After a long journey across Canada from East to West, here we are in the Canadian West, in Alberta, at the foot of the Rockies. Our adventures in the Canadian Rockies couldn’t have started further south: Waterton Lakes National Park is located on the border with the United States to the south and with the province of British Columbia to the west. It is the smallest national park in the Canadian Rockies, yet it already offers us breathtaking views.
Friday, June 3, 2022
We haven’t officially entered Waterton Lakes National Park yet, but we make several photo stops along the way. This is promising! Here, the prairies of Alberta meet the Rockies without any transition. From the road, we have a view of several peaks. Snow still covers the steep summits, untouched by vegetation!
Five minutes after entering the park, it’s clear: we come across three brown bears. Or rather, two cubs and their mother. I spot them from the road and shout at Rémi to stop. He slams on the brakes, turns onto the path, and we stop just a few meters from the two adorable cubs. Curious, playful, explorers, they climb trees and wrestle! Higher up in the brush, the mother keeps a watchful eye on us. We are speechless in the face of this encounter, both hoped and unexpected
It’s time to gain some elevation and discover the park’s incredible landscapes from a new perspective. The climb is short but steep, and we encounter more residents of the park: a herd of bighorn sheep! Not at all shy, they watch us pass without flinching.
At the summit, the view of the park, Waterton Lake, and the surrounding mountains is breathtaking. The winter was particularly long this year, so the snowmelt and arrival of spring are a month late! We are faced with peaks still covered in snow.
The scenic Red Rock Parkway then offers us splendid views of the park. However, in September 2017, 35% of the park’s area burned after a large storm. Five years later, the scars of the fire are still visible. All the trees on either side of the road are dead, but life is slowly returning. In hindsight, wildfires have more positive than negative effects on ecosystems. In fact, they help breathe new life into an aging forest that has been protected from fire for too long and allow a younger, healthier forest to thrive.
We then go to meet the… six bison of the park! When you think that, just a few years ago, they roamed these plains by the millions before being decimated…
We find a well-cleared spot for the night, where we can see in all directions. This will prevent any unexpected guests from surprising us… And it’s a good thing, because as night falls and we’re about to go to bed, we spot two black bears in the neighboring field. Quickly, into the car, for a safe night’s sleep.
Saturday, June 4
As soon as we wake up, we’re off. We head to the spot where we saw the three bears yesterday to have our breakfast. Yes, we’re feeling adventurous 😜 For now, no one in sight, but we cook our sausages-scrambled eggs-beans while frequently scanning the surroundings. However, we have a problem: our Goal Zero battery is no longer charging. It charges through the Jeep’s alternator, and a fuse has blown. This worries us enough to cut short our hike and head into town in search of a replacement fuse. After 5 km instead of 10, we turn back.
After an hour of driving, we arrive in the nearest town to the park. A stroke of luck: we find THE fuse. It is immediately replaced in the parking lot. We drive to our spot for the night, and, unfortunately, the battery still isn’t charging… Could the problem be with the car battery? Or worse, the alternator? 😨 We camp in the bed of a river, where we use the Decathlon solar shower for the first time. With no sun, we heat the water on the stove and enjoy a nice hot shower! We then spend a very pleasant evening under the awning, with a blanket on our knees, sheltered from the rain, lulled by the mooing of cows. Even in the rain, we’re happy! 😊
Sunday, June 5
Our battery still isn’t charging, but it’s at 70%. Enough to keep the fridge running for a few more days. We feel like something is unfinished after cutting our hike short yesterday. Without hesitation, the decision is made: we return to Waterton Lakes National Park to complete it. After all, we are entirely free to do as we please!
After an hour of driving, we arrive at the park and have our breakfast at the same spot as the day before. No sign of bears. We really were lucky on the first day.
🥾 Bertha Lake Trail – 10 km (6 miles), 450 m of elevation gain
It’s under a beautiful sun (finally!) that we retrace our steps from the day before, hiking up a steep ascent to the first viewpoint. The trail, along the mountainside, is really enjoyable and offers an incredible view that we can’t get enough of.
We arrive at Bertha Falls after five kilometers of hiking. From here, it’s unknown territory!
Next comes the ascent to the lake. It’s a steep climb, and after a while, snow appears. The final meters to the lake are through snow, on a very steep path that allows no slipping. Coming here, we didn’t expect to be walking in snow, in t-shirts, in June! Bertha Lake, surprise! is still frozen. During our break by the water, very bold chipmunks approach us. They come right up to sniff the lid of our jar of nuts and seeds! Hey, we saw you! With a $25,000 fine if we feed the animals, we quickly close our jar! 😀
Perhaps because it was our first Rocky Mountain National Park and the first time we were faced with such grandiose landscapes, we truly fell in love with Waterton Lakes National Park. We loved its mountainous scenery, its rich wildlife that we could encounter around every trail corner, and its beautiful scenic roads. This is just the beginning, but we’re already in love with the Rockies 🤩 We can’t wait to discover more, starting with the next park on our route through the Rockies: Kootenay National Park in British Columbia!
