Overnight in Mt. Assiniboine

Before the word vomit starts spewing, a few basic answers for any readers curious about the Mt. Assiniboine Nublet Hike/Lodge/etc:

• Can you drive to the Mt. Assiniboine Lodge? NO – the lodge is in the valley itself and only accessible from hiking or helicopter

• Are there many bears? YES – It is not uncommon for the campground to get shutdown from aggressive Grizzly Bear activity. Bring bear spray.

• How far is the lodge? From the Mt. Shark Trailhead it was about 17 miles ONE WAY (6-8hrs)

• Is it the most beautiful hike created on this beautiful green earth? You have no idea….

Those basic questions seemed insanely difficult to find answers to on the Internet so hopefully some clarity has now been found.

Those curious for a more detailed description, read on.

Departing from Spokane, WA to Canmore was about 7hrs worth of driving. Personal tip: Do not GPS the Mount Assiniboine Lodge, it will take you to a PO Box in the city of Canmore which is obviously wrong.

In reality, the trailhead parking lot is about an 1:15hr away from Canmore via a scenic gravel road. There is also a topography map, brief description of the area and several pit toilets. No water.

The only company encountered during the hike in was a photographer and his gear mule. They highly encouraged doing the Wonder Pass instead of Assiniboine Pass. Selling points were that Wonder was more scenic, slightly longer, slightly steeper, golden larches and holds the yellow brick road. In a brief, honest summary; we got our asses OWNED by that trail. Wonder Pass was breathtaking, but literally… it took the air from our lungs and entirely crushed our bodies and souls. (Maybe I’m being slightly dramatic, but you get the idea). A positive note is that there were plenty of streams for water filing points –Yay?

Upon reaching the lodge, it was communicated that the campground was closed due to the aggressive grizzly bear activity in the area. There was somebody out hanging up signs that the area was closed, yet we must’ve been ahead of the messengers. Therefore, there was no open campground, huts or high end lodging options. Oops?

Nonetheless, we awoke the next morning and hiked to the picturesque viewpoint that is the most photographed point of the Assiniboine hike: The Nublet. Roughly a mile each way, the trail was insanely muddy so bring hiking boots. However, at the top of the ridge the hiker is rewarded with an astonishing view of three turquoise lakes scattered like gems amongst golden larches all bowing to the might Mount Assiniboine. Talk about some nature magic. Words cannot express.

From one spontaneous unplanned adventurer to another, here are a few tips and hints for hiking into Mt. Assiniboine and the Nublet:

• Splurge and reserve the Naiset Huts instead of camping. They are $25 per night and worth it even just to get the sleep without having bear nightmares.
• There is a VERY nice kitchen facility for the guests and camper use at the lodge area, equipped with pots and pans and all. Also includes bear bins for free use.
• Try and plan to stay for at least two nights. Hiking in is exhausting and the area is so beautiful that having a free day to play and enjoy the scenery you worked so hard to reach would be highly encouraged.
• Jason’s lesson: Bring waterproof shoes/boots – that trail gets muddy!
• You can helicopter in/out gear for $2.25/per lb
• Don’t forget to bring your camera, this place is unreal
• The lodge has the BEST hospitality ever
• There is “tea time” from 4-5pm. If you arrive after and ask very nicely, they might sell you beer to go ;)
• The lodge prepares meals but has limited space so make reservations if you are not planning on bringing in food