Hiking the Rockwall. 5 days. Not rushing, soaking it in.

In late August, feeling the last weeks of summer sneaking up on us, we set out on a long-awaited hike – the Rockwall, a 55 kilometer journey over 5 days. We didn’t know how it would work out – a fair bit of rain was in the forecast starting on day one. Both Billy and I were feeling a bit dejected while driving from Canmore to Kootenay National Park. Watching the low clouds in the valley, we wondered if the weather would be different once our altitude went above the clouds. After weighing the odds, we decided to follow through with the hike and planned to get most of our hiking done before the storms rolled in at the predictable 3-5PM window each day.

Days of preparation beforehand, our bags were full and we felt ready for this hike.

We prepared most of our food for the next five days ourselves using our dehydrator. We had in our packs:

• Chili Pasta
• Stir Fry with Broccoli and Shrimp
• Creamy Red Lentils and Rice
• Ramen Noodles with Shitake Mushrooms and Chinese Sausage
• PLUS SNACKS

I also bought myself a new Gortex “Patagucci” (as my witty friend calls Patagonia) rain jacket in order to be prepared for the rain. We also had new backpack covers from Billy’s sister.

According to “Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies” by Kathy and Craig Copeland, this is a challenging hike with some technical trails with some steep ascents and descents. From their advice, we decided to start our hike at Floe Lake. By starting at Floe, we would do a lot of our ascent on this first day and then gradually work our way down in altitude. For us, this meant getting a challenging day done on fresh legs instead of finishing with the biggest climb.

Billy dropped me and our bags off at Floe Lake and he drove back 12km down the highway to drop our car off at our end destination of Helmet Falls parking lot. He hitched a ride with a lovely psychologist who was driving home to Vancouver after visiting her partner in Alaska. Sending another big thank you out in the universe to her! There really are so many nice people out there.

Floe Lake

The hike up to Floe Lake was pretty fun. I greatly enjoyed the views and I felt the trail was well traveled and not too rooty and rocky. It went by quite fast, even with a nice lunch stop at the creek with sandwich wraps we brought with us for the first day.

We even saw a bear down in the valley! With all the wild berries around, we were very careful to make lots of noise for the bears so they knew we were coming and could avoid us. Once you arrive at Floe Lake, the first view of the Rockwall is imposing and impressive. The campground is quite spread out and the eating areas have nice views of the lake and the mountain range. Billy went for a swim at the lake after we set up our tent and we spent a while sitting by the water in the sun. The lake is gorgeous and the views are already awe-inspiring.

At night, we could sometimes hear the glaciers cracking and echoing off the mountain slabs. It was really cool.

Floe Lake to Numa Creek

The trail to Numa Creek from Floe Lake starts with a steep ascent of 300m. Once at the top, we were rewarded with a beautiful meadow to take in the view of Floe Lake from way up! We powered on to Numa Pass where there was a little scree ridge to climb. Billy ran up with with his poles and I decided to chill on the ridge and paint.

From there, we began our steep descent 800m towards Numa Creek campground. There were a lot of tinkling creeks, waterfalls, and fairy ponds. At one point, we were between two rivers which eventually merged at Numa Creek. The descent was a little tough on the feet but it was rewarding. The campground was a cozy little one and had a nice section to relax by the river.

From assessing our food packing, we decided to approach our eating with a good oatmeal breakfast, light lunch, and then supper #1 once we arrived at camp, then supper #2 after the rain. As if on cue, it started to rain around 4:30PM. We ran to the tent and relaxed.

Later, during supper #2, we saw a fire helicopter put out a fire (we suspect from a lightning strike to an old tree) over the valley and probably around 5km from our camp. Thank goodness for firefighters and tower watches patrolling the skies for wildfires.

Numa Creek to Tumbling Creek

Hiking out of Numa Creek towards Tumbling Creek began with a tough ascent that was very close to bush-wacking. I made the terrible mistake of wearing shorts that day and regretted it for the first part our our hike. All the trees and bushes were holding a lot of moisture from the rain and we were pretty wet by the time we made it out of that section.

