What a blast on the Augerpoint Traverse!

–SUBMITTED BY JOHN YOUNG; ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JOHN’S BLOG

What a difference a year makes! Last year when we hiked this trail, we saw nary a soul past Mount Albert Edward, but this year we met more than 20 others. One big group of about 20, a group of 3, a solo man and his dog, and two runners completing it in a day. The trail is also much better defined than it was just last year – a well-worn tread with many cairns leads the way. Although it is popular and pleasant, it’s far from a “walk in the park,” as over it’s 30 km it gains 2150 m and loses 3000 m. Lots of ups and downs! Since we started from Mt. Washington’s Raven Lodge with an elevation of 1100 m., we had an overall elevation loss of 850 m.

We started off with a stroll through Paradise Meadows

Still some beautiful flowers, and others already gone to seed

Then we climbed the hill past Circlet Lake and made camp at a group of tarns

Photos

Thanks to Michael Paskevicius for the group photo

The second day was our most strenuous day – up and over the shoulder of Albert Edward, down, and then back up to Ruth Masters Lake

Blooming beauties!

Carol scrambling on the way down

A cool evening at Ruth Masters Lake

It had warmed up by the time we started off at 9 a.m.

Members of the Strathcona Nordic Ski Team

Looking back down at Ruth Masters

Above Photo: Michael Paskevicius

And then up and around to our last camp

One of the many cairns along the route

What a gorgeous evening!

We bundled up to watch the sunset across Buttle Lake

Above photo: Michael Paskevicius

A fullish moon rising over camp

Frost on the tents overnight! (My +7 sleeping bag didn’t quite cut it!)

Still cold when we began down the trail, but we warmed up quickly

With some gigantic boulders and big fir trees along the way

One last view of Buttle Lake

And then it was down to the road to wait for our shuttle ride, and lick our wounds!


Aah, but it was so worth it!

One Reply to “What a blast on the Augerpoint Traverse!”

  1. I just did the trail from Buttle to auger point
    On the July 19
    Some one doing the traverse in one day before me left a huge Pooh smack dab in the middle of the trail complete with a big wad of TP
    I guess if you are an elite athlete there’s no time to alter course for nature calls?
    I hope you have a chance to read this, You are quite literally,a filthy disgusting pig and should be ashamed

    Mike O

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