I thought the day was very exciting. We walked down a path with some steams. Then we climbed a couple of hills and then a mountain. It made our feet hurt when we got here – our teeth look gross. Tomorrow we will be walking 6 hours. I hope my feet don’t look so dirty/gross. I hope we have a good time.

The end.

ALEX

Today we waited for hours for dad to come back because he drove the truck to the ending point and hitchhiked back. While waiting for him, me and Luke built an awesome fort out of a tree that had some branches sticking out, so we broke off the ones that were in the way, got the ones from the other end and built an awesome rainproof place! We hiked for about 3 hours today. I’m so excited about the SIX HOUR HIKE tomorrow (wink/groan) L. Today, every half hour we took a 5 minute break. It wasn’t so bad but Luke kept whining that his backpack was heavy so Dad ended up unloading a fourth of Luke’s bag into his. Even then Luke would whine. Tonight for supper we had yummy juicy steaks cooked over a fire and potatoes with one hardboiled egg. The steak was super good. We are at Cline River and I love the water color and hate the poop hole (it stinks) can’t wait until the hike is done.

Alex ©

CLAUDETTE

The kids and I waited almost 4 hours until Rick returned from dropping off the truck at the end of the trail. We started at 3:00 pm and hiked for about 3½ hours. I’m not too smart – I forgot my old runners and now my feet have blisters from my new shoes. Ugh! Can’t wait to get a good night’s sleep – it’s 9:30pm and I’m in bed already. Hopefully tomorrow is a great day!

RICK

Whew! Hitchhiking was rough! All total I walked about 20km. So we started pretty late but still did a good 3 hours. Great for the kids first time. Luke was quick to give up but he ain’t seen nothing yet. We lightened his pack a bit on the trail, and will redistribute the weight again Tuesday morning. Claudette did great on the trail but by 8:00 PM, at camp was pretty much dead. Alex did great along the trail and at camp. We’ll have to put more in her pack tomorrow. J

The Sat. phone worked fine, we checked in with Grandma Vi.

Supper was Great! One of the best steaks I’ve had in a long time. The trail mix we custom made up is also the best I’ve EVER had. Took a few pics and a bit of video. I’ll hafta save one battery for Sunset Pass. Met lots of people on the trail. The kids need lessons in conserving toilet paper.

2006-08-01

LUKE

I was cold last night. It was colder than an atomic ICE CUBE. !!!! There wasn’t a lot of hills. I dunked my head in the river. It rained a bit. I hope to do it again and again. THE END.

Alex

I had a horrible sleep last night. The ground was really bumpy, even though I had a sleeping mat! I kept waking up and going back to sleep. In the morning I found 2 really good climbing trees. We didn’t leave to start hiking until maybe 10 to 12. Turns out we only had a 4-hour hike instead of a 6-hour hike, but put on another hour trying to find a decent place to stay. We ended up staying in this place where the people who were riding the horses stayed. There is 3 fire pits, and a whole bunch of horse poop! There is only one place that a tent can go that doesn’t have horse poo! My ankles are super sore and are really bugging me. I can’t wait till the hike is done. I lost an earring today and I only have one left. Hoping tonight’s sleep is way better than last nights. We are still taking 5-minute breaks every half a hour but now we started this ask thing. We get one ask every half hour about how much longer til the break except we can build up our asks. At the end of the hike for every 5 asks we have we get a chocolate bar at the end of the trip. I currently have exactly 5 asks. I would have more but we only made this up 5 stops til camp. Luke, I think has 2 asks. He doesn’t manage them well or maybe it just slips from his mouth. I think he just can’t manage them well.

My mom made tea. It was black tea. Normally I like tea but this stuff was really strong! For supper we had tacos (yum JJJ) except only with the meat. I just have one more thing to say “I WISH WE WERE DOING THIS ON HORSEBACK!!

My ankles are so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so SORE!. Well, that’s all I have to say for now – bye J

CLAUDETTE

Today we had a slow start, I woke up at 9:00am but it was about 15-20 minutes before we all finally got up. I woke up with a headache but a couple of Tylenol did the trick.

I made bacon and eggs for breakfast and Rick and the kids said they were the best. We finally left camp at 12:30ish. The hiking was good even though I had a massive blister. Rick fixed it really well. Supper was really good – it’s amazing how good camp fire food tastes. Looking forward to a good nights sleep. It would be great to get to Pinto tomorrow but Rick doesn’t think so! I guess we’ll see.

RICK

Not a bad second day. We had a late (really late) start, but still did well. We are just about at a valley the other side of which is Minster Mountain, which has Pinto Lake on the other side of it.