Once the bushes opened up to a rock garden that we climbed with some long switchbacks. Eventually, we found ourselves at another beautiful meadow where we had a little lunch with a view. Onwards to Tumbling Glacier, a very impressive and huge glacier along with full a full rockwall to behold.

The descent was steep. Billy was quick and I got jello legs but it was all worth it once we got to Tumbling Creek campground. The river runs along the side with a nice rocky edge where we laid in the sunshine for a couple of hours, just enjoying the cold water and hot sun – epic.

O, Tumbling Creek, you were wonderful!

Tumbling Creek to Helmet Falls

Tumbling Creek to Helmet Falls was THE MOST EXCITING HIKING DAY! So much to see. Wow.

The day started with a short 300m ascent to head to Wolverine Plateau. This pass was amazing to hike in and it was so cool to see the Rockwall from the backside.

Rockwall Pass was truly epic. It’s really that cliché feeling of “I’m so small” walking next to this impervious mountain range. After the Rockwall Pass, we descended into a rock garden that was so cool and gave me a lot of inspiration for future pottery projects. Lots of rocks with unique patterns and colours – grey + white stripes, grey + shale marbling.

After this section we had our last big ascent of the hike to make our way to Helmet Falls campground. The decent was nice and we stumbled on a section that has SO MANY LITTLE BIRDS, flitting around and singing their songs. The rain clouds started to close in as we made in into camp. Our legs were tired but we managed to set up our tent before a huge rainstorm rolled in.

The rain slowed down after a couple hours and Billy had a good run up Good Sir Pass. Then it rained overnight… and continued into the morning.

Helmet Falls to Parking Lot

Helmet Falls to the Parking lot was a little bit of a slog through the forest. It doesn’t help that it was pouring rain for the entire 15 km hike out! But it happened on our last day instead of our first, so I’m thankful for that. There were some nice river sections that were beautiful to see. In our quick pack out in the rain, we lost Billy’s backpack rain cover (turned out to be in my bag, I felt bad). He was completely soaked and cold when we got to the car. Of course, he dealt with it like a champ. I was about 75% soaked and cold and went through several emotions on the hike out.

Amazing hike. In the end, I felt happy that I could do 5 days comfortably in body strength and mental patience for the challenge. I love how the campgrounds were spaced out about 10-12 km and 5 days felt like a really nice pace. Overall, I am happy I had about 3 years of backpacking summer camping experience before this hike. Felt prepared and calm. 10/10 would recommend experienced backpackers who are looking for a trip to unplug, hike, and be present.

It was also oddly familiar to my childhood in the village (but with less hand sanitizer and more family). We got our gardening on. Billy played guitar. I painted, read, and wrote. We road-tripped. We hiked. We focused on keeping healthy and our spirits up.

This is our beloved tree that shades our patio. I usually spend every evening reading or painting on the patio in the summer.

We made luxurious breakfasts – sometimes even on weekdays – since we are both working from home.

I babied our patio plants and it is lush out there. I think I’ve turned into one of those plant moms.

I ran three times per week. My connection with the neighbourhood is deeper; I wave to neighbours I see regularly on my route, I see repeat magpies. I marvel at the river valley in all its different weather conditions.

More childhood vibes – private BBQ parties at homes or at the lake. Bocci and yard game tournaments. Good friends who become like family. Driving on quiet rural highways, slow and easy.

Have you ever wondered who lived on the land of your hometown before your ancestors? I really started to wonder in earnest this summer. Four generations ago, my family were Norwegian homesteaders that came to the Alberta prairies, some even by covered wagon, from states such as Minnesota and North Dakota .

I thought, “this land was certainly not empty prior to their arrival, so why haven’t I learned any history of my village, county, or region before the settlers?” It’s barely, or not at all, mentioned in our community cookbooks, our local museum, or even in social studies throughout elementary and high school. I recall fur traders and the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Years ago, my buddy Chester, mentioned to me about an ancient, Indigenous ceremonial ground just outside of the village I grew up in. I gathered that he was describing the Viking Ribstones. I didn’t really follow up and truthfully, I wasn’t mature enough to pursue local history at that time.

