Author: bradvaillancourt

or “How We Skewered a Volkswagen”

By Dave Higgins

All the recent brouhaha surrounding Volkswagens rigged to pass emissions testing brings to mind the time we had our own jury-rigged VW, which is a much happier story as it was instrumental in helping us survey the original route of the Great Divide Trail.

In the lead up to our 3-month-long trail study project in 1974 (which resulted in a final GDT routing plan between Waterton and the Kananaskis area), my five colleagues (Mary-Jane Cox, Jenny Feick, Chris Hart, Cliff White, and Dave Zevick) and I found ourselves short one suitable vehicle for transport to and from the various study areas along both sides of the continental divide. By “suitable” I mean something capable of traversing hundreds of kilometers of rough backroads, fording rushing creeks, and carrying up to four people plus backpacking gear. But I also mean something that could be had for no more than $100, which, of course, would immediately exclude anything reliable enough to do the job. Good thing we were all too young and naïve to realize that!

As luck would have it, Chris located and purchased what seemed like the ideal candidate: a sky-blue 1962 VW “notchback” sedan. A bit on the small side, maybe, but it had a killer feature: you could put packs in both the front AND rear trunks, or under both the bonnet and the boot if you happen to be English (the location of the engine wasn’t entirely obvious, at first). Chris also scrounged the most user-friendly maintenance manual I’ve ever seen, appropriately titled “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, for the Compleat Idiot” – a thick tome filled with hand-drawn illustrations, earthy advice on love and the proper use of torque wrenches, and the admonition to “Be kind to your ass, for it bears you.”

A bit rusty here, there and everywhere, our new acquisition wasn’t in terrible shape – well, not after we patched a gaping hole in the floor with a piece of plywood. At least the engine ran, and the brakes and lights seemed to work, most of the time. Shifting the worn-out gearbox, however, required a new skill: “double-clutching,” a complex sequence of clutch-and-accelerator applications. But the good news? Chris underspent the budget by half!

Confidence built when “Blue,” as Chris dubbed the car, made the trip from Calgary to Crowsnest Pass without trouble. Week One of the project found Jenny and me surveying the area just north of the Pass. We’d dropped off Chris and Dave in their assigned area a few days before, Chris warning me to take good care of Blue. We were descending the switchbacks of the old Vicary Mine access road, yours truly at the wheel. I didn’t think anything of it when Blue brushed the underside of a dead lodgepole pine overhanging the road in the same direction as our travel, and later that day we headed back up the steep road, in second gear with the engine roaring in complaint at the effort. Rounding a bend, I spotted the overhanging pine and, remembering how we’d slid neatly under it, kept going, pedal to the plywood. Not smart. The tree must have settled a bit lower from our previous passage, because this time the brittle tip caught on the windshield molding and broke right through with an enormous crash and spray of shattered glass and branch fragments!

When at last all was still, I glanced past the tree trunk in the direction of my partner, half-expecting the worst, and was relieved to see her staring back at me, albeit with an expression of pure shock on her face. “I didn’t want to look,” she exclaimed. “I thought your head would be missing!”

I almost replied no, I’d already lost it before we even got near the tree. But we’d been spared, this time at least. We quickly exited to survey the damage, shards of glass and piles of sticks and bark falling from our laps. It was NOT a pretty sight!

The long straight tree trunk had gone right through Blue! Or, more accurately, I had managed to skewer the car like a big chunk of beef bound for the grill. The top 2 metres of tree trunk protruded from the rear passenger side wheel well, right above the tire. What a sight! “I must’ve kept the gas on,” I explained, rather lamely. “I’m sorry!”

“Well, I’m just glad we’re both alive,” Jenny said with relief in her voice, “but Chris might want to kill you for wrecking his pride and joy!”

“Doesn’t look THAT bad,” I lied. “Maybe we can back it off the tree.” Fat chance, I thought, but worth a try anyway. So I got back in, and when Blue’s engine started right up I took it as a good sign. It was a bit more than the usual three minutes finding reverse, but then the car slowly extracted itself, assisted by gravity on the steep hill. Then it was just a matter of removing the remaining windshield fragments and cleaning up the mess, then driving to the meeting point to pick up Chris and Dave.

