As the final weekend of September approached and the trip grew near, a couple of things caused me to doubt the viability of the whole thing. This led to a lot of red tape, including a day pass quota system in addition to the existing overnight permit requirement. First and foremost, the trail needs to be booked online here. It wasn’t very long before we arrived at the beautiful Kinney Lake, though there was still a ways to go to the campground. Hargreaves Lake Route (1/2 day): From Marmot campsite near Berg Lake, this route climbs to Hargreaves Lake and Glacier. Interact: var addthis_pub="usra";Share | Discuss on Facebook | Subscribe, , Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of. On the way back I had a chat with this friendly grouse. But I was determined to stick to the plan and make it to Berg so that we could sleep in the next day and have a leisurely hike out. Sadly the good lighting didn’t last long as clouds moved in. Berg Lake campsite is 21 km from the trailhead parking lot. Beautiful Berg Lake at sunrise. So I snapped that up immediately and knew then that I would be making a return trip to the Rockies in a few weeks. Mist Glacier is the first glacier that appears at eye-line when backpacking Berg Lake. So I made the reservation, and a few days later we found ourselves at the Mount Robson Visitor Centre, complete with a somewhat more favorable weather forecast. Photo by Pamela Roth Located in Mount Robson Provincial Park along the eastern edge of B.C., the Berg Lake Trail is … First, the weather looked absolutely terrible. The slopes of Mount Robson on the final approach to Berg Lake. Because of its impressive stature, it intercepts more moisture from passing air masses, resulting in a nearly permanent cloud cap and very high precipitation. Built in the 1920’s, people are not allowed to sleep in the shelter but with a wood fireplace inside, it makes a great place to relax and cook meals. Thankfully, I didn’t have to find out – with barely enough signal outside of Jasper I checked the permit site one more time, and to my great surprise I found one single tent spot available at Berg Lake, on a weekend no less. The trail then ascends a boulder field to Iceberg Lake next to Rainbow Mountain offering … The Berg Glacier spilling into the lake After a bit of time, we arrived at the Berg Lake site with its renowned Hargreaves Shelter. The trail ahead follows the flow of the Robson River upstream as it flows directly from the west. Known for its glacier, floating icebergs, and bright bluish-green water, the lake is a popular destination for hikers. This butterfly decided to hang out as we were packing up. Sitting on the south edge of Berg Lake and having amazing views of Mt Robson, Mist Glacier and Berg Glacier, this campground is a favorite amongst hikers on the trail. The backdrop, should you be lucky enough to see it, as it’s often shrouded in mist or cloud, is Mount Robson,the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockiesrising 3,000 metres above the valley floor. ), you’ll want to put in directions to Ptarmigan Tunnel trailhead. The photo above showing majestic Mount Robson and Berg Glacier was taken on a hiking trip to Mount Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The rain started again just after I left the campsite. The waves lap kindly and softly at my feet. The map called it the “Valley of a Thousand Falls,” which sounded familiar for some reason. Hiking the berg lake trail around Mount Robson Glacier, in British Columbia Canada. It begins in a red cedar rain forest, then climbs past a series of lakes and waterfalls, circling around the west side of the mountain to Berg Lake on its north side. Hiking near Berg Lake and Mount Robson. Travel Guides series DVD Blu-ray GLACIER: THE HIKER'S NATIONAL PARK. We went back and forth like this before I asked the real question troubling my alpine-addled mind: “Is the natural state of the soul quiet or chaos?” “Neither,” said the wise mountain chicken, “it’s transient, shifting like water.” I left it at that, and brepped farewell before continuing on my way. The hike. (And that’s why it’s called Berg Lake!) Fed by the massive Mist, Berg and Robson glaciers, visitors often see huge sections of ice break off or “calve” into the blue/green, silt-laden waters of Berg Lake. Second, my partner, Jessica, had severely injured her foot earlier in the summer and it was not healing quickly enough for her to make it the 20+ km to the lake. Berg Lake is a lake on the Robson River just below the river's source located within Mount Robson Provincial Park, at the doorstep of the north face of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. A bit of rain started to fall at Kinney Lake. From the moment I heard about this special mountain Shangri La I knew I had to visit. In this segment we hike to Ice Berg Lake. Yet I found Berg Lake on my mind even as I was finishing up an epic trip to Banff and Jasper (which will end up in a report eventually!). It was only a matter of feet before we caught our first glimpse of the Mist Glacier that clings to the western facing wall of Mount Robson. After a nice 45 minutes of lounging by the lake it was time to leave since I didn’t feel like navigating the chaotic trail detour in the dark. This is the largest and most popular campground on the Berg Lake Trail, with the historic Hargreaves Shelter available for day use. All told it was less than 6 hours of hiking round trip from there, which was better than I had hoped. Again, this was a good idea in theory but was immediately called into question in practice, as the trail markers led me on a confusing detour around a broken bridge. We started up the Berg Lake Trailhead, but didn’t have enough time to reach Berg Glacier. Finally, the lake appeared in my view and soon I was at the shore. From the moment I heard about this special mountain Shangri La I knew I had to visit. The Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park is one of the world's most dramatic alpine routes. “There’s this place called Valley of a Thousand Falls up in Canada; you should definitely check it out sometime man” or something to that effect. Berg Lake: a