Turns out, I made incorrect assumption. Surprise, surprise… as I’m sure you have found out (as I have the hard way) that assumptions don’t serve us in the slightest. Chester was right.

Fast forward to 2020, a year that is dedicated to learning and unlearning, questioning previous assumptions, and looking for answers and actions. I asked again, “Who was on the land before my ancestors?”

I reached out to an acquaintance from my hometown who pointed me in the direction of the Iron Creek Meteorite and Battle River Valley. It’s also known as the Manitou Stone, or papamihaw asiniy in Plains Cree, and is currently housed in the Royal Alberta Museum. I was also directed to a history book on the Battle River Valley and found out that is the ecological area of my hometown region.

The Manitou Asiniy is a meteorite; 320 lbs of almost pure iron that has been dated to be about 4.5 billion years old. It is a sacred stone to the Indigenous people of what is now Alberta and Saskatchewan, including more tribes than the Plains Cree and Blackfoot listed in my illustration. From a certain angle, it is said that the face of the creator can be seen in the stone. For generations upon generations, the Manitou Asiniy was located on Straw Stack Hill near Iron Creek until 1866. A Reverend named George MacDougall, a Protestant Methodist, removed the stone to relocate it to the Mission at Fort Victoria (about 100 km NE of Fort Edmonton) in hopes drawing more Indigenous people to the Mission if the stone was there. MacDougall was warned by the Indigenous that there would be dire consequences as result of the stones removal and yet it was still flagrantly taken. What this story shows me is a lack of respect and disregard for the wishes of the Indigenous peoples of the Battle River Valley.

I have more research to do about the following 100 years to find out how they were driven off the Battle River Valley. Significant events happened soon after the removal of the Manitou Stone starting with a devastating smallpox outbreak that killed approximately half of the Indigenous population of the area. Then, the death of the buffalo and resulting starvation of the tribes living in the valley. In 1876, after ten years of devastation to the Indigenous people, Treaty 6 was signed and the Battle River Valley was now under the colonial powers and reserves would soon be established.

I go deeper into the history and the land. To try and make sense of it all, I ended up drawing a not entirely accurate map of the Battle River Valley and then plotted the important Indigenous landmarks in the area. This includes the Ribstones, Manitou Asiniy, and Treaty Hill. To layer on a modern context, I included some of the primary highways and municipalities of the region.

“Treaty Hill” was a traditional meeting place for Indigenous people who lived in the area. It is a noted location in the Palliser Expedition and as frequent place of assembly for the Surcee tribe (who are now known as the Tsuu T’ina First Nation who reside near Calgary) and are thought to have left the area before the signing of Treaty 7. To add to my surprise, Treaty Hill is Hisliwaornis Kahkohtake in Plains Cree that translates to “flag hanging hill” or “flagstaff hill”. The name of the county I grew up in (and had no idea of the etymology of its name): Flagstaff County.

Many different tribes have lived in the Battle River Valley:

• Blackfoot
• Metis
• Plains Cree
• Surcee
• Stoney

It makes me dizzy contemplating the missed opportunities, the learning, the relationships that have been missed because this history hasn’t been embraced.

The Manitou Asiniy Gallery in the Royal Alberta Museum is currently closed due to COVID-19 precautions. The diorama is supposed to recreate the feeling of the land where the stone used to lie in the Battle River Valley, near the Iron Creek.

There have been discussions about returning the stone to the First Nations. For now, it is held at the Royal Alberta Museum until the tribes decide they would like to house the Manitou Stone elsewhere. It is complicated as Indigenous leaders agree the stone belongs to all First Nations, not just one, which why there has been no resolution of who or where it would be returned to.

What the Iron Creek region lost all those years ago because of the stone’s removal and, more importantly, the Indigenous people, is incalculable. I feel sorrow that this history is not widely known.