Jenny was right – Chris DID want to kill me. But I promised to buy a new windshield, and we amused ourselves on the way back down the Forestry Trunk Road to Crowsnest Pass by standing and waving at all the passing vehicles through the new opening, the person in the passenger side rear given the job of holding a towel over the other new opening to keep the dust to a minimum. In the Pass, however, it was raining so we turned on the wipers to (hopefully) avoid attracting the attention of passing RCMP cruisers, certain that if we were ever pulled over our precious car would be impounded as a hazard to other motorists.

That was only the start of the fun. The following week Blue’s generator had a meltdown (literally). At the local wrecking yard we found a dead Beetle and bought the generator. One small concern: it had a shaft sticking out of both ends, whereas Blue’s only stuck out one end. No huge problem – we took a hacksaw and cut the un-needed end off. But when we got it all installed and hooked up, the dashboard generator light still wouldn’t go out. It was then we noticed the direction arrow stamped on the generator housing – facing opposite to the way it was actually rotating. “Think we cut the wrong end off, Dave?” Chris snickered, and Jenny added, “Maybe you should’ve read the manual.” Good points, both, but luckily I’d made one of those electromagnets with a battery, wire and a nail in elementary school, and remembered that reversing the wires also reversed the magnet’s polarity, so with fingers crossed we took the generator apart and swapped the two large wires inside. Presto – back on the road again!

A week or two later the clutch cable snapped just as we pulled onto Highway 3, a couple of miles west of Fernie. We pushed the car the rest of the way into town, to the only garage that was open, only to have the mechanic tell us it would be at least a week before he could get a new cable, adding insult to injury by declaring, “Next time don’t buy a foreign car!” As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention – so we spliced in a piece of electrical wire, Western Union style, and went on our way.

By the end of July the rough roads had taken their toll on Blue’s already worn-out suspension, and both front wheels were constantly going into fits of violent shuddering. Bill Kinnear, at whose Coleman property our group was based, had one of his shop staff at Crowsnest Collieries weld something behind the front wheels, and that solved the shuddering problem – even if the car handled like a go-kart from that point on.

The one thing we could have put to very good use is duct tape, but in 1974 Red Green was still a couple of decades in the future. Instead we employed anything at hand, like boot laces and bungee cords, to keep Blue’s various bits and pieces from separating and disappearing for good. Still, by the middle of August the car was missing a headlight, a mirror, the front bumper, all four hubcaps, and who knows how many random nuts and bolts.

Blue’s final mission at summer’s end was the inevitable trip to the junkyard in Calgary, but sadly it came up a bit short – a mile or so west of the city limits, a front wheel broke clean off and rolled into the ditch. The car had to finish its trip in humiliating fashion at the rear of a tow truck.

But Blue had nothing to be ashamed of – the plucky little VW had done everything we asked of it, like climbing to fire lookouts, crossing mountain passes, and fording dozens of creeks and rivers, often with water halfway up the doors. And with its rear-mounted engine, it had great traction in the mud. I can’t count how many times we drove right past stuck 4×4’s, huge smiles on our faces. Blue truly was an indispensable member of our survey team.

Needless to say, I personally developed a real soft spot for Volkswagens and went on to own several over the succeeding years – although never again did I manage to run a tree through one! And I suppose time will tell if Volkswagen (the company) survives its own self-inflicted skewering as well as Blue did.

Trail Conditions Update – October 17, 2015

TRAILS: Fall colours are here! The GDT is experiencing good late season trail conditions with mainly dry trails at lower elevations. Expect snow above 2000 metres, some wet and slippery trail conditions, and nighttime and early morning temperatures below freezing. Be prepared for all weather conditions when travelling into the backcountry.

ELK RUTTING SEASON WARNING: It is elk rutting season until mid-October. Warning signs that read “ATTENTION – Elk Mating” have been posted at areas where elk herds often gather. Be aware that bull elk become extremely aggressive during rutting season so keep at least 30 metres away from all elk and never get between a male and female elk.

