An Ode to the Glacier Crest Trail

In British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains, steep slopes, sharp rock, avalanche fans and fields of ice abound. That is typical terrain in Glacier National Park, not far, as the crow flies, from the mountain town of Revelstoke..

Glacier National Park, as you enter from the west

The massive pyramid of Mt Sir Donald towering above Rogers Pass

A lot of folks know about this park, but all too often roll through Rogers Pass on their way to the Rocky Mountain parks such as Yoho, Banff, or Jasper. It is a place in which I’ve felt at home since the very first time I visited, and it’s become an unforgettable part of my summers over the years. Once you have taken the time to experience this park, it somehow takes  hold of your senses.

The Illlecillewaet Valley

One of my favourite tracks to hike is the Glacier Crest Trail, which is the subject of this tale. A quick stroll from the trailhead, at the Illecillewaet Campground, soon brings you to the site of the old Glacier House Hotel. Once a worthy destination for travellers, now all that survives  are remnants of the foundation, and some of the massive boilers that were once used to heat the establishment. It’s hard to imagine that throngs of high society once milled about there, but the challenges of dealing with harsh winters and havoc wrought by avalanches eventually won out in the end.

This is what remains of the old luxury lodge, now it’s just a mountain meadow

Fireweed and fast moving water, two signature features of the park

Among the very first things that caught my eye here were the tumbling mass of the Illecillewaet Glacier and the rugged beauty of Mt Sir Donald. The power of nature is almost overwhelming in this valley, and the sound of the waters roaring through the woods is unforgettable.

Meeting of the Waters

You get a very clear impression of that once you reach “Meeting of the Waters”, where Asulkan Brook and the Illecillewaet River join forces, fed by the glaciers high above. If your time is limited, a short twenty minute walk to see these rushing waters is invigorating in its own right.

Looking back at Asulkan Brook as you take to the forest

The walk continues to a lively crossing of Asulkan Brook, where the work starts in earnest. There are numerous switchbacks to climb, and while views are limited for a while, there is solitude to enjoy. The forests of the Selkirks are reminiscent of the coast, but it’s as though every quality is somehow enhanced and intensified. Waters rush more quickly, the scars of avalanches are more pronounced, glaciers are larger, and the mountains reach higher.

When you finally break out of the trees to the ridge above, all that hard work becomes worthwhile! Avalanche and Eagle Peaks are the first conspicuous sights, and of course Mt Sir Donald is a real standout. It is somewhere near 1850 metres in elevation that there is a rocky clearing that first affords these incredible views. The very first time I hiked the Glacier Crest Trail, on a sweltering day in late July, this was as far as I made it, having unwittingly run out of water. There are few water sources on this route once you reach the high alpine region, so plan accordingly.

The glorious Selkirks!

Mt Sir Donald, and the boulder field with a view

Asulkan Panorama, including Rempart, Dome and a lot of glacial ice

Gradually, as you make your way up the open ridge, more views appear, and you can see into the Asulkan Valley as well as down to Highway 1 and Rogers Pass. If you happen to have forgotten your camera, you’ll be regretting that by then!

Grizzly Peak

Highway 1 winding through Rogers Pass

The Illecillewaet Glacier also commands your attention. Once, it reached far into the valley below, but since the turn of the twentieth century, it has receded dramatically. On several occasions I have also explored the Great Glacier Trail, which gives you a closer look at how it has receded. At the height of the last ice age, of course, most of Glacier National Park was covered in thick sheets of ice. That must have been quite a sight!

The Illecillewaet Glacier as it tumbles down the valley, as you see it from the nearby Great Glacier Trail

The path continues through a boulder field, then emerges into a beautiful alpine rock garden. On a clear day, the sun can be  overwhelming here, as you round a bend in the trail heading toward the lookout. Another half hour brings you to a well built cairn atop the ridge, where you’ll be compelled to stay a while. I’ll let the views speak for themselves!

Looking at the Asulkan Valley from near the high point on the ridge

Looking back at Rogers through the haze

Mt Macdonald, named after Canada’s first prime minister

One of the best places I’ve ever eaten lunch at!

Steep sided valleys

On this day, I spent plenty of time at the summit, just grooving on the scenery. Even at over 2300 metres in elevation, where I stood on the lookout, I was dwarfed by all the surrounding peaks. Regrettably, but at least with the knowledge that cold beer awaited below, I began the hike back to camp.

A big zoom on a huge peak beyond the Asulkan Valley

Closeup on the Illecillewaet Glacier

One really big cairn!

Linger as long as you can, for as hard as the climb up was, it will still take you a while to return to the trailhead. As much as I have enjoyed this trail, and many others, I still have much more to explore in Glacier National Park. I encourage you, if possible, to devote some time to this inspiring place, where the rugged spirit of wilderness abounds,   powerful and compelling!

Ferns along the trail, near Asulkan Brook