After spending three nights in the back country of Mount Robson Provincial Park, it was time to head back out. Unlike the hike-in which was done over two days, the return trek would be done in a day. Despite the 22 kilometer distance being mostly downhill, with the steepest declines over the Valley of a Thousand Falls, we fully expected a strenuous hike back. You can cover a lot of distance in a short period of time, but descending with a heavy backpack can be especially hard on the knees. However, we had plenty of time and made frequent stops along the route.

Click here for an outline of our Rocky Mountain adventure

Unlike the mixed weather we had on the way in, picture perfect conditions prevailed on the hike out. If anything, it was a little bit too warm and sunny on some long stretches without any shade. We retraced our initial route, starting at Rearguard camp and making our way past Berg Lake and into the steep valley. There were a few more hikers on the trail today (it was Canada Day long weekend, after all), most of them heading in to the park. After a brief stop and cool-down at Emperor Falls, we soon reached Whitehorn campsite where we had spent our first night on the trail.

At Kinney Lake camp, we ate the last of our food and had a good rest before taking on the remaining 7 km to the trailhead. I must admit that the last 3 km or so seemed to last forever; I was pretty much a walking zombie by the time we finally saw the trail entrance and parking lot, after a total of 9 hours hiking. There was a real sense of accomplishment knowing that we had survived the backpacking portion of our Canadian Rockies trip, trekking 70km over 4 days – surely everything else that followed would be easy by comparison!

Bidding farewell to our campsite at Rearguard.

Mount Robson and the Berg and Mist Glaciers viewed from the trail.

One last look at Berg Lake.

Past Marmot campsite towards the valley.

Descending down the Valley of a Thousand Falls.

Taking a break in the cool mist at Emperor Falls.

Crossing a footbridge on the way down.

The valley floor within sight. Not much shade at all, but it was simply beautiful.

Arriving at Whitehorn camp site.

Pressing on – perhaps two thirds of the way there.

Traversing the flats to Kinney Lake in the distance.

Clearly Jeff still has the energy to leap over streams!

The Kinney Lake picnic area and viewpoint.

Crossing the Robson River near the trailhead. This is the home stretch!

Exhausted, but mission complete! Four days on the Berg Lake Trail has been an unforgettable experience.

The Mount Robson Mountain River Lodge, a B&B where we stayed that night. After four days in the backcountry, this was a real luxury.

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Location Map and Route