Every summer, my Instagram feed is filled with pictures of people doing the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park. The vibrant colours of Kinney and Berg Lake are mesmerizing and it feels like you’re staring at a painting. Emperor Falls look terrifying as it rules over the valley, and the entire hike looks painful.
I never understood why everyone went. Throughout high school, many friends of mine hiked the trail and my woodwork teacher even tried convincing me to join on the school trip. I had no interest. I didn’t understand the hype. What was the hype?
I grew up spending my summers at the track, travelling with my family, or in Telkwa, a small village just before Smithers in Northwestern BC. We never went camping, or hiking. I was 17 when we went camping for the first time. 17! That’s pretty old!
It wasn’t until I got older that I became more interested in hiking and camping – my best friend Fiona really brought out the explorer in me.
So, when she texted me asking if I wanted to go to Mount Robson with her in July 2020, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Was I nervous? 100%. This was my first ever overnight hike. I needed to buy hiking boots and a bag, and mentally prepare myself for hiking up a mountain. But I was going to see for myself what all the hype was for the Berg Lake Trail.
We were hiking up to Robson’s Pass and back in three days. That’s over 40km with tons of weight on our backs, all in three days! What was I getting myself into?
We did the 4 hour trek the Sunday morning, with a stop for lunch in Dome Creek where I accidentally did a turn doing 100km/h. Fiona was not impressed. When we got to the provincial park, we found a parking spot right by the trail head, got our gear, locked my blue VW Golf Ronnie up, and started our hike. I was nervous. I was scared I wasn’t going to make it. I was scared I wasn’t going to have fun.
We made our way to Kinney Lake, which is absolutely gorgeous, and crossed some questionable bridges. Many of the bridges on the hike only allow one person to cross at a time. And lots of times, the water is racing below your feet. We climbed these long switchbacks and were counting down the kilometres to our campsite. We were exhausted!
Our first night was spent at Whitehorn. It was quite the trek to get there but we survived. The views were outstanding over the 11km, and I was starting to understand the hype of the Berg Lake Trail. I still felt out of my element, but was having a blast.
Whitehorn is a beautiful campsite – it’s in a valley, with the Robson River flowing down the middle of it. The water is freezing, but beautiful. You can find people sitting by the water relaxing, reading a book, and taking in the beautiful nature that is surrounding them.
After our rainy night at Whitehorn, we ate breakfast, packed up camp, and made our way to Robson’s Pass Campground. It was 12km to get there, and the majority of it was uphill. We were a little nervous, but both knew we could do it.
Throughout the entire hike, waterfalls are scattered along the mountain faces. I think I counted 11 at one point that I could see. You can hear the rumbling for kilometres before you actually see the water. It’s amazing. When we were hiking, it was very gloomy. But it added so much character to the landscape and made it seem like we were in a fairytale.
The hike from Whitehorn to Emperor Falls is long and painful. It’s all uphill and there are some killer switchbacks. You just want it to be over. People coming down the trail give you words of encouragement, telling you that you’re almost near the end. Those words are as sweet as candy. Your legs are in pain, your back hurts, you want to give up. But then, you make it.
A must stop on the trail is Emperor Falls. They are loud, powerful, and look like they rule over the entire valley. Mist hits your face as the water rumbles down the rock face. It’s beautiful. Pictures don’t do them justice. You have to be there to experience their glory. When I look back on the hike, Emperor Falls was one of my favourite parts. They are just SO stunning. You can’t even see how far down they go. It’s a mystery when they land, and I do not want to find out.
After Emperor Falls, we continued our way up. We still had some pretty steep parts to climb up. Eventually we hit the flat part and it was the best part ever. Mount Robson was also right in front of us. We walked on rock for a long time – there were lots of people around us making their way to the final campgrounds.
We reached Berg Lake and it did not disappoint. The cold turquoise stood out from the gloom that surrounded the water. We walked along the entire lake and had a lunch break at the far end of the lake. My biggest regret? Not bringing a bathing suit and jumping in!
Sitting down after a grueling ~9km was very much needed. But it was so hard to stand up and get going! Thankfully, to our surprise, we were only a few kilometres away from our destination. Fiona and I continued on and while we were walking, the sun started to peak through the clouds. Thankfully at this point in the hike, it is super flat and wildflowers can be found alongside the trail. The Robson River is slow and calm. It was crazy thinking it gets so fast and dangerous.
It was a relief when we reached out campground. We made it! We set up tent, and relaxed a little. Then, I wanted to go to Alberta because the border was a short walk down from the campsite. Fiona however did not want to go. All she said was have fun and don’t get eaten by a bear, and off I went.
It was really cool being able to leap into Alberta and Jasper National Park! I was also in the area that leads to Snowbird Pass, a hike that takes you to Robson Lakes, and the glaciers that feed the lakes in the area. Unfortunately, Fiona and I didn’t have time to do it and are hoping that we will get to do it one day soon. I made my way back to camp, and Fiona called it a day.
The next day was going to be a long one. A 23km hike down and a four hour drive home. It was sunny and beautiful, and perfect for pictures.
We passed many people making their way up, and just like the people the day before, we gave them words of encouragement as they made their way up the killer switchbacks and told them that the worst part was almost over. I even ran into people I knew on the trail!
When we hit Kinney Lake, we were SO relieved. We were almost done. And when we only had 2km left, we slowed down to the point where it felt like we were sloths. Our bodies were so sore.
It was funny because we were walking by people who were going for a little walk to Kinney Lake and back and they would look at us completely cooked and exhausted and question if wearing flip flops was the right thing to do.
We ended up finishing the hike in about 6 hours and when we reached my car Ronnie, we collapsed. We were SO relieved to sit down and eat. After processing the fact that we had just climbed down a mountain, we made our way back home.
I couldn’t walk for a few days after the hike. I went to work the next day and my steps were small and I grimaced in pain. But the pain was worth it. As I write this, I miss Mount Robson and the Berg Lake Trail and the amazing hike I got to do with my best friend.
So, is the Berg Lake Trail and Mount Robson Provincial Park worth the hype? Yes it is. And you need to do it one day!