The weather today was great for hiking. A couple of spurts of rain, but it never really opened up on us. We camped fairly early today. One more day like today should put us within a couple hours of Pinto Lake. Then we can spend a half-day there relaxing before a good long day (with much lighter packs) going up and over Sunset Pass.
Alex had a much tougher day today. Her pack will be about 4 meals lighter tomorrow. Luke did really well most of the day (with only a few whiny moments in the first hour or two). After all the complaining he did yesterday, (and I promised to lighten his pack) he still found some cool rocks and wanted to carry them out. How quickly kids forget the hardships on only the day before when he desperately cried out for a lighter pack.

We haven’t met anyone else on the trail since the Landslide Lake turnoff. On the first day we were passed by two groups of about a dozen Baptist camp teenagers. They were headed to Landslide Lake. We also met an early 20’s couple who spent two nights there fishing. Also, yesterday we met a family group of about 8 with a 60+year old man, and a 9 or 10-year-old boy. The boy had no pack…

All and all I’m pretty happy with how things are going. There are way more hardships on the trail than Alex or Luke ever expected. And we’re continuing right on through them, some awesome lessons before our around the world trip…

We stopped at a horse camp tonight with some nice benches around the fire pit, There are more mosquitoes here though. Still about 2 or 3% of how many we have at home in Fort Smith!

2006-08-02

LUKE

We did pretty good. We walked for 7 hrs, We have about 8 hr until we get to the truck. But I do have to admit I was whining most of the trip. Looking forward to the end of the trip. We had some hot chocolate and tomato noodles. My feet hurt so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much. This campsite has no horse poop unlike the last one. All and all I’m having a good trip – hope to do it again. © The end.

Alex

Today we got very far. I think we traveled about 7 hours. We almost made it to Pinto Lake but it started raining a bit and mom wanted to stop and set up the tent. I don’t think we left to start the trail until 10 to 12. My feet are so sore! I had 4 asks in the bank but now its 12 in the bank and one for tomorrow. Luke had 2 in the bank and now he has 8 in his bank and one for tomorrow. He by accident uses asks like they will go out of style in a month.

Tonight for supper we had lasagna and chowder. The lasagna was way too tomatoey. The chowder was great. It’s amazing how campfire cooked food tastes so good! We only have one more night I think. The hike to Pinto Lake which is about 2 hours. The camping over night, then get up early to finish the hike, a 2 hours and about an 8 hour hike. That’s really good. I can’t wait to finish the hike – I’m going to have a nice long shower. Can’t wait to collect my chocolate bars. The end J P.S. can’t wait to fall asleep either!

CLAUDETTE

It’s 10:05pm and I’m writing this by candlelight and Alex has to hold it. The day was long and hard, by the end of the day I could barely walk. The kids did great, so I couldn’t complain too much. We didn’t make it to the junction of Pinto Lake but tomorrow should be a short day of hiking. It’s been a great family trip so far. Looking forward to some R & R tomorrow.

RICK

Wow! A great long day today. Claudette and I took a lot more of the kids food and paid dearly for it with hamburger feet. We pushed hard today and did really well but still ended up a couple km short of the Sunset Pass “Y”. We should only be one hour (or two at the most) away though. Both kids did great today. A bit of whining in the first couple of hours each day and then they’re really energetic and positive for most of the remainder of the day.

Pete, on the other hand did not want to be out front at all today. J He also laid down and relaxed at more of the breaks instead of chasing squirrels.

On the first day we noticed (too late) that Alex’s shoes were completely coming apart. I sewed it with the camping sewing awl we bought and the shoes are standing up really well! That thing is AWESOME! Sure wish I had it on all my St John’s trips.

We met two choppers today that were stopped beside the river. A Japanese family was seated at a table having lunch enjoying the backcountry. They were pretty surprised to see us. I asked both pilots if they would take a couple digital pics of our family hiking from the air if they saw us over the next couple of days. I offered $20 then $40 but they just weren’t interested in even taking my e-mail address.

Mostly good weather today. A little cooler than the previous two. For the last couple hours it began to sputter more and more. It was fully raining as we set up camp and prepared supper, but stopped in time for us to eat.

2006-08-03

LUKE

The trip was GREAT. Alex had a funny dream. We are at Pinto Lake and the glacier is huge.

Alex

Today I had the worst sleep so far! The ground was really bumpy and there was a series of moving events. First Luke pushed me off my sleeping mat, then mom moved to beside dad and Luke but, mom, because Luke pushed me, I pushed her and she pushed her sleeping mat over and I ended up on the ground! I was too groggy to move. I had a weird dream.

We met some rangers with horses and talked a bit. The day was about 1 hour. Yum, we had mousse for dessert with bannock and some noodles. We just have to hike out tomorrow – hope I have better sleep tonight.