TRAIL CLOSURES:

• Elk Lakes Provincial Park: Extensive repairs and construction on the trail between Lower and Upper Elk Lakes to be carried out throughout 2015 hiking season. Detour to West Elk Pass by taking the Elkan Creek trail from the parking lot trailhead. Lower Elk Lake campground is still accessible but hikers are asked to exercise caution in this area during construction.

BEAR WARNINGS:

• Yoho National Park: Special caution is recommended while travelling or camping in the Field townsite and surrounding areas due to a large adult black bear that is frequenting the Field townsite, attracted to the fruit of Mountain Ash and Crab Apple trees. Report all bear sightings to Banff Dispatch: 403-762-1473. (29SEP2015)
• Jasper National Park: A grizzly bear is frequenting the Skyline Trail and campgrounds in the area. Extra caution and bear spray is recommended when hiking in this area. Please report all bear sightings to 780-852-6155. (1SEP2015)
• Jasper National Park: The Brazeau Loop, Nigel Pass and Poboktan Creek trails are open but a bear warning is in effect. Two grizzly bears have broken into cabins along the South Boundary trail to access horse feed. While they are no longer appearing at cabins and have not shown aggression to people, they may return to the area. Recommendations to minimize the potential of a bear encounter: Travel in tight groups of 4 or more; make noise to alert bears of your presence; carry bear spray; and keep a clean campsite, secure all food and garbage on designated bear cables or in bear storage lockers. Please report all bear sightings to 780-852-6155. (30JUL2015)

TRAIL NOTICES:

• The trail from Sage Pass (a17) to Scarpe Pass (a24) was cleared and blazed in August 2014 and is in good shape. From Scarpe Pass, the trail disappears up to La Coulotte Ridge and the hiking becomes significantly more difficult until you reach the ATV track (a27) heading down to the West Castle Road.
• The Aldridge Creek Trail between Fording River Pass (b31) and the Kananaskis Power Line Road (b32) was cleared and restored in July 2015.
• Cairnes Creek (d9): The bridge is washed out making this a potentially dangerous ford. It is recommended to cross early in the morning when glacial melt is lowest.
• The damaged Lambe Creek bridge (d10) was removed in September 2015. It is recommended to ford the creek further downstream.
• The Howse Pass Trail from Conway Creek (d12) to the Glacier Lake trail junction (d14, 15 km) is in very poor condition. The trail is overgrown, with hundreds of wind-fallen trees across the trail. Hiking in the Howse River floodplain is a viable alternative if the Howse River is low enough to ford.
• The Owen Creek Trail was cleared in July 2015 up to km 5. Beyond that point, the trail is in poor shape with several washed out sections. Expect challenging hiking for 3 km including skirting along steep creek-side cliffs and rock-hopping in the creek itself. At km 6, do not take the trail heading up away from the creek (it is a deadend). Look for orange blazes marking the correct route staying near the creek.
• The Maligne Pass trail in Jasper National Park has been decommissioned and is in poor shape. The trail from Pobokton Creek (e20) to Maligne Lake (e25, approx 42 km) is no longer being maintained by Parks Canada so expect deteriorating and overgrown trail conditions; long pants are recommended. The Maligne River bridge has been removed but the river can be easily forded in normal summer conditions (knee deep in mid-summer). Most other bridges are still in place. Read Nathan Dahl’s August 30, 2015 Maligne Pass trail update here.
• The Yates Torrent Bridge is gone at the crossing of the Coleman Glacier outflow (near f16) so attempt to cross early in the morning when glacial melt is the lowest or be prepared for a fast and potentially dangerous creek ford.

ACCESS TRAIL CLOSURES:

• Kootenay National Park – Due to washed out bridges, access to Numa Creek Falls and Trail remains closed.

Access Roads Update:

• Construction work on Highway 40 continues from south of the winter gate to Junction Highway 541; expect delays.
• Access to the northern terminus of the GDT in Kakwa Provincial Park is via the Walker Creek Forest Service Road. The Walker Creek FSR has been repaired from Highway 16 to km 33.5. While travelling the remaining 50 kilometres on the Walker Creek FSR, attention is required to navigate the surface as it is uneven, rutted, slippery and very rough. The road is not recommended for anything other than a 4×4 high clearance vehicle. The last 10km from Bastille Creek to Buchanan Creek are particularly rough and muddy and might not be driveable by vehicle so be prepared to walk this distance on foot. Thanks to Canadoug for the update!
• The Red Rock Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park is closed for the season until approximately May 2016 to allow for reconstruction of the parkway and the lower parking lot at Red Rock Canyon.

