My daughter (16) and I have been planning a backpacking trip to Pinto Lake Alberta for quite some time now. It’s been on our list of hikes to do for well over a year now. This July/August we made it up there.
Pinto Lake is located in the Alberta Rocky Mountains and can be accessed from various trails in the area but we chose to head up the Pinto Lake Trail beginning where the Cline River empties into Abraham Lake. According to AllTrails, the route is only 64.5km round trip but our InReach gps tells us we did 70km. So, 70km it is. The route itself is listed as hard on AllTrails. We believe this is due to the distance not to any steep accents or descents, although there are a couple of those on the route.
We spent the first unofficial night camped at the trailhead so we could get a headstart on the trek early the next morning. We’ve done this several times in the past and it really helps us in the morning. We live 3.5 hours away from the trailhead so being there the night before allows us to get a bit more sleep and still be able to get on the trail at a decent time.
Day One
I slept alright but Mikayla had a rough night. The life of a high school student, when summer vacation hits, does not always make for early nights and early rises. LOL. But she’s a trooper and was ready to hit the trail around 9 am on day one as I had hoped. But she was very tired.
We hiked for several hours before we stopped for lunch at Entry Creek, a very rocky creek bed that must have some very serious water flowing down it in the early spring. There we took our shoes off, gave our feet a break, and had lunch. After enjoying the break and the scenery for 45 minutes or so, we put our shoes back on and headed up the trail to the camp area at Waterfall Creek. It is important to note that this route is on crown land and as a result, we can pretty much set up camp anywhere we find a spot but we had specific distance goals that lined up with the major camp spots on the route. We had some rain come through the region so we needed to stop and put our rain covers on our packs. I also put a shower cap over my camera to keep it dry. Shortly after getting all geared up for the rain, it stopped. Of course! Haha.
After a couple more hours of hiking, we came to Waterfall Creek where the camp we stayed at for the night is located. We have been here before. Last year we headed up this trail and stopped at this camp. It’s a beautiful area with a waterfall not too far of a walk up the creek that is not a bad area to have a snack. Not the most impressive waterfall in the Abraham Lake area but not too bad. There is a tour company that flies people to this creek for a quick walk up to the waterfall. We prefer to walk there the long way. It is neat to see the helicopters come and go though.
We had our camp all set up in a spot we have used before.
Seamus was very tired after the first 16.5 km day.
Day Two
After a much better night’s sleep for both of us, we broke camp and headed off. Today was going to be 18 or so more km so we wanted to get going. Everything from this point on was all new to us. The route on my InReach was wrong but it did take us to a pit toilet that we didn’t know was there so I guess that’s alright. Getting back to the trail along the river we got under way. Shortly after leaving camp, we had a push up into the bush and then fairly flat from there on for quite some time. But, just after we got to the top of that push we spotted this amazing opening in the forest. I’m sure it was at one time a pond. It has the shape of it anyway.
We stood there looking at this for a few minutes then got back underway. After a few hours, we came out of the bush back along the river and discovered that we were out of the canyon that was alongside us for the entire first day. We were now in the flood plains and walking right along the river with views everywhere. Shortly after coming down into this area, we decided to stop for lunch. We originally planned to stop a bit further up the trail but our blisters were starting to bother us so we opted for the earlier break. It was nice to have a chance to sit and relax for a while.
Once back underway, the trail continued along the river popping up into the bush every now and then to go around a section of shoreline that was not passable. But, for the most part, we walked along the river on a fairly flat but steady gentle upward climb. Getting closer and closer to our destination. The views just kept getting better and better which overrode most of the aches and pains we were suffering with.
After what was beginning to feel like a never-ending exercise in putting one foot in front of the other, we came to the spot where Cataract Creek joins up with the Cline River. It was amazing to see the different quality of water. Cline River had quite a bit of silt in it while Cataract Creek was clear blue. The two didn’t mix for quite a way downstream. Really cool.
Right after this, we headed up into the bush on the last push through the forest to Pinto Lake. It was at this point that my left knee decided to hurt every time I took a step. Why wouldn’t it right? I have issues with my right knee which had a brace on it but the left one is new. Mikayla’s blisters were getting really bad at this point and the blisters on the outside of my heels were also getting pretty angry. Normally we don’t get blisters but this is the longest trip we have taken so it was bound to happen. The walk up the trail through the forest was agony at this point. Every step was an exercise in willpower. We were so close and nothing was going to stop us from getting there.
Then it appeared. Faintly at first like a mirage but as we got closer it became more clear. The lake. It was just ahead. Relief washed over us and the pains of the day began to fade. Once I could get along the shore I took my first photo of Pinto Lake. It won’t be the last.
But, just because we were at the lake, that didn’t mean we were finished the hike. We still had over a kilometer until we found our camp spot. That was when the reality of what we had finally accomplished set it. We were very proud of what we had finally done. We said we would do it and we did. We set up camp and relaxed a bit. It was a 6 hour hike from our camp on the first night so we were a bit on the tired side. We made supper, one of the freeze dried meals we prepare ourselves at home, then made a fire and sat warming up and talking about all that we had seen on our way up to the lake. Both of us are very proud of this hike. I’m especially proud of Mikayla. At 16 years old, she is a backpacking addict. I think she loves it as much as I do. Maybe more. She told me her main goal is to out hike me. LOL. Good luck with that one kid.