In terms of documenting history, how do white people move forward to act on Truth and Reconciliation? In this case, I would love to see us un-centre our homesteader history and focus on other perspectives – not just in cities but in our smaller communities too. I’m not saying ignore the homesteader experience; let’s also give other perspectives the same attention and consider how it’s all connected.

I seriously wonder, is it just me who didn’t know this? It all feels obvious to me now. It was relatively easy to track down information and to learn about it. Did I have my head in the sand, scared of what I would find? The only thing I can do is lean into the discomfort and continue researching.

Are you interested in discovering the Indigenous history in your hometown? I’d love to hear about your experience.

Research Sources

1. Canada’s Iron Creek Meteorite by C.E Spratt
2. Battle River Watershed Alliance website
3. Heritage Barns of Flagstaff website
   • Straw Stack Hill/Iron Creek Hill
   • Treaty Hill/Flagstaff Hill
4. Prairie People and Places: Stories from the West website
   • A Sacred Site: The Buffalo Ribstones by Viking
5. Spirit of the Stone by Wayne Arthurson
6. First Nations college calls for return of sacred meteorite from Alberta museum by Jen Gerson
7. For a look at the Manitou Asiniy Gallery
   • Focus on the Gallery: Manitou Asinîy, Royal Alberta Museum from Kubik, Museum Exhibit and Fabrication designers who worked on the new RAM.
8. The Battle River Valley by J.G MacGregor (book borrowed from the University of Alberta)

News Articles on the Repatriation of the Manitou Asinîy

1. Manitou Asinîy will be returned home, thanks to the efforts of Elders, leaders and funding from Alberta By Crystal St.Pierre, Windspeaker, October 14th, 2022.
2. Creator’s Stone meteorite to be returned to original site in Alberta By Sarah Chew, Cole Fortner, and Alejandro Melgar, CityNews Edmonton,  September 30, 2022.
3. Returning Indigenous artifacts from RAM important but complicated, experts say By Stephanie Swensrude, Taproot Edmonton, March 22, 2024.

We started with a ‘practice trip’ of a back-country overnight at Elk Island National Park. This worked out a lot of little things we missed in our packing list, introduced to a couple ‘worst-case’ scenarios like boggy trails, and we found out our homemade trail food is delicious. In hindsight, it was the toughest hike of the whole summer and everything seemed easy after that one overnight trip.

Our plan for Healy Pass was this:

• 3 friends (Hayley, Craig, and Kyle)
• 4 days, 3 nights in July
• 40.4 cumulative kilometers
• Total Elevation Gain 1803 m
• Total Elevation Loss 1826 m
• Camping list spreadsheets
  • One for Food
  • One for Gear (calculated on body weight percentage. Don’t go over 20%)
• Research
  • Don’t Waste Your Time in the Rocky Mountains by Kathy and Craig Copeland
  • The Backpacker’s Field Manual by Rick Curtis

Day 1: Vista Lake Trailhead

First, we met our friends at the Sunshine Ski Resort parking lot. We left one car there and drove to the Vista Lake Trailhead on Highway 93 together. That way, we could carpool together to pick up the other car at the end of our hike.

The trail was through the forest, with a bit of up and down, and we saw all sorts of wildflowers and new tree growth. We passed some creeks and two lakes (Vista Lake and Arnica Lake). Our first night was spent at Twin Lakes campsite. It has a nice, clear creek to fill our gravity water filter bag and a good cooking area. There was a glacier at the lake beside the campground and at night we could hear it cracking!

One thing to keep in mind for July hiking is that the mosquitoes will be in full force. We went through an entire 100 mL bottle of Deet mosquito repellent in four days between the two of us.

Day 2: Ball Pass Junction

This day was a 12 km hike from Twin Lakes campsite to Ball Pass Junction. It was a beautiful trail (and hard work on the feet). Once I got to camp and we set up our tent, I had a power nap and then I was good to go.