place of blue waters, roaring waterfalls, and glaciers reaching down from jagged peaks all the way to the water’s edge. Crossing the Robson River one last time on a make-shift bridge from BC Parks. I woke up quite late the next morning with a bit of soreness, but the 7 km left to the car didn’t seem all that daunting. Download this Mount Robson Provincial Park Berg Lake Glacier British Columbia Canada photo now. Mount Robson is so big that it makes its own micro-climate, a good thing if you’re keen to hike by mid-June as it’… It was time to scarf down a quick lunch and bid Jess adieu for the day – I had a big hike to complete and not a lot of time to do it. The trouble was, so did everyone else last summer. I had much to reflect on as the trip came to a close. Robson at 12,972 feet is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies (though not in all of Canada). All reviews miles round trip bug repellent long hike surrounding mountains mile hike bear scat amazing hike hiking poles glacier np black beans lake grizzly trail scenery shoes sunscreen snow feet elevation pit incline waterfall. google_ad_width = 200; I sit now at the shore of the lake, directly across from Berg Glacier. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Berg Lake photos available for quick and easy download. google_ad_client = "pub-1182166660032404"; But I am very glad and very fortunate that I got to see it, one way or another. Marmot Campground is a great home base for many day hikes as it is only roughly 4km from the infamous day trips like Snowbirds Pass , Hargreaves Lake , and Mumm Basin . So I had unwittingly stumbled upon one of this dude’s recommended spots, which I thought was pretty cool. Make memories that will last a lifetime with the “Berg Lake Drop” heli-tour! The Berg Glacier is on the shaded north side of Mount Robson, which protects it from the heat of the sun. Berg Lake is situated 3½ km northwest of Berg Glacier. If you’re using Google Maps (first, read this post on how to download offline maps and find other helpful road trip planner tools! A young couple thought they would be able to get a walk-on reservation. It’s certainly worth the very short side trip: The sun came out right as I arrived at the falls. Though it’s way nicer to take your time and enjoy the scenery! Seen here is the Berg Glacier, which calves small icebergs into Berg Lake. It begins in a red cedar rain forest, then climbs past a series of lakes and waterfalls, circling around the west side of the mountain to Berg Lake on its north side. If the situation had been more ideal I would’ve much preferred to spend at least one night there, if not more. A reminder of my favorite mountaineering quote from Gerry Roach: “Geologic time includes now.”. If you’re looking for big, bold Rocky Mountain scenery – the kind that takes your breath away then you’ll find it on the Berg Lake trail. Full of beautiful. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images I had made it to the lake under budget and ahead of schedule in a cool 3 hours of hiking from Kinney. Eventually I came to the junction with a trail to Emperor Falls. The crown jewel in Mount Robson Provincial Park is Berg Lake itself, a turquoise-blue glacier lake where you can relax on the large lakeshore in solitude and even hear the Berg Glacier calving into the lake from your nearby tent. The soothing blue waters of the Robson River calmed my worries about running out of daylight on my hike. google_ad_height = 200; The trailhead is behind the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn in the Many Robson River framed by the wonderful fall colors. I was happy to have time for a real meal before the sun set, then it was off to a well-deserved rest. “Brep” was the reply. The gentle wind is constantly whispering up the valley. google_ad_slot = "7812802037"; The parks employee at the trail registration desk told them no – with it being the long weekend and blue skies in the forecast – there was no chance and she sent them elsewhere. Another of the Thousand Falls. This area offers outstanding views of Berg Lake, named for the icebergs commonly seen floating in the gorgeous blue water after having broken off from the Berg Glacier. I wondered briefly if I should join… But Berg Lake was calling and I had to answer. Waiting for the visitor center to issue permits was like watching glaciers move, so I took some photos of the nice scenery to pass the time. Photo about person, female, rock, male, adventure, beautiful, hike - 126836814 Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Tunnel share the same trailhead. Berg Lake with glacier Mt Robson Provincial Park British Columbia Canada. I had really struck gold with the campsite reservation. We would definitely recommend you to save up to three days for exploring Berg Lake and it’s surroundings. Berg Glacier runs down the northern face of Mount Robson — the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3,954 metres. “Brep?” I said to it. Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3954m (12,972ft), towers over Berg Lake. Jess could make the easy 7 km to that lake, which would still put me in a great position to get to Berg as a day trip. She had the enviable task of holding the fort back at camp, with plenty of time for drawing and relaxing. Photo: Olivier.pilot, Public domain. Several dramatic glaciers pour down its northern sides. None had filled up though, which was a bit surprising that late in the day. I was dejected at the imminent prospect of driving 6 hours for a solo trip in sketchy weather. Nicole S wrote a review Mar 2020. Full of beautiful. Our experienced pilots are knowledgeable about the Mt. Would we be potentially waking up to a foot of fresh snow at Berg? Not quite trail running, but I was intent on booking it up to the lake so I could have time to enjoy it without having to return in the dark. 2-4 days as a multi day Elevation Gain: 800 meters; Difficulty: Difficult because of length; Best Time To Go: July – September Parking: Kinney Lake Road The beginning of the Berg Lake trailhead is only a short drive away from the Mount Robson visitor center and just 87 km away from the town of Jasper.