morning delivered crisp clear weather and excellent views while pedaling up the Bull River. Our eyes were constantly drawn up off the road as glorious peak after peak from the Quinn and the Van Nostrand Ranges rose above the forest tops. We crested another beautiful pass and began a long descent (with a bonus climb) to White Swan Lake. As we pedalled along the lake the weather began to shift. A wall of water hit us just as we found temporary shelter, and again we laughed at the odds after a month without rain. Thanks again Pete. We waited out the bulk of the storm and took off for an extended climb to a hopeful campsite at the corner of Top of the World Provincial Park. It turned out that best we could find that evening was a trailhead parking lot just before the veil of night settled in.

Our final day broke brisk and cool and we rallied an early start to ensure we’d finish our trip before nightfall. A short descent led to a lovely less-travelled climb over Wild Horse Pass in the Hughes Range. The long, high-speed descent to Fort Steele offered moose sightings, jaw-dropped UTV passengers and a huge transition in forests. After re-fueling on junk food and coca-cola at the gas station, we cruised back to Baynes Lake via backroads.

The ride ended up delivering beautiful scenery, mileage that seemed a bit hefty for 2.5 days, and, of course, rain because Pete was along. The challenges of this quality trip brought us each closer and ensured that we’d never forget it! Here are some photos!