The pictures below are from the Illecillewaet Campground and taken in summer 2009. These pictures are taken from the Perley Rock hike and after several years of hiking the Illecillewaet, this was the best hike yet. (You can see Abbott Ridge in some of the photos, and it is lower than us.
Right up to the glacier and a nice glacial lake ( verrryyy cold).
Click the images to get the high resolution Glacier Hiking Pictures
There are two national park campgrounds located within Rogers Pass National Historic Site, adjacent to our major historic site trails. Illecillewaet Campground has 60 campsites and is located just a few minutes walk from the 1885 Self-guiding Trail and Glacier House Self-guiding Trail. Loop Brook Campground with 20 campsites, is circled by the Loop Brook Self-guiding Trail. Both campgrounds are located just a few kilometres west of the summit of Rogers Pass. The campgrounds operate from late June to September, on a first come-first served basis. For more information, see the Glacier National Park website .
Several summers past we took a day trip and hiked Mount Abbott Trail in Glacier National Park. I would reccomment to stay in the beautiful campground with lots of trees and a river running through it on your visit to Illecillewaet and Asulkan Valleys. You will not be dissapointed with the awe inspiring wilderness!
Clayton Hiking Mount Abbott
To get there: travel north of Revelstoke BC along the Trans Canada Highway for about 45 minutes and watch for the campground on your right – before the Rogers Pass Summitt. The well marked Abbott Trail leads
Mount MacDonald
way up into alpine tundra (the land above the trees) and ends on a narrow ridge. The trail is steep but in very good condition.
As the trail exited the trees into Alpine Meadows, the display of boulders was very interesting!
Boulder and Rock Formations
Mount Abbott Trail and interesting Boulder Formations
Close to the top of Mount Abbott
From the viewpoint a short hike away from Marion Lake, above the Trans Canada Highway,
Marion Lake, above the Trans Canada Highway
hikers can see trains coming from or going into the Connaught tunnel. The tunnel was completed in 1916, as a way to protect rail traffic from the deadly avalanches of Rogers Pass. Hiking the Mount Abbott Trail was one of my favourites.
Near the end of trail, you can stop at the wide mountain top vista, or you can climb for several hundred more yards as the trail runs along a knife like ridge of sheer rock. The trail is not much more than a meter wide with breathtaking views and drop offs that made your stomach queazy!
Glacier National Park Hiking Trail near the top of Abbott Ridge
The top of Abbott Ridge
Mount Abbott Knifelike Ridge
For more information on Glacier National Park try these links;