The highlight of this day was Gibbons Pass, a beautiful mountain meadow at a 2300 m elevation surrounded by mountains. We also stopped at Shadow Lake for a light snack and views. Once we reached Ball Pass Junction and got settled, we had time to do a light hike where a creek ran beside the trail. I enjoyed this campground as the creek burbled and lulled me to sleep (and it was my best sleep of the trip).

Day 3: Egypt Lake

Day 3 was a bit of a shemozzle in the morning. We accidentally lit the plastic part of our camping stove on fire (melting it quickly and completely) but no one got burned! Then, I went to get some water for our gravity bag and both my feet slipped off a log and I fell into the creek. Luckily, in the research, Billy found out that the best way to deal with that unfortunate situation is to dry your feet, put on fresh socks, then put plastic bags over your dry feet, and then stuff them into your somewhat dried off hiking shoes. I hiked for 3 hours with plastic bags on my feet and then my shoes were dry. No harm done to my feet. Pfew!

My favourite stop was Haiduk Lake and Whistling Pass. While hiking up Whistling Pass (named for the marmots that live there and ‘whistle’ at you) we encountered snow! This hike was quite steep and required some concentrated footwork.

Egypt Lake is a really busy campground and sometimes people will show up who don’t have back-country park passes. We were given a tip to arrive there as early as we could. It was a good thing too since by 2 PM there were only 3-4 spots left (and we needed 3 tent sites). This was our least favourite campground of the hiking trip and the outhouses were… disgusting.

On the flip side, it was also our favourite hiking day as the landscape was so varied and gorgeous.

Day 4: Healy Pass

The longest day of our itinerary, I was mentally prepped for a 13 kilometer hike out. Healy Pass is 2330 meters elevation so the mountain vista views promised to be amazing. On the way there, we had a fairly substantial incline but were rewarded with many wildflowers and burbling creeks.

The 360 degree views at the top of Healy Pass were simply beautiful. The sun was shining, the forests were emerald green; it was stunning.

Then the very long descent began. I can’t lie to you – the descent is my least favourite part of hiking and I find it very hard on my feet. So this part of the day was enjoyable until there was about 4 kilometers left, which was a bit of a gruel for me.

I survived! My feet didn’t fall off and Billy and I rewarded ourselves with a stay in Canmore at a hotel before heading back to Edmonton the next day.

It was a super journey and I was feeling proud that I did it (with the research and planning of Billy and our friends). A previous version of myself would have never considered even taking on a hike like this. Huzzah! Here’s to more hikes and more confidence in my physical capabilities.

This year, I was lucky to do a few back-country hikes in Canada’s national parks. Leading up to these adventures, I was doing some researching; 1) to keep me safe in the wild and 2) to tap into my inner wilderness explorer. There are some really fascinating books out there of brave women, who love the outdoors, sharing their amazing adventures.

In my book club, we alternate who chooses. I couldn’t decide among all the cool titles I found, so I sent my whole list to the club and said “choose one and let’s chat about it”. I figure I don’t have time to read them all so this is a good opportunity to learn from each other.

Women in the Great Outdoors Reading List

• End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage, and Motherhood by Jan Redford
• Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris
• Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
• Wild Fierce Life: Dangerous Moments on the Outer Coast by Joanna Streetly
• Tracks by Robyn Davidson
• Alone in Antarctica by Felicity Aston

I make the paper invitations for my Book Club and this year I had challenged myself to make a custom linocut design for each book we choose. This weekend, I got brave and I decided to put the designs in my Etsy shop to share with other book clubs.

The design aims to portray an empowered woman trusting herself as well as nature. Unafraid to experience the great outdoors alone. She is nude to symbolize her connection to the earth and the elements. 

I’m a big fan of the handwritten note. Some say its a dying art but I KNOW there are lots of us out there keeping this intimate and personal way of connecting alive and well.

A well-timed thank you card to a friend, colleague, or family member is incredibly powerful – a gift of self-care and wellness for both yourself and your recipient.

