GDT Day 6 – Aug 9

I hadn’t heard the end of the girls’ discussions for their plans for today but it made sense that they wanted to get an early start (when I heard them getting up at 4:30am). 

They were ready to go at 6am and Ksanka and I were sad to see them leave. They would be climbing back up to the ridge, and continue to Barnaby Lake (14km). That section has two warnings about cliffs (one I think can be navigated easily on a new detour) and multiple climbs back to 2400m. 

Without views and given the effort of the day before, I thought the low trail that gets us to the same road would be the better option for Ksanka and I.

We left the peaceful lake at 7:30am and spent 3 hours descending. It’s obviously a horse trail and had a few signs for the lakes but about a third of it was thick brush and overgrowth. I was calling out to the bears a lot! (No bear poop at all though) Another trail section was open and had great views of the ridges.

At 10:30am we reached the second river ford that was previously described as waist deep but it was only knee deep. So an easy one to get through, refresh the feet, take a break. 

The first person of the day (and first person since Twin Lake beside the girls) we met at that river; he was out flagging the course for an ultra run. Later that day we looked up the course … yeah not one I would want to tackle, going up La Coulotte and more (100km and 200 miles! The Divide 200)

Shortly after that last ford we reached an end-of-forest-road parking area, with a few horse trailers and cars. The flagging guy had explained the roads and area to me, noting that this road would meet the road going up to Beaver Mines campground which should have plenty of return traffic on a Sunday. 

Nobody seemed to be around but I smelled smoking; I realized a couple was sitting in a Ford transit (kind of a half van). I asked if they were going down the road and they said only to the camp but their back didn’t have any seats or seatbelts, just cargo. 

I said not to worry and started walking. A few minutes later they pulled up and said if I didn’t mind the no-seat area, they would take me to the junction (left down to the highway, right to the campground). 

That’s how I met Kathleen and Michael, very lovely people. We had a good chat; Ksanka just rested 🙂

We said our goodbyes at the junction and I started walking down the rather wide gravel road. Quite a few cars passed (all trucks, many with campers, all Alberta) but no luck getting a ride. 

Then a white Ford Transit appeared … again … and Michael and Kathleen waved and offered a ride to the highway and further up to a junction where it turns to Pincher Creek. Trail angels!!

So we had another chat and I was dropped off in Beaver Mines. 

For about an hour I tried the road junction but no luck with hitching a ride. So I walked a km down the road to a store and gas station, hoping I could talk to people there. 

No luck for about an hour but then Betty-Jean and Sherah said they were going the Coleman way (most everybody else was going to Calgary) and were happy to take us along. 

At the back of the pub I retrieved my food resupply box (good thinking of Jody to put it somewhere I could access without help) and collected myself and belongings at the road. 

The traffic through Coleman is crazy and continuous but really too fast to stop anyone there. So I crossed the road to the gas station and asked a couple in a truck if they were going east towards Blairmore (I just had to get to the campground 7 min down the road but could not walk it with the heavy box and dog). 

They were happy to drop us off and Ksanka got some pets from the daughter sitting with us in the back. 

So, we made it to Lost Lemon campground! We didn’t have a reservation but tent space was available. Two German GDT hikers are already here (they didn’t do the ridge but went through Castle Mountain resort instead and then caught a ride).

It’s a busy, packed campground with the creek right next to it (= wet tents), the LOUD train right next to the creek, and cars coming and going (plus road traffic across the creek) but it also has nice owners, hot showers, outlets, running water and a bistro on site that has fries and soda 😁👍🏻

I showered, chatted, got organized, ate. My thighs are sore from the downhill and I think Ksanka had it for today too (very clingy and tired).

Decisions will be made soon, for now we just want to sleep. 

Happy trails!