Trail Conditions Update – September 23, 2015

TRAILS: Fall is here! Expect snow above 1500 metres, some wet and slippery trail conditions, and night and early morning temperatures below freezing.

ELK RUTTING SEASON WARNING: It is elk rutting season until mid-October. Warning signs that read “ATTENTION – Elk Mating” have been posted at areas where elk herds often gather. Be aware that bull elk become extremely aggressive during rutting season so keep at least 30 metres away from all elk and never get between a male and female elk.

WILDFIRE UPDATES: There are no fire bans on the GDT. Campfires are permitted in designated fire pits.

TRAIL CLOSURES:

• Elk Lakes Provincial Park: Extensive repairs and construction on the trail between Lower and Upper Elk Lakes to be carried out throughout 2015 hiking season. Detour to West Elk Pass by taking the Elkan Creek trail from the parking lot trailhead. Lower Elk Lake campground is still accessible but hikers are asked to exercise caution in this area during construction.
• Banff National Park: Og Pass trail and Upper Assiniboine Pass trail within Banff National Park are closed from August 1 to September 30, to increase public safety, and to minimize displacement of grizzly bears from prime food sources at a critical time of the year. Hikers are permitted to access Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park via the lower Assiniboine Pass trail or the Wonder Pass trail.

BEAR WARNINGS:

• Waterton Lakes National Park: Special caution is recommended while travelling or camping in the Waterton townsite as a black bear is frequenting the area and has obtained unsecured human food. Be prepared to encounter a bear at anytime in and around this area. (04SEP2015)
• Jasper National Park: A grizzly bear is frequenting the Skyline Trail and campgrounds in the area. Extra caution and bear spray is recommended when hiking in this area. Please report all bear sightings to 780-852-6155. (1SEP2015)
• Jasper National Park: The Brazeau Loop, Nigel Pass and Poboktan Creek trails are open but a bear warning is in effect. Two grizzly bears have broken into cabins along the South Boundary trail to access horse feed. While they are no longer appearing at cabins and have not shown aggression to people, they may return to the area. Recommendations to minimize the potential of a bear encounter: Travel in tight groups of 4 or more; make noise to alert bears of your presence; carry bear spray; and keep a clean campsite, secure all food and garbage on designated bear cables or in bear storage lockers. Please report all bear sightings to 780-852-6155. (30JUL2015)

TRAIL NOTICES:

• The trail from Sage Pass (a17) to Scarpe Pass (a24) was cleared and blazed last year and is in good shape. From Scarpe Pass, the trail disappears up to La Coulotte Ridge and the hiking becomes significantly more difficult until you reach the ATV track (a27) heading down to the West Castle Road.
• The Aldridge Creek Trail between Fording River Pass (b31) and the Kananaskis Power Line Road (b32) was cleared and restored in July 2015.
• Cairnes Creek (d9): The bridge is washed out making this a potentially dangerous ford. It is recommended to cross early in the morning when glacial melt is lowest.
• The Lambe Creek bridge (d10) is badly damaged so it is recommended to ford the creek further downstream and avoid using the broken bridge.
• The Howse Pass Trail from Conway Creek (d12) to the Glacier Lake trail junction (d14, 15 km) is in very poor condition. The trail is overgrown, with hundreds of wind-fallen trees across the trail. Hiking in the Howse River floodplain is a viable alternative if the Howse River is low enough to ford.
• The Owen Creek Trail was cleared in July 2015 up to km 5. Beyond that point, the trail is in poor shape with several washed out sections. Expect challenging hiking for 3 km including skirting along steep creek-side cliffs and rock-hopping in the creek itself. At km 6, do not take the trail heading up away from the creek (it is a deadend). Look for orange blazes marking the correct route staying near the creek.
• The Maligne Pass trail in Jasper National Park has been decommissioned and is in poor shape. The trail from Pobokton Creek (e20) to Maligne Lake (e25, approx 42 km) is no longer being maintained by Parks Canada so expect deteriorating and overgrown trail conditions; long pants are recommended. The Maligne River bridge has been removed but the river can be easily forded in normal summer conditions (knee deep in mid-summer). Most other bridges are still in place. Read Nathan Dahl’s August 30, 2015 Maligne Pass trail update here.
• The Yates Torrent Bridge is gone at the crossing of the Coleman Glacier outflow (near f16) so attempt to cross early in the morning when glacial melt is the lowest or be prepared for a fast and dangerous creek ford. Thanks to Christine Friesen for the update!

