Rockwall Trail Backpack: 26, 27 September 2016.
I was very pleasantly surprised to have two great companions on this one night/two day backpack on the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay Park on a Monday/Tuesday. As forecast, Monday turned out to be a great weather day but Tuesday started out wet and gloomy but gradually improved with afternoon sunshine. The larches were in prime condition.
We left Calgary in 2 cars and started up from the Paint Pots car park at 9.15am to reach the #10 Tumbling Creek campground around 1.30pm for a late lunch. Enroute, near Tumbling Falls, we spotted a smallish black bear on the far river bank. It completely ignored us, which was good.


Small black bear near Tumbling Falls in Kootenay National Park

With tents set up and food securely stored in the bear proof lockers, we then continued up to visit the larches in the Wolverine Pass area. They were in prime condition.


Near Wolverine Pass: Paul and John

Rockwall from near Wolverine Pass, Kootenay NP.

Paul and David near Wolverine Pass, Kootenay NP

After visiting Wolverine Pass in BC (with small camping site), we continued northwards for a few kilometers before returning to the tents which we reached around 5.30pm. As it was a fine evening, we sat around the picnic table talking until around 9.00pm, before retreating to our individual tents. I should mention that for simple logistics we each brought our own gear including tent, stove and food.
While it rained a fair bit overnight, it stopped just long enough for us to breakfast in the dry around 7.45am. But it restarted before we left the campsite with wet tents at 8.30am. The 7.1km walk over Tumbling Pass to an early lunch at Numa Creek campground was pleasant enough as the rain showers gradually stopped and the sun peeped through. Although the Numa creek trail remains closed because the bridge is out (now 3 years, is this the real reason?), the campground looked well used.


David on Rockwall trail near Tumbling Pass, Kootenay NP

We continued with the long ascent to Numa Pass for more excellent Larch views. Then down to the very scenic Floe Lake campsite in patchy sunshine at about 4.00pm.


David and John descend from Numa Pass to Floe Lake on a Rockwall backpack.

The 10.5km descent to the second car at Floe Lake car park seemed to last forever but we reached it at 7.30pm in daylight. One benefit from the major fire that swept this area about 10 years ago is that there are now some views from the trail as before it was strictly a walk in the woods.
We stopped for refreshments in Banff’s Tim Hortons (adjacent to Greyhound bus station), before reaching Calgary around 11.00pm. I really enjoyed the trip. Good company, views and trail conditions (some mud). The trail and bridges were in far better condition than my last visit in 2014, when it was very overgrown.  We passed 3 groups of 4 women backpackers and 2 individual men backpackers and one back bear. Approx stats: Monday: 20km +800m, 8hrs, Tuesday: 28km, +1100m, 11hrs. Pack weights: David 26lbs, John 38lbs, Paul 42lbs.  Thanks to John and Paul for joining C&S David.