Alex J

CLAUDETTE

Again, it’s nearly 10pm and we are trying to get ready for bed. This was the 3^rd day that it rained on us in the evening. It’s beautiful now – Pinto Lake is calm and quiet. It should be a quiet night in comparison to the last 3 which were by the raging river. Pinto Lake campsite is just as I remember it. We didn’t go for a swim as it wasn’t a hot day. I guess that means we will just have to come back again. It’s been a great family vacation. We should do something similar next year. I’d like to say up North but no bugs is great! I’m looking forward to the shower!!!

RICK

We woke up (nice and late) to a stunningly hot sun this morning. In our haste to camp the night before, our tent site had lots of bumps and dips. Pinto Lake is still a strikingly beautiful sight. I hope that the brief video I shot can capture a portion of that beauty.

Every night we say we’re going to go to bed early, and yet her I am writing at 10:00pm again…

Tomorrow we are actually setting the alarm because we need to get an early start on Sunset Pass. We also need to do way better than our three to three and a half hour “break camp” times. We’re shooting for a 2-hour one tomorrow. J

We met an older Banff Warden and a younger Nordegg F & W Office on horseback ½ km before Pinto Lake. They seemed pleased to see a family enjoying the backcountry. Luke and I scouted the Pass trail tonight to make sure we don’t have to bushwhack again. (Oops!)

2006-08-04

LUKE

Today we walked 10 hours (Holy Cow). I also never want to see snow in August again. It was a good trip !! JJJ!!

The end

Alex

Ugh, today we went over Sunset Pass. It was freezing and there was lots of snow! I was freezing! My hands were red! I felt so good when the trip was done. I can’t wait to have a nice long warm shower. Now it is the 5^th and we are sitting around watching the video and looking at the pics. That was a great experience. I hope to maybe do it with my kids.

Alex J

CLAUDETTE

Well the last day is done. The climbing in the rain and sleet certainly added new challenges to the trip. The climb up the hill wasn’t bad until we had to walk through the pucky brush which was so wet!!! & cold…

The meadows were not as long as I remember but I also knew what to expect this time.

The games we played also passed the time by really fast for the kids & I. No time to stop as we had to keep moving to keep warm. Halfway down the trail we took a little detour, I tried to mutiny a couple of times but I had faith in my husband however, you will have to ask him about the rest of the story. The rest of the hike down the mountain was really slow, as all of us were sore in one or more places. (Blisters, ankles, knees, hips, etc).

It was a great feeling finishing up and changing into some dry clothes and cranking up the heat in the truck. (Wow! In August). I may be talked into this trip again in a few years, but here are some tips in case I forget.

1 Don’t wear new shoes.

2. Follow tip #1.

To sum up the whole family vacation, it was great, the kids did fantastic and my hubby took good care of all of us.

The End!

RICK

Today, we got going a little faster in the morning which was nice. This was the first time that we actually set the alarm clock. We all had oatmeal for a quick breakfast. It rained most of the night, but the tent held up incredibly well. It let up here and there a little bit in the morning but we still had to pack up a completely soaked (and very heavy) tent. A light thundershower started up over us as we hit the trail. Our spirits were pretty good (even in the rain) for awhile, but it turned colder as we got higher up.

After about two hours of climbing the Pass, we reached where the snow was in the bushes. Instead of raining on us, it was now “sleeting” Brrrr! We carried on, even as all of our hands were quite cold. Luke could pull his wool sweater sleeves down to cover his hands. Alex’s hands were bare until we got out of the pucky brush and I gave her my dry wool socks as mitts. It let up raining near the top of Sunset Pass a bit. Enough that I could dig the camera out of my pack and take some pictures. The Cline River Valley and Pinto Lake were all shrouded in clouds. I had always planned on taking some awesome pics of the family at the summit. I was just too cold though and we had to keep moving. Going through the meadows at the top it started raining more heavily again, so the camera was put away again. The meadows took forever and continued to keep us soaked with the wet brush.

Right before the switchbacks down started, Rick took an alternate sightseeing path. It led up to a totally different meadow, small lake and trails. After almost an hour of this Claudette rather forcefully insisted that we go back to where she thought the trail branched off. Luckily (VERY luckily) for us she was, indeed right, and we started the 2000 vertical foot descent to the parking lot and our waiting truck. The last two plus hours going down was mostly raining still and all of us were slow and sore. Luke sobbed and cried most of the way down, right up to the walking across the parking lot to the truck.

We all changed into dry clothes. As badly off as we all were, I’m still pretty sure that Pete was the happiest to see the truck.

We planned on driving to Hinton and getting a hotel (and a bath!) there, but not a single room available. Since we had to go to Edson, we just continued on through to Edmonton. We arrived at Grandma Vi’s at 2:00am and quickly crashed. The next day involved all of us limping around bandaging up foot wounds, and airing out all of our wet gear.

All in all, AN AWESOME TRIP!