ACCESS TRAIL CLOSURES:

• Kootenay National Park – Due to washed out bridges, access to Numa Creek Falls and Trail remains closed.

Access Roads Update:

• Construction work on Highway 40 continues from south of the winter gate to Junction Highway 541; expect delays.
• Access to the northern terminus of the GDT in Kakwa Provincial Park is via the Walker Creek Forest Service Road. The Walker Creek FSR has been repaired from Highway 16 to km 33.5. While travelling the remaining 50 kilometres on the Walker Creek FSR, attention is required to navigate the surface as it is uneven, rutted, slippery and very rough. The road is not recommended for anything other than a 4×4 high clearance vehicle. The last 10km from Bastille Creek to Buchanan Creek are particularly rough and muddy and might not be driveable by vehicle so be prepared to walk this distance on foot. Thanks to Canadoug for the update!
• The Elk River FSR will be closed periodically at 123km, 142km, and 145km for bridge replacements between September 1 to September 30. Use the Round Prairie FSR (4WD required) on the east side of the Elk River as a detour.
• The Red Rock Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park is closed for the season until approximately May 2016 to allow for reconstruction of the parkway and the lower parking lot at Red Rock Canyon.

Update from Nathan Dahl, Association of Canadian Mountain Guides:

I just got back from the decommissioned Maligne Pass trail, coming in at the Sunwapta Station and exiting at Maligne Lake. The trail alongside Poboktan Creek is in excellent shape and you should expect no difficulties. After you hit the Poboktan / Poligne junction and head upstream, you will cross 7 small bridges before reaching Avalanche Campground. All bridges are still in place although the 5th bridge is quite damaged and should be used with caution. Avalanche camp is in good shape with 4 bear hang cables, a green throne, 2 fire pits & tables, and three generally good tent pads, although they are starting to becoming quite rounded over.

From Avalanche camp heading to the pass, the trail is faint but easy to follow until just after the 8th and final bridge over the Poligne. At that point the trail is quite good all the way down to Mary Vaux Camp. Mary Vaux camp was the same as Avalanche camp in regards to bear hangs, tent pads, etc.

The trail deteriorates past Mary Vaux camp, becoming occasionally faint through the forest and with a moderate amount of deadfall on the trail. Some of the drainages coming off Llysfran Peak & Mt. Unwin have washed out the trail but it is easy to pick up on the other side. About 1 km away from Schaffer Camp we entered a large meadow of willows about shoulder height, which we continued to hike through on and off through the remainder of the trip. A good argument for long pants. The trail in these sections is well rutted so while it’s not easily visible, just follow your feet. About 800 metres south of Schaffer camp the trail appears to ford the Maligne River. Instead, hike about 50 metres downstream on the same side of the river, and the trail will reappear in the willows to your right, heading towards a small rise of land. Schaffer camp is in fair shape, although one of the tables is missing some planks.

The bridge over the Maligne River about 4 km north of Schaffer camp is washed away so this will require a ford. Rather than fording at the old bridge site where the signage still directs you, we forded about 100 metres downstream where the river is a little wider. At the time and point of our crossing the river was only 30 cm deep and presented no difficulty. The trail is also significantly damaged in the drainage around GR591355. However there is some modest signage on either side to help you along.

Finally, Trapper Creek campsite is in good shape but two of the bear hang cables are missing clips so you may want to bring an accessory carabiner. The bridge over Trapper Creek is also damaged but passable.

All signage is still in place. No wildlife sighted but lots of elk, deer and bear tracks and scat along the trail and in the campsites. A very beautiful and historic trail to hike if you get the opportunity.