From the shelter to the Iceline, life with Margaux.
I would like to acknowledge that this hike past through the ancestral and traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples. The Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina, Stoney (Ĩyãħé) Nakoda, Cree, Lheidli T’enneh, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc, Sinixt and Métis who have called the Rocky Mountains home since time immemorial. I acknowledge the many Indigenous Peoples in Canada whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations and I am grateful to be a visitor in these lands.
Laura and I had been going on a summer backpacking trip since our Floe Lake – Numa Pass trip in 2011. For 2022 we were planning on a doing a three day trip to hike the Iceline trail in Yoho NP. We had gone backing with both of our previous two dogs, Links and Volcano, but now with a new dog, Margaux, we were undecided if we could take Margaux with us. We had adopted Margaux in late May from the Cochrane and Area Humane Society. After being born at the Humane Society Margaux had been a pandemic return due to reactivity. In her time with us, thanks to private lessons at the Humane Society, Margaux had come a long way but we were unsure how she would react in a campground with other people and possibly other dogs and wildlife. I decided the only way to know if we could bring Margaux was to try a simple overnight backpacking trip and see how it went. I chose camping at Quaite Valley CG near Lac des Arc for our test trip. I felt that camping at Quaite Valley would make for a good test because while it is a backcountry campground it is only a 30 minutes walk up a rough road from the trailhead so I figured if things went completely sideways I could walk down the road back to the car in the dark if necessary.
To prepare for our trip I set up tent in the basement to allow Margaux time to get used to it. I bribed Margaux with treats to walk on and around the tent. After just a few hours I set up tent and put kibble inside. We are so lucky Margaux is food motivated. It did not take her long to go into the tent, enjoy the kibble and then lie down and relax.
Just two days after being introduced to the tent Margaux and I headed out to camp at Quaite Valley for the big test. Since it was such a short hike at just 30 minutes we did not even arrive at the trailhead until 7:30 pm.
The hike up to the campground was very easy. We had already hiked the trail numerous times on different day hikes. When we arrived there was a family of three, a mother and two kids, enjoying a fire in the provided fire pit.
After finding a campsite and setting up the tent we went back to hang out with the family by the fire since the purpose of the trip was to see how Margaux would react to people and the sights and sounds of backcountry camping. The family was great with Margaux. They talked to her and let her wander around and investigate. At about 9:30 pm we headed back to our tent but not before I had an unusual request for our new friends. I asked if they could walk past our tent in about 10 minutes talking loudly as a test for Margaux and her reactivity.
Shortly after we got settled in the tent the family came by our tent talking loudly as I had asked. While Margaux was alert she never reacted to their presence. I felt that this was a very significant test for Margaux and she passed it with flying colours.
It did take Margaux a little while to settle in the tent. Finally she was curled up tight on her mat sound asleep. At some point during the night I put a fleece jacket on Margaux that I use a doggie blanket when camping.
I was shocked at how loud the birds where all night. In my time backpacking I could not remember noticing the birds during the night as much as I did on this night.
We had a fantastic night but daylight arrived quickly with the early morning summer sun. We were up early at 6:00 am since I had to be ready to work by 8:30 am teaching online summer school. With the trailhead so close and a short drive back home I had decided to simplify my trip by skipping my and coffee. I fed Margaux and while she ate I packed up the tent. No one was up in the campground when we left so we did not get a chance to say goodbye to the nice family. It was a quick fast trip back to the car.
The trip was an amazing success. Margaux proved that she could handle being in a campground and sleeping in a tent. This little trip gave us the confidence to plan our summer backpacking trip with Margaux accompanying us. It had only been seven weeks since we had brought Margaux home. We could not believe the progress Margaux had made. When we first brought her home it was challenging just to take her for a walk in the neighbourhood. After four private lessons and lots of hard work at home we were now ready to head to Yoho NP and hike some of the most spectacular scenery in the Canadian Rockies.
Leading up to our hike we did prepare Margaux for wearing a backpack. We first tried the backpack on in the house before trying it out on a day hike. Margaux settled nicely into wearing the backpack. I was told a dog could carry up to 10% of their body weight, which for Margaux would be about 6.5 lbs or 3 kg. We had Margaux carry her food, pooh bags and pooh (inside a double ziploc) on the trip so no where close to the 10% maximum.
With Margaux all set for our trip we were ready to plan meals and pack. Our trip this year would be a three trip in Yoho NP. Our plan was to camp at Yoho Lake and Little Yoho campgrounds with the hike along the Iceline Trail as the centre piece of the trip. This would be my third trip on the Iceline in Yoho NP in three years with a fourth trip coming up just a few weeks after when I hiked Section D of the Great Divide Trail. Hiking the same the trail with different people makes for a new and refreshing experience.
What we learned:
- Wine and chocolate pairs nicely with an alpine lake
- Short distances make for a thoroughly enjoyable trip
- first night it is good to bring precooked food from home for a delicious dinner
- Backcountry camp chairs are a must on shorter trips
Day 1 Takakkaw Falls TH to Yoho Lake CG