And a hand-written thank you note at work?! What a way to stand out and make your colleagues feel appreciated. For some time, my partner has been looking for a set of masculine or gender-neutral stationary for his thank you cards. It’s hard going. There’s not a lot out there. Later, when I picked up linocut, he was intrigued and carved his own. I was so impressed with his design that I surprised him with a set of his own thank you cards with his design for our first wedding anniversary.

He has graciously let me share the design with all of you! 

Each set is handmade to order and available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.

The details

Card size: 3.5″ x 4.875″
Paper weight: 80 lb. cover with black deckle on card and envelope
Set of 10 cards with matching envelopes
Packaging: Eco-friendly kraft cardboard box with clear cover to protect.
Mountain design by Jonatan Billiau

His ancestry is Papaschase Cree and also has connections to the Blackfoot. The tour ran about two hours and we went down into the river valley from the University of Alberta campus, heading east to the Walterdale Bridge and over to the northside of the river where there is a First Nations memorial for a burial site by Epcor plant. Parts of the memorial go intentionally unfinished as there are unresolved issues regarding the remains found there and the burial site itself.

I feel that its not my place to tell the stories that were shared by Dr. Donald but here’s my drawing of what I learned in those short two hours. I think of that day often and marvel over what I learned about the Cree people of this land. I hope in the future that more Albertans make it a priority to hear the stories of the First Nations people as we move ahead with our work to reach truth and reconciliation.

More information on the walk and a documentary, ôtênawby Conor McNally that was made with Dr. Donald.

We felt the change and missed the carefree fun we enjoyed in blissful ignorance before our summer of work. This summer is going to be about fun, exploration, and no expectations.

Our last BIG hike was Mt. Bourgeau, August 2017. Here are the stats from our trusty manual, Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies.

• Location: Banff National Park
• Round Trip: 24 km to summit
• Elevation Gain: 1530 m to summit
• Hiking Time: 6 to 8 hours for summit
• Difficulty: Moderate to pass, challenging to summit due to elevation gain 

Italicizing the last part is my way to emphasize that this hike kicked my butt but the views were incredible. I finished this hike super sore, ready to lay face-down on the path about 2 km from our car, and grumpy – but then again its the hike that I reflect back to the most, almost two years later. So is the challenge worth it? Hell yes. Make sure you are hiking with someone that can handle your potential belly-aching and will give you a nudge to finish.

And here are some photos to prove it to you.

I spent the last warm evening of the summer drawing and painting at Paul Kane Park before the descent of autumn in Edmonton. Now, its cold and wet in Edmonton. I fear we are going to lose our beautiful autumn colours before the end of September.

Paul Kane Ornamental Pond is a public-use park in Edmonton. It was recently redesigned using a previous pond feature but vastly improved. I love this park. It is so peaceful and when I bike by there are often groups of people lounging in solitude.

Here’s the podcast episode with Amy!

AMY DILLON: My foray into amateur photography began when I purchased a second-hand Nikon D300 from a friend. I had no idea how to work it or what ‘F Stop’ was let alone all the other buttons and dials. Needless to say, what followed was a series (hundreds) of blurry, overexposed, or just plain black images. Enter my good friend and professional photographer, Brittany Balser (pictured). She patiently showed me the basics and I was finally able to make what I envisioned in my head, come alive on my camera. Well, somewhat. I’m still a long way from knowing what I’m doing.

As the selection makes all too obvious, I am a sucker for light and shadows. When the light hits something just right, I’ll be clicking away until the sun sets. Much to my husband’s (also pictured) frustration. If the light is right, I’m not picky with my subject. It could be moss on a log, distant desert mountains, or drift wood. That said, I’ll never tire of photographing my favourite people. Catching candid moments makes me immensely happy. There’s just something about capturing a sideways look, a hearty laugh, or the blur of action.
Full disclosure, I didn’t take that photo of my husband, Graham. He accidentally took it of himself while holding my camera. But I love it anyway… and I’ll claim it.

Dry Island Buffalo Jump

Forest Moss

Hazel

Brittany Balser

Jasper Mountains

Joshua Tree

Salt Spring Island

Graham

Jasper Big Horn Sheep

Tofino