Berg Lake

Panorama from near the shelter

Berg Lake
Mount Robson Park,B.C.
October 9-11, 1999

Berg Lake is such an outstanding destination that according to Don't Waste Your Time in the Rockies, the trail to it “is the most heavily traveled in the Canadian Rockies.” The lake is in Mount Robson Park, and the park's namesake is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies.

Despite Berg Lake's popularity, we saw few people on our trip. That's because we went on the Thanksgiving weekend when temperatures dipped below freezing and snow lay on the ground. Indeed, we saw maybe a half a dozen people, two of whom biked in and out in one day.

With me were Pete, Roberta, Carolyn and two couples. Roberta invited me and I invited Pete. I didn't know the others, but I was impressed when I learned that one of the couples, Jeremy and Fiona, had been to Berg Lake over 50 times! Carolyn had hiked it 20 times.

On Friday evening of the long weekend, Pete, Roberta and I drove to Mount Robson Park and camped near the trailhead. The following morning, we met the rest of our group and started up the 21-km trail to Berg Lake. All was dry at the trailhead, but when we came to Emperor Falls, we found the trees covered in snow. When we reached the campground at Berg Lake, we had climbed nearly 800 m above the trailhead. The place was deserted.

Unlike the others, Pete and I didn't set up a tent. Instead we spread out our sleeping bags on tables in the cook shelter. We had a fire going in the stove so it was considerably warmer than outside. Snug in this cabin, I expected to sleep soundly after the day's exertion, but I woke a few times to the sound of a pack rat scurrying about as well the occasional mouse running over me.

The following day, Pete, Roberta, Carolyn, Jeremy, Fiona and I hiked up Toboggan Creek Trail to Toboggan Falls. Unfortunately clouds filled the sky, obscuring what must be grand views on a clear day. But we were glad to take in whatever scenery we could before returning to the cook shelter for a Thanksgiving dinner.

The next day, the clouds had lifted, and we had clear skies. We stopped to photograph Mount Robson in the morning light before heading back.

The trail passes Kinney Lake

Another view of the lake

Ranger station

Falls of the Pool

White Falls

Pete and Roberta take a break

Crossing a bridge

Emperor Falls

Closer look at Emperor

Berg Glacier and Berg Lake

Hargreaves Shelter

Rearguard Mountain

Breakfast in the shelter

A bear broke into this ranger station and ate all the candy and sugar as well as chewed the cookware (mouse over). We found its scat which included a green garbage bag.

Setting off for Toboggan Creek Trail

Jeremy points to an ancient engraving: Alpine Club of Canada, Aug 10, 1911

A cloud-covered Mount Robson and Berg Lake

In the background, Robson Glacier feeds a small lake

Taking a break

Toboggan Creek

Toboggan Falls

Looking down at Berg Lake

Thanksgiving turkey dinner at the cook shelter. Jeremy fished out a chunk of ice from Berg Lake and melted it for water. The glacier ice was likely hundreds of years old.

On the morning of the third day we had a clear view of Mount Robson (mouse over for a close-up)

Standing: me, Roberta, ?. Sitting or kneeling: Pete, ?, Jeremy, Carolyn, Fiona

Starting back

Another look at Emperor Falls

The sun comes out on the last hour of our trip

Beautiful colours of Kinney Lake

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