When booking availability opened for the Berg Lake Trail in Northern B.C.鈥檚 Mount Robson Provincial Park at 7 a.m. on March 1, Whistler local Michelle Cormier was already logged on, eager to snag a highly coveted backcountry camping reservation and cross the world-renowned trail off of her list in 2021.
鈥淲e got super, super lucky and were actually booked at a site at Berg Lake on Canada Day,鈥� she explained. Cormier and hiking partner Sarah Clarke planned to complete the approximately 23-kilometre trail over five days and four nights.
Whether that timing was, in fact, lucky is debatable.
Cormier and Clarke can now stake their claim as two of the last people to visit Berg Lake this season, after a record-breaking heat wave and rapidly melting snow pack earlier this summer caused the Robson River鈥檚 water levels to rise dramatically, prompting the park鈥檚 closure and the stranding of several hiking parties.
The pair was among several groups evacuated from the park by helicopter on July 2, after sections of the trail were washed out.
While Cormier and Clarke were warned of rising water levels prior to setting off on their trip on July 29 neither was prepared for the rapid escalation of the situation.
鈥淸BC Parks] said, 鈥楤e prepared, because you鈥檙e going to be in knee deep water,鈥欌�� Cormier recalled.
But as they traversed the first seven kilometres of the trail to Kinney Lake by bike, 5鈥�3鈥� Cormier said the water, in some spots, was hitting her at the waist rather than the knees. Upon arrival at their first destination, 鈥渢he campsites were completely washed out, right next to the lake,鈥� she recalled.
After a stop at Emperor Falls on their second night, the pair finally made it to Berg Lake on July 1, only to be met by a park ranger asking if they鈥檇 heard the news.
鈥淲e said, 鈥楴o we haven鈥檛, what鈥檚 going on?鈥� Cormier recalled. 鈥淎nd he [said], 鈥業鈥檝e got some unfortunate news. The trail鈥檚 closed.鈥欌��
The ranger asked Cormier and Clarke to backtrack as far down as they could make it. But after already completing the five-kilometre trek from Emperor Falls to Berg Lake, Cormier said she didn鈥檛 feel comfortable adding another 21 kilometres onto the day鈥檚 trip鈥攊n scorching temperatures and while carrying 60-litre backpacks鈥攊n order to reach the trailhead.
Instead, the pair decided it was safer to wait it out at the Whitehorn Campsite, located at the 11-km mark. However, that night a violent storm moved in and the duo were pounded by hail, thunder, lighting and torrential rain鈥斺�渢he worst storm that I鈥檝e ever experienced in my life,鈥� Cormier said. The weather contributed even further to the already high water levels.
By morning, the raging river had washed out bridges and rendered the hike out too dangerous. The only way to get out of the area was with the help of search-and-rescue teams, said Cormier.
Within hours the duo, along with several other stranded hikers, was rescued and flown off the mountain in helicopters from Prince George鈥攁 鈥渙nce-in-a-lifetime鈥� experience that Cormier described as an unexpected highlight of an otherwise stressful situation. 鈥淚 was pretty stoked about that. I鈥檝e never been in a helicopter before,鈥� she said with a laugh.
The evacuation, however, meant the pair had to abandon their mountain bikes, which were still locked at Kinney Lake.
Cormier was prepared to count the bikes as an unfortunate loss, but, just in case, gave search-and-rescue crews the locks鈥� combination and keys. But to her surprise, 鈥渢hey flew the heli and picked up the bikes.鈥�
She added, 鈥淥ne of the rangers delivered the bikes to us at the brewery in Valemount. Talk about customer service.鈥�
Reflecting on the trip, Cormier expressed her gratitude for B.C.鈥檚 search-and-rescue volunteers and BC Parks staff, and鈥攑articularly as the effects of climate change become clearer鈥攃autioned other hikers to be 鈥渞eady for anything鈥� while out in the mountains.
鈥淭hey did a phenomenal job,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou just never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at you. Always be prepared for the worst鈥攖hat was definitely my biggest takeaway.鈥�
After becoming one of the very last hikers to stand on Berg Lake鈥檚 shores in 2021, Cormier added that she鈥檚 鈥渢hanking her lucky stars鈥� to have made it to the pinnacle of the trail, even if their time spent there was brief, and is already looking forward to returning to complete the trip.
The experience, 鈥渏ust gives me more motivation to go back,鈥� she said.
BC Parks announced last week that the entire Berg Lake Trail system will remain closed for camping for the duration of the 2021 season, due to damage caused by the flooding.