Day Three
After a very, and I mean very, good sleep, day three had come around. This was to be our relaxing around camp, exploring a bit, and general recovery day. Last night was so quiet. Not a sound up here. Around 6 am I heard a single elk call from the other side of the lake. But other than that, silence. I slept so well. But today was all about enjoying the area. We worked hard to get here and it was well worth it. The peace, the solitude, the smells of the forest. How I wish I could capture the smell of the area. I may never forget it but I can’t explain the smells of the forest. All the plants, the moss, the loam. I can still smell it.
We spent most of the day talking about the trip again and what we liked and didn’t like about the hike in. Honestly, other than blisters, I don’t recall anything about the hike in that we didn’t at least appreciate if not love. We had lunch, talked with a few of the other campers around the lake, checked out the pit toilet (of course), and looked for cool rocks in the lake (a favorite pastime of mine and Mikayla’s). It was such a great day. I spent some time wandering around the area taking photos. I mean, I lugged this huge camera and lens up here, I better use the thing right?
I gathered more firewood, cut it up with my saw, and made another fire. We had supper and I made the jiffy pop popcorn that I brought with us. What a treat to have on the trail. It’s not something we normally bring with us. We relaxed by the fire making jokes and talking as we do. Sometimes just being silent and enjoying the moment together. Then it was off to bed for night two in this amazing location.
Day Four
After another great sleep, it hit me, WE HAVE TO HIKE BACK OUT FROM HERE! LOL. What did I think, we could teleport back to the truck? Ugh, I’m not sure I’m looking forward to this hike back out. Neither of us are. But, we gather up our stuff pack our backpacks up, and head off down the trail. We walk to the small creek we need to cross in our Crocs. Neither of us wants to walk in wet hiking shoes if we can help it today. Once across the creek, we put on our hiking shoes.
But before we get moving I have to take a few more photos of this beautiful lake. I’m going to have to print some of these and hang them in my house I think.
Back into the bush we go and down the trail that two days before gave us such grief. But we are fresh on the trail and have had an entire day to rest and recover a bit. We quickly cover the ground and are back down along the Cline River in just over an hour. Then we realize it….we get to see all the views that were behind us on the way in! This is going to be a great day.
We stopped for lunch at the same spot we stopped on day two. Might as well make good use of the comfortable seats. We fight the horse flies, have lunch, rub out our feet a bit, and get back underway. We have a long way to go today. The camp spot we have decided to stay at tonight is 20 km from the lake. It may be a long day.
Today is a hard day. After lunch, we get back to the part of the route that is riddled with ups and downs. Given our blisters, we naturally had a hard time with it. Especially Mikayla. Her feet are not happy. Not to say that it takes us hours longer than we thought, not at all, it was just over 5 hours of hiking, but the last hour was rough. This kid is an inspiration. The absolute will to push on. I’ll never forget it.
Finally, we make it to the camp we are staying at for the evening. It was a hard last few kilometers but it has shortened the distance for tomorrow. Worth it. We set up camp and relax a bit before supper. I, of course, had to take a bunch of photos before starting the fire.
We had supper, sat around the fire, and talked about the day and what we were facing for tomorrow’s hike out. We were tired. Once we ran out of firewood and it got dark, we headed off to our tents for our last sleep on the trail. Another good sleep.
Day Five
We got up and pushed ourselves to get packed and head down the trail. We still had 14 km to go. It’s funny, but I have no photos from this day. I was just wishing to get to the trailhead as quickly as possible. We stopped for lunch at the camp where the trail splits off to Landslide Lake and Lake of the Falls. We have been to this camp area a few times in the past. It’s a nice overnight trip spot. 6.5 km from the trailhead. Back on day three, we talked with a couple who were heading out that day. They told us about Miner’s Cafe in Nordegg, Alberta, and how they have the best homemade pie they have ever had. Well, we have been thinking about this ever since and decided that if we get out in time, we are stopping for pie!
The last few kilometers back to the truck were tough as we expected but worth every blister. We stopped in Nordegg for pie, which was the best I’ve ever had by the way, then stopped at The Burger Palor in Rocky Moutain House for burgers. I highly recommend them as well. Then just a couple more hours and we were home.
Thoughts about the trail
I’m 100% sure that Mikayla and I will talk about this trip for the rest of our lives. It was epic. I spend a lot of time with my kids making memories like this that they will have long after I’m gone. I’ve been fortunate to have two kids that are almost as crazy as me and still want to do stuff like this with me. Next year, I hope for all 4 of us to go back there. Me, Christina, my son Jacob and Mikayla. Next time though I think we will do 3 days in, stay a day, then 3 days back out. Mikayla and I agree that splitting it up into 3 days in and out will help with the blisters we got from just the distance.
I put together a video of this trip that is available on our YouTube Channel. Or you can watch it here.
I have also created a slide show video of my favorite photos from the trip. As of this writing, it’s not published yet but will be in the next day or so. I’ll add it below.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Stay tuned for more.
Chris.