Hard Pass
Last week I finished what fewer than 100 people have finished in recorded history...
“The reward of a thing well done is having done it.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Monkman Pass kicked my ass! But I live to tell the story...
On July 2-10, I joined an expedition team as a camera operator on an unbelievable trek through the Canadian Rockies from Tumbler Ridge to Prince George.
About The Monkman Pass
Excerpt from monkmanpassdocumentary.com:
“The Canadian Rockies are a legendary display of natural wonders. They span the entire border shared by the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. This vast mountain range is home to glaciers, alpine lakes, waterfalls, and various species of wildlife. They are also an ultimate resource for numerous outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, skiing, snowmobiling, and camping just to name a few.
Although the mountains are mapped with significant amounts of trails and roads there are very few prevalent routes that allow travelers to pass entirely through its natural ruggedness by vehicle.
One particular route now known as the Monkman Memorial Trail had been proposed as a viable means to transport goods from Northwestern Alberta to British Columbia back in the 1930's. Previous to that era the pass was also a known trading route for the aboriginals native to the area and used as a war path between feuding clans. Unfortunately, the route was never permanently established despite the efforts of Alex Monkman and many other settlers of the prairies who volunteered their time to construct the path. Over time mother nature has since reclaimed portions of the trail leaving very little to no trace of its existence.
To commemorate Alex Monkman’s vision and efforts a 67 km hiking trail has been established in place of the road. It remains to be a hidden gem and rivals trails found in the Jasper and Banff National Parks.
To further commemorate the trail, refresh its historical relevance and present a more intimate perspective of this natural wonder to the world, a small group of adventurers of diverse hiking experience will attempt to travel the trail in its entirety. They will be transporting a bag of grain like Monkman had done decades ago along with a roll of pulp paper, a container of crude oil, a letter from the mayor of Grande Prairie and a model T dinky car. The dinky car is to represent the real-life version that Alex Monkman used to help prove his proposed route through the pass was indeed a viable option. All commodities are intended to be delivered to the corresponding industry terminals in the city of Prince George and the letter to the mayor.
The first 25 km of the trail is well established and presents hikers of all ages and experience levels the opportunity to observe 10 waterfalls, a mountain summit, a suspension bridge, and an alpine lake. These divine elements of nature are connected by the pristine mountain headwaters of both the Murray and Monkman Rivers. There are recreational campsites located approximately 5-7 km apart along the trail to allow for an adequate amount of rest and replenishment.
Once the group of hikers reach the end of the marked trail at Monkman Lake they will have the opportunity to determine who has the ambition, stamina, and courage to hike the remaining 42 km of trail that’s mostly been reclaimed by mother nature. The end of the backcountry trail ends at a place that's known as Hobi’s Cabin. It played a significant role and served as a much-needed retreat for Monkman and the trailblazers. From there the remainder of the journey to Prince George can either be made by river boat or helicopter.
A hand cart to cross the nearby river at Hobi’s cabin was constructed in 2008 but its operational status is currently unknown. Without proper planning and precautions hikers could potentially find themselves stranded here.
Despite the natural beauty of the area the trail in its entirety offers a broad range of challenges that the group of hikers may encounter. Wildlife and insects can be quite formidable in the backcountry. Bears, wolves, moose, and cougars can all prove to be deadly threats and should never be underestimated. The trail has been temporarily closed a few times due to bear sightings and encounters. Weather conditions in the mountains can change quickly where all four seasons can be experienced in a short amount of time, causing floods, slides, blow downs and fires. All of which can be deadly forces of nature if not prepared for and handled properly when they occur. The trail is lush with diverse vegetation; it ranges from standard forest to rain forest, to subalpine and alpine type ecosystems. Some portions of the trail will be camouflaged by large ferns, dead fall, and devil’s club.
To this day, very few hikers have successfully completed the entire trail.”
The Hills That Kill
Day 1 - July 2, 2024
Ascent: 384 m
Descent: 210 m
Time: 5h 37m
Distance: 14.36 km
Average Pace: 2.4 km/h
Early in the morning (5:30 AM) I was met at Valleyview Municipal Airport by fixed wing pilot (and expedition Logistics Coordinator) Shawn Clarke, where he picked me up and flew me to the Adventure Aviation hangar in Grande Prairie where I was introduced to the rest of the hiking team.
Shawn drove us in a big rental van from Grande Prairie to the Monkman Memorial Trailhead near Tumbler Ridge, B.C., where the team had a quick meal before we started our epic 9-day journey.
This was my first ever hiking trip, and I was not prepared for what we were about to face. To haul my 80 lb. pack on my back, I borrowed some hiking poles from our trailblazer Phil Troyer - and within 3 days had snapped both of them in half. I borrowed a third pole from him, which I bent and warped, but it lasted until the end of the trip.
On day 1 I was convinced of my imminent death due to asphyxiation from my crushing backpack combined with the steep ascent and quick pace we were trekking along at.
Somewhere along this trail before our first (and only) suspension bridge river crossing, the trail had already claimed one of my two canisters of bear spray, as well as several litres of my own sweat.
By day’s end, we had managed to hike into Trot Camp, where we had our dinner, enjoyed a fire, set up our tents and crashed out until morning.
I was unable to sleep, and was awake every hour on the hour throughout the night. This would be a reoccurring theme, though it got better each passing day.
Day 1 was the only day that I shot only video, and have no still images from the trip.