Page 1: Canada to Castle Pass

Castle Creek

Sept. 1976
Canada to Rainy Pass

M&P drove me, Mel and her dog Saru up to British Columbia's Manning National Park on Wednesday morning. The plan was for M&P to hike in with us the first day, and then leave us on our own the following morning.

It was foggy when we set off and I thought for sure that was an indication of the weather we could expect all throughout the entire trip. But with elevation gain, the clouds we conquered and we soon stood above them. The skies to the south were clear and a promising bright blue.

We made Castle Creek for a late lunch. It was wonderful to sit straddling the sparkling Creek on a well-built bridge, but the flies were numerous and vicious.

Castle Pass

After lunch, we knocked off about another 5-miles or so. We hit the first of many passes we would encounter on the trip, Castle Creek Pass, at 5451’. We made camp at the pass and it was a much-anticipated end to a long day.

A deer kept coming around camp during the night. I was concerned about it getting caught up in the tent lines, but everyone else told me to shut up and go to sleep. So I did.

The next morning M&P headed back to the truck in Canada and Melanie and I walked on, deeper into the heart of the wild North Cascades. And a rough day it was, too.

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