Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park

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Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park • Note from the Trip : • 1. Trail: Sunshine Village – Lake Magog • We originally wanted to park our car at Sunshine Village and end at Mt. Shark but wasn’t able to accommodate for transportation, so we decided to hike to the core area and come back the same way. • We heard from a party of three that they parked their car at the Sunshine and took a cab to Mt. Shark trailhead. Though it cost them $190 including tips, it wasn’t too bad split three ways. • Sunshine Village to Porcupine CG: • Sunshine village to Citadel pass is mostly flat, The 4km from the junction to Fatigue Pass and Porcupine is a steep descent, especially the last 1 km. You definitely feel it with a heavy backpack. But coming back up on the day of our return wasn’t too bad. The campsite is nice, quiet and peaceful. There’s a gray water pit, food cache, benches around a cooking table and a nearby creek. • Porcupine CG to Og Lake and Lake Magog CG: • The route is pretty flat for a while after Porcupine. It undulates later on but it is moderate, after you come down to the meadows then Og lake, you get a splendid view of Mt. Assiniboine and the surrounding mountains. The last 6km to Lake Magog trail stays flat. Lake Magog is a big campsite providing open air cooking areas, tap water spigots, gray water pits, outhouses and a shelter. A custodian drops by every day to check on the facilities and keep items stocked. It is tidy. The tent pads are nicely spaced out. We were lucky to get a spot even though we arrived at 6:30pm. It tends to get busy during summer peak. A great time to arrive would be sometime in the morning as that’s when spots open up. The overflow area can get crowded depending on how many campers are staying. • -Trails in core area • To the Nublet: • This is a nice trail providing wonderful views of Mt. Assiniboine, surrounding mountains and a few lakes despite being only 5km from the lodge. We only went to the Nublet due to the over cast and windy weather but it would be good to do Nub peak. Highly recommended. • To Windy Ridge: • 7km from the lodge. Nice views as well as the Nublet. Again we couldn’t see much due to the weather condition. It would’ve been better on a clear day. • To Wonder Pass: • This is also a moderate hike and it’s 7km from the lodge. We wanted to go 4km further the pass down to the 2000m junction after the park border toward the Marvel Lake as the guide book suggested, but ended up doing to before the viewpoint due to the time and the weather. • 2. Camping fee • Some campsites like Porcupine are free of charge. When we registered online we paid for all nights including Porcupine and realized we didn’t have to pay to stay at Porcupine Camp but the backcountry camping permit is non-refundable. You can pay the fee by cash at the campsites anyway, so maybe it’s better to pay that way. • • 3. Assiniboine Lodge/helicopter transportation: • The lodge and cabins accommodate some 30 guests or so. Staying at the lodge is costly but staying at the cabins is much cheaper. Combined with flying in by helicopter, you can enjoy the magnificent views of mountains without having to hike in. • We first thought it’s annoying to hear the helicopters but being able to fly in and/or out without carrying heavy packs, or walking in without a backpack and have the helicopter transport your pack would be a nice option. We met some people taking advantage of this service. It’s a great reward to yourself for all the work you put into the hike. It’s also great for families with small children, seniors and people who want to save time hiking in/out. • Also, they serve tea, cake or beer to the campers between 4 and 5pm. It was very warm and cozy there with some refreshments. It’s a nice treat especially in cold weather. • For more info, check http://assiniboinelodge.com • 4. The weather: • On day 1, we heard the weather is good at the shuttle bus reception for the coming week with all sunny days. On day 2, we heard it will be rainy for the next couple of days and indeed it was freezing with snow, hail and gust even in the mid August. The wind chill is not to be taken lightly when the weather takes a downturn. If you’re used to mountain weather, prepare your usual gear and bring your best fleece. If you’re flying in, prepare winter clothes even if you’re coming for a casual summer hike. The temperature gap could be 20-25C°

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