Rockwall Take 2
Trip Start
Jul 08, 2008
1
69
108
Trip End
Oct 31, 2010
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Our first attempt in late June had been hindered by too much remaining snow. We had got in as far as Helmet Falls and up to Limestone Summit but could go no further. This trip we planned to go in from the same car park (Paint Pots) but take the Tumbling creek route in, day hike up to Rockwall and Wolverine passes, and then hike out Floe Lake trail via Tumbling and Numa passes. And that's what we did, blessed with perfect weather.
Mark had a harder day one than me as he had to drop the car at the Floe Lake car park and then cycle back to me and the packs at the Paint Pots car park (some 13km up hill - but luckily only gently). Then it was back along the same trail as in June until the turn off, where we wandered up the very frigid Tumbling valley (there was a mound of snow right at creek level that we think must have been there from an avalanche in the winter). The climb was gradual and we arrived at the stunning Tumbling Creek campground for a late lunch. It was so warm, I felt compelled to change into shorts... fantastic for October in the mountains.
After our leisurely, lounging lunch we headed up to the Wolverine and Rockwall passes, enjoying the perfect weather and views with the amber larch trees. I don't know how many photos I felt obliged to take, but it was a lot. Wolverine pass marks a break in the 30km Rockwall, so you can go through and take a peek over the other side of the range.
We felt a sense of completeness from the Rockwall meadows, looking back at Limestone Summit where we had been in June, so even if we haven't quite walked the length of the Rockwall, we have at least eyeballed it!
We also eyeballed some moving white shapes, presumed mountain goats, on the trail beneath limestone summit. It was the first time we had been above mountain goats (they usually like to stay high) and also the first time we have seen them near a hiking trail, but alas, nowhere near our part of the trail. (I must confess to being a obsessed about having a close encounter with mountain goats for reasons I don't entirely understand.)
We knew day two would be tough and it was. We had to go up 300m or so to Tumbling Pass, down 700m to Numa Creek and then back up 800m to Numa Pass and down to Floe Lake. It reminded us of our hikes in Patagonia which were often equally yoyo in profile. The weather continued to be perfect short-wearing weather so we had that on our side and it remained beautifully scenic. Standing at the top of Numa valley, we looked down thinking, surely we don't have to go all the way down there, but we did. Funnily, two guys we met going the other way had had the exact same thought in reverse - 'surely we don't have to climb all the way up there', but yeah, you do.
The guidebook says the view from Tumbling Pass down to Floe Lake makes the climb all worthwhile and we'd have to say it kind of did, except the afternoon sun was so strong, it's haze almost hid the blue/grey lake. Floe Lake is a very nice setting for a campground, especially the picnic tables that are on a rocky outcrop.
For day three we wandered down the Floe Lake trail which got very badly burned-out a few years back. I actually thought it was quite scenic with the burned trees contrasting with the colourful shrubs. You see the road a long time you get to it but get to it we did, eventually, and it was time to head home.
n.
Kilometres hiked: 46.5
Kilometres hiked season to date: 412.5km
