As we just finished our canoeing trip on the Bowron Lakes Circuit we drove all the way up to Prince George, BC. Having the chance to wash all our clothes, give our bodies a well-deserved rest and gear up on groceries we soon felt the urge to head out again. We did a lot of research for our next destination: A service cabin at Kakwa Lake in Kakwa Wildlands Park / Provincial Park and Protected Area. Only 650 square kilometers in size with no road access, we knew it was supposed to be a very remote and hard place to get to. The park contains Mount Ida and Mount Sir Alexander, the two northernmost 3000 meter peaks in the Rockies. The latter is named after Alexander Mackenzie, who was the first person to cross North America, in 1793. The park straddles the Continental Divide, separating the drainage basins of the continent. On the one hand you have streams flowing toward the Gulf of California and the Pacific, on the other hand those flowing toward Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean.
To get there, we drove about 135km east of Prince George on Highway 16. We then turned north onto the Walker Forest Service Road, which would eventually turn into an old – and becoming overgrown – tote (mining) road that traverses the park from the McGregor River area. Due to rather adventurous road conditions with washouts and erosion along the way it took us about 4 hours to drive the entire 73km from Highway 16 to get close to the Bastille Creek bridge; the point where it gets impossible to continue by car and where we planned to switch to mountainbikes for the remaining 29km. As darkness started to set in and a mudslide was blocking our path we decided to set up camp even earlier (approximately 2km before Bastille Creek).
We prepared our bikes and panniers early the next morning, hoping to reach Kakwa Lake by dusk. As Kakwa is a Cree word for porcupine and porcupines can indeed be a problem in this area, we wrapped chicken wire around the vehicles to keep the critters away. After crossing Bastille Creek bridge we followed the trail close to the river for most of the way to Buchanan Creek. The McGregor River is very active along the first section, frequently cutting new channels and washing out sections of the old road. As a result new bypasses occur frequently and made numerous stream crossings necessary. We also encountered ankle deep mud and needed to push through many parts of this section which was especially hard with the trailers attached to our bikes. As if this wasn’t enough we were accompanied by large swarms of black and horse flies, so whenever we stopped for a rest we were literally eaten alive. But we didn’t let that dampen our enthusiasm.
We knew that the first 12km were supposed to be the worst section of trail on the way to Kakwa Lake. We eventually reached Buchanan Creek as a major creek crossing at 12km. The water here was thigh deep, so we played it safely and carried each backpack and pannier separately. A short time after the crossing a long and gradual climb began up to Wishaw lake (at 24km). During this section bushes were growing into the trail, making visibility difficult. We knew the trail was a major corridor for bears and other animals, so we used extra caution in areas where bushes resulted in poor visibility. The climb itself was taxing and the exhaustion set in, making it seem impossible to reach Kakwa Lake on the same day. It was almost nightfall when we decided to set up camp safely on the trail, still managing to get water and wood, start a fire and prepare food.
The next morning we woke up early to complete the final section to Kakwa Lake. The trail continued with a gradual climb to Wishaw Lake, where remains of the former mining operations in the park can be seen. Some sections of the trail were quite overgrown again, so we needed to make plenty of noise to avoid surprising any bears. After two more hours we arrived at Kakwa Lake. I must admid when I saw the lake for the first time it brought a big smile to my face. We couldn’t believe our eyes how beautiful and wild it was! We spent the rest of the day sitting on the dock right beneath the cabin, swimming in the crystal clear water, absorbing the views and just feeling free of any concerns in the world. What a rewarding experience. There were simply no other signs of human disturbance.
In 2007 two log cabins were built next to the lake. One is for the Park Wardens or Park Hosts who tend to the area. The other (service cabin) is for visitors and is first come first serve. The service cabin has four bunks and a loft that could sleep another four. There was a wood stove, table and counter space. We spent the evening chopping wood, preparing food, looking into hiking opportunities for the next day and generally being happy about what we’ve achieved.
While there are no marked hiking trails within the park, there are still many ways to explore the backcountry of Kakwa. It certainly adds a sense of adventure when most destinations require route finding skills. We relied on an excellent trail/route guide for this area written by John Vogt who has been to the Kakwa many times and is a wealth of information (http://www.kakwa.jjv.ca/).
Our plan was to go on a loop hike up and over Mount Ian Monroe and around to Babette Lake. The direct approach up Ian Monroe from Kakwa Lake involved a bit of bushwhacking through sections that were pretty steep, but the views from the top over Kakwa Lake in the east and Mount Sir Alexander in the west sure were worth the effort! From there the descent down towards Babette Lake was steep in some parts, but we were rewarded with wonderful meadows. On our final kilometers, a big thunderstorm suddenly rolled into the area, leaving us soaked and refreshed.
Returning back to the cabin we met the camp hosts for this season, Bev and Bill, who were a lovely couple from Vancouver with a great passion for nature. Together with them, we ate dinner in a cozy warm cabin. They were very kind and shared plenty of interesting stories of the area. That evening we looked into plant, bird, and butterfly identification, hoping to identify and learn more about the creatures we saw and photographed on the trip.
The ride back down was fun and rewarding until we reached the river crossing at Buchanan Creek, where we had to push our bikes through muddy and washed out parts once again. Eager to escape the black and horse flies, we made it back to our cars and on Highway 16 by nightfall.
In the end we could have easily spent weeks in Kakwa as we barely scratched the surface of the wonders to experience there. There are many other day hikes in the area, including the emerald green Lac La Glace +/- the steep route up to the glacier above it. Also, Corniche Pass to the north of Babette looked spectacular. Jarvis Lakes is probably a bit far for a daytrip but there is a cabin there as well. For keen explorers, Kakwa is really one of those special areas it’s hard to believe still exist. When doing research on the approach it has been said that the Kakwa is like what Jasper or Banff must have been like 100 years ago. It’s remote, under-discovered by summer visitors, and gets under the skin of those who are fortunate to experience its wonders.