Every summer, since they could carry their own backpacks, I have taken at least one of my three sons backpacking into the Canadian Rocky Mountains. This year it was my youngest son Joel’s turn, and he convinced his partner Tyler to join us for a three-day backpacking trip along the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park. I was excited to hear Tyler would join us because he’d never been backpacking before; at the same time, it made me nervous because I didn’t want his first trip to be his last.
I have learned over the years that not everyone shares my passion for carrying a heavy backpack long distances over multiple mountain passes. I wanted to show Joel and Tyler the Skyline Trail, one of the most popular trails in the Rocky Mountains, but hiking the entire trail requires an arduous forty-kilometer hike over three passes. Michelle and I hiked the trail last year, and she warned me that Tyler would never go backpacking again if I made him hike the whole distance, so I chose a smaller section: an intermediate eight-kilometer hike to the Little Shovel campground, one of six campgrounds along the trail.
To prepare for the trip, I scoured through my old backpacking gear to find equipment for both Tyler and Joel. I gave Joel the largest backpack since he is a power lifter and can manage a heavy pack. Joel didn’t know that I also gave him the heavy cooking gear, including the fuel, to reduce the weight of my backpack. What are sons for anyway?
On the morning of the hike, Tyler and Joel drove to my place, left their dog Zuko with Michelle, and we began our five-hour drive to the trailhead at Maligne Lake. When we entered Jasper National Park, the towering Rocky Mountains came into full view, and I was curious about what Joel and Tyler were thinking. Joel said they were impressive geological formations, and Tyler thought it would be a wonderful location to build a castle. Their answers shouldn’t have surprised me because Joel likes to give cerebral answers and Tyler reads fantasy books.
Once we arrived at Maligne Lake, Tyler and Joel were excited to get started. After Tyler finished taking pictures, he took the lead and set a scorching pace, commenting on how light his pack felt and how he could definitely hike the entire Skyline Trail. However, once we crossed Evelyne Creek, the trail started its accent to Little Shovel pass and Tyler slowed down. The last four kilometers were difficult with multiple switchbacks, and to make matters worse, the temperature had risen to 30 degrees Celsius. Now Tyler was asking if people hike to enjoy nature or to punish themselves. When he said this, Joel asked me if I noticed a change in tone. I burst out laughing, remembering how excited he was at the start. However, despite his initial complaints, Tyler had no problems finishing the climb to the Little Shovel campground.
When we arrived, everyone was relieved to remove their backpacks. We pitched our tents and Tyler and Joel relaxed while I prepared supper. Tyler had obviously recovered from the hike because he started taking more pictures and videos. He took selfies, pictures of himself and Joel, the bear locker, the stream, the tent, the toilet–you name it, he took a picture of it. He even took pictures of me preparing our meal, making me feel like the star chef of a wilderness cooking show.
After supper, we studied the map showing the day hike I had planned to Sunset Peak for the next day. I told them that if everything went well, we’d be eating our lunch on a mountainside, enjoying the view of Maligne Lake.
The next morning, we woke up to blue skies, and a perfect day to climb a mountain. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, and then, with only our day packs, we began the climb to Sunset Peak. As we crested a mountain ridge, the scenery was spectacular. We could see Maligne Lake in the distance, nestled between majestic mountain peaks, and a beautiful green mountain meadow below. We lingered up top for two hours, eating lunch, exploring the meadow, taking pictures, and relaxing. The best part: we were the only ones there. To end the day, it was an easy downhill hike to our camp for supper before crawling back into our sleeping bags.
In the morning, we packed up and began hiking back to civilization. Joel and Tyler remarked it was nice being unplugged for three days and not answering work emails. We also met the morning bus load of backpackers beginning their trek to hike the full Skyline trail. A couple of hikers stopped and asked questions about our trip and encouraged Joel and Tyler to return someday and hike the whole trail.
When we arrived home, Zuko gave Tyler and Joel a huge greeting. They briefly talked to Michelle and said they enjoyed the trip, but they were tired and wanted to go home and shower. A week later, when they came for Sunday dinner, Tyler surprised Michelle and me, saying they wanted to backpack the entire Skyline Trail! I hope they invite me, especially if Joel will carry the heavy gear again.
One Last Kick 
It was a blast! Looking forward to doing the full length (some day).
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