Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, located in the Canadian Rockies, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Mount Assiniboine, located on the Great Divide, is the highest peak in the Southern Range at 11,870 feet with a striking resemblance to the Swiss Matterhorn.  It is surrounded by glacier peaks, alpine meadows, and turquoise lakes in remote wilderness. Because there is no road access to the area, it has maintained its pristine condition and is experienced only by the adventurous! With the hike into Mount Assiniboine from Sunshine Village being considered one of the top 10 hikes in the world, it has been luring our family for some time.   With a helicopter option and multiple lodging choices, enjoying this special area has become much easier.

September 2016-

Mount Assiniboine is certainly a road less traveled experience! Unfortunately, the word has begun to spread about this secret place and reservations are now required almost a year in advance for the Mount Assiniboine Lodge which offers luxury “off grid”. Keeping in mind the remote location, luxury is a relative term. If you are looking for a warm bed, gourmet cooked meals, a shower and sauna and don’t mind using an outhouse and having no electricity, you obtain a breathtaking view from the front porch that seems like you are a million miles away. The 12-minute helicopter flight into this location makes it easily accessible to outdoor enthusiasts. Because all provisions are flown in to keep the accommodations running, there is a hefty price for the all-inclusive rooms and cabins.

Because we waited too long to check on accommodations, the Lodge was completely booked for the summer. The lesser-priced Naiset huts were next on my inquiry list. These “one room” log huts come with bunk beds and foam mattresses and wood burning stoves. A warm cooking shelter complete with propane stoves and cooking dishes is centrally located so you can easily cook your own meals. There are multiple outhouses located nearby. Unfortunately, the huts were booked as well.

So our last option was the budget backcountry campground, which was located about a 40-minute hike from the Lodge. There are no reservations required for the first come first served campground and since we were arriving in early September after school started, we knew that we could find a campsite. From a backcountry perspective, this campground is considered “luxury” with nice private tent pads, a covered cooking shelter, food storage lockers, real outhouses and a grey water pit.

With our lodging choice established, I made a reservation to fly the helicopter from Canmore Alpine Heliport to Mount Assiniboine, while my husband and son planned to backpack 17 miles from Sunshine Village to meet me at the Lodge. So they could hike at a faster pace with lighter packs, I decided to bring some of their gear with me. After arriving at the heliport, I was informed that their gear really should have been taken to the Mt. Shark heliport, which was over an hour away. Thankfully, they got the extra gear to Mount Assiniboine on a later flight. As a camper, you are responsible to transport your entire luggage to the campground yourself. Because I was solo and had too many large bags, the workers were kind enough to make an exception to help me transport the extra gear. Multiple smaller bags would have been much easier. I paid extra for the luggage that exceeded my 40lb limit. But we all thought it was worth the price!  Unfortunately, the Lodge does not allow campers to hang out inside. They did allow me to wait on the front porch but as the weather turned cold and rainy, it seemed like a long afternoon until  the rest of my family arrived. It took them about nine hours to hike to the Lodge.

One of the biggest perks of utilizing the campground or the Naiset huts is the opportunity to enjoy teatime at the Lodge every afternoon from 4:00-5:00 pm for a small fee.  I was grateful to come inside to the dining area, enjoy a wood-burning stove, sip hot tea and eat yummy cakes for the entire hour! Because the weather was mostly raining, sleeting, snowing or hailing for 4 straight days, we anxiously awaited the opportunity for teatime every day! There are no fires allowed at the campground, so this was our only chance to get warm and dry. Campers and those staying in the huts are also allowed to take a shower at the Lodge in the evening for a fee. But once I realized how long the hike was from the campground, I gave up the shower option.

We enjoyed hiking in the area, especially as a way to keep warm. The first day we hiked a series of lakes near the campground: Elizabeth, Cerulean and Sunburst lakes. The second day we decided to try and hike to the Nub. Due to the 1200-foot elevation gain, the hike up the well-marked trail took about two hours. We began hiking in rain, which quickly turned to snow. But as we reached the Nublet, the first overview, the weather improved and the clouds begin to lift. The views were outstanding of four turquoise lakes and Mount Assiniboine. I decided to rest and enjoy the view from the Nublet, while my son opted to climb further up to Nub Peak. However, with slippery trails and incoming clouds obstructing the view, he quickly turned around. We were so grateful for the views we did get!

We returned early back to the campground to enjoy some additional breaks in the weather and to take in the views of Lake Magog.On day three, we headed towards Wonder Pass, which is also considered one of the crown jewel hikes of the area. Starting in snow while passing the huts, it took about an hour to hike to the bottom of Wonder Pass through meadows and a subalpine forest. With bridges for crossing streams, and lovely views of Gog Lake and Wonder Falls, the hike was most enjoyable. After some steep switchbacks, we made it to the top of Wonder Pass. Unfortunately due to sleeting and cloudy conditions the long distance views were limited. With more bad weather coming in, we decided to retreat and hope for a clearer day the following day.   Thankfully, we woke the next morning to crystal clear blue skies, and we were amazed at the full views of the mountain ranges, including Mount Assiniboine, surrounding us at the campground.   With this being our last day, we quickly packed up camp, dropped our backpacks off at the Lodge and hiked back to Wonder Pass. We had a few hours before our helicopter flight was scheduled to return us to Canmore.   This time the long distance views did not disappoint and I able to experience premier backcountry hiking! It literally took my breath away.

We returned just in time for our helicopter flight out.   My husband and son joined me on this flight and enjoyed the expansive views as we flew over the range! If I returned to Mount Assiniboine, I would plan far enough in advance to book either a Naiset hut or a cabin to enjoy a little more luxury and less exposure to the weather.   I think it would be worth the extra money to enjoy this road less traveled.