One of the most exciting moments this summer was walking into two large grey wolves on the Chilcotin plateau. We were on our way out of the stunning Rainbow Mountain wilderness park when two wolves calmly trotted into view before slinking into the shadows of the trees. I must have been within 50 feet of the wolves as I guided the group of 8 hikers walking quietly behind me enroute back to the trailhead after 7 days in the backcountry.
After weeks of forest fires, which continue to burn, we had to reroute our popular Mackenzie/Grease Trail trekking trip and explore some new wilderness areas in the Rainbow Mountain range. And we were not disappointed. The first day from the trailhead was a big challenge to guide. It is always intimidating, for me atleast, having the responsibility of looking after a group of tourists, and exploring a new wilderness below the treeline. Due to the nature of the terrain, below the treeline can be tough going. There is a mix of bog, streams, fallen trees and thick bush. This is real wilderness to me...nothing but an old horse trail to follow and some old game trails. After a few challenging guiding moments we managed to get into camp in plenty of time although a longer day than expected.
On these trekking trips I use a local horse packing outfit to carry all the gear. In this case it is the Dorsey family that runs one of the most well known and respected horse packing and hunting outfits in the region. Riding ahead of us they always arrive in camp early to put the horses out to pasture in the meadows and get the fire going ready for tea and coffee. The Dorsey outfit have been using these wild campsites for years. So while the camps are fully wild and remote they do have fire pits and a drop toilet! And they are always in a stunning location.
From the first camp we explored Dark Peak behind the camp and walked the alpine ridges to afford spectacular views. From the high point of the day we descended to alpine lakes, watched by a family of hoary marmots. A short stroll back to camp through alpine meadows we made it back to camp in plenty of time for tea and biscuits before a dinner of steak and mash.
Our second camp of the trip was a challenging day hike over Mary's Pass and over alpine ridge into a forested valley with a series of small creeks flowing into a main river. The camp was adjacent to the river with views across the horse meadows to the mountains. The day hikes from here were stunning and offered some of the best alpine views I have had the pleasure of enjoying.
What is such an treat is being the only group in a vast wilderness of mountain, forest and valley. There are no other hikers in these areas and with the horse support we are given the advantage of travelling light and exploring the area umimpeded by heavy backpack.
I have only scratched the surface of this area, somewhere I would like to bring more groups over the coming years to add to the range of adventures that Wild Earth Adventures offers.
