Backpacking into Jumbo Pass Cabin in the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park

Aug 8

This summer, I decided that backcountry camping was not in the books for us! We recently welcomed our second child into the world… And the sounds of hauling two children (2 and under!), in addition to our family’s gear, clothing and food didn’t quite appeal to us.

Instead, we opted for backcountry hut stays! Shelters like the Alpine Club of Canada huts or the Columbia Valley Hut Society cabins are so handy, as they reduce the need for packing a tent and sleeping pads, as well as camping cookware, dishware, utensils and a stove (plus propane, in some cases!). Furthermore, they tend to be heated by wood stoves which eliminates the urge to pack those “just-in-case” layers. All in all, hutting instead of camping sounded like a huge weight off our shoulders (literally!)… So we booked a couple stays! First up: Jumbo Pass Cabin.

At a Glance:

Trailhead: Toby/Jumbo Creek trailhead. From Invermere, take the road to Panorama Mountain Resort. Immediately after passing it, the pavement turns to gravel. Continue along the Toby Creek Road for 18 kilometres, then veer right onto the Jumbo Creek Forest Service Road for another 16 kilometres. The latter road is rouuuugh, so be sure to drive a high-clearance vehicle that can tackle deep potholes and stream crossings. The trailhead is marked with a post reading “Jumbo Pass Trail”, at which point you can park alongside the road. It took us just under 2 hours to make it from downtown Invermere to the trailhead.
Distance: 5.2 kilometres one-way
Accessibility: Hiking
Amenities: mattress pads, cookware, propane stove & lantern (bring 1 lb propane canisters)
Reservations at: Columbia Valley Hut Society

Once we arrived at the trailhead, I nursed our 6-month-old daughter and we fed our 2-year-old snacks in the car. My husband and I respectively put on our 60- and 55-litre Osprey backpacks packed with our belongings. I had Eden strapped to my chest in our Ergobaby Omni 360, and Chris had a Trail Magik carrier folded in his pack for when Indy got tired of walking and needed a lift. At 11:30 a.m., we finally set off!

The trail starts off relatively flat, but about 600 metres in, it starts gaining considerable elevation. Nonetheless, Indy was determined to step over the roots, climb over the rocks and skirt around the mud with a hiking pole (the top half of one of Chris’) in hand. He was stopping often to point out moss, ants, butterflies… You name it! It was extremely cute. Initially, I wanted to kneel down, observe and continue to foster his curiosity; But eventually, the swarms of mosquitoes, the challenging terrain (read: a boulder field) and our lack of progress made me want us to keep on moving. About 1.5 hours in, we put in him in the Trail Magik carrier and trekked on.

As we kept making our way up to Jumbo Pass, we made lots of stops to nurse Eden, to refuel with water and snacks and to either get Indy in or out of the carrier (according to his ever-changing wishes!). By 3:30 p.m., we finally made it to the wildflower-filled pass!

We stopped at a tarn to have lunch and run freely. The water was the perfect depth for Indy to wade around in, and the last patch of snow on the side was conducive to an adorable snowball fight. About 45 minutes later, we hit the trail again as we had a little under a kilometre to go to make it to the cabin. Indy walked, fell and kept going that entire way! It was clear that he was exhaaausted at this point, but he’d decided that a 10-minute nap in the carrier was all he had in him. Talk about FOMO…

At 5:00 p.m., we made it to the cabin! It has a kitchen stocked with a 2-burner Coleman propane stove, a sink (with a classic backcountry hut dishwashing system), pots, pans, dishes, mugs, cooking and eating utensils. A big picnic table sits on the left, and the sleeping area is directly in the back. There is a platform on the main floor with two sleeping mats, and a ladder leading to a second platform with four additional sleeping mats. The cabin can comfortably sleep 6, but 8 would be about the max.

We were relieved to have made it!… But also instantly in dread. As cute and cozy as the cabin is, it’s a curious toddler’s death trap (ha!). There were nails poking out of the walls for hanging gear to dry (that were right at the height of Indy’s head) and a lock on the floor to the underground firewood storage (that he kept tripping on). Additionally, there was a tool box (i.e. exacto knives, screwdrivers), cleaning products (i.e. dish soap, surface cleaner), a wood stove piled with firewood and more… All within quick reach. It felt like every time we turned our backs to get installed, filter water or make dinner, he had something else in his grasp that required close supervision. We attempted distracting him with the guitar and the box of cards that also reside there, but his attention span would only last so long. Safe to say: the kid got a few splinters, scrapes and bruises during our stay.

Nonetheless, we were able to safely get both kids down by 7:30 p.m. The upstairs sleeping area stayed warm all night long, so we didn’t need to pull out any of our fleece or down layers.

The following morning, we woke up at around 7:00 a.m. and decided to get an early start on the day, since we had a long drive before us. We made breakfast, packed and cleaned up, and got back on the trail by 8:30 a.m.

This time around, Indy was more easy-going about letting Chris carry him in the Trail Magik carrier, with the promise of reading books, playing with toy trucks and eating snacks upon our arrival to the car. We were able to make quick progress! Exactly two hours later, we were back at the trailhead - Coincidentally, the entire duration of Eden’s first nap! The drive out was smoother; In fact, Indy eventually fell asleep despite all the ruts in the road.

All in all, it was an extremely physically- and mentally-exhausting trip. The views were stunning, including glaciers, wildflowers, tarns, and lots of ground squirrels and marmots frolicking around. That said, I don’t know if I could genuinely say that made it worthwhile (haha!).

I would consider it a spectacular adventure with young babies or older kids, but not quite for the in-between stage. Unless your toddler is an avid (focused?) hiker or is keen to spend time in the carrier as you navigate challenging terrain, it may be too steep and too long of a hike. Additionally, unless they have a mellow temperament that makes it easy to re-direct and entertain them with safe play, the cabin in itself might not be the chillest destination. I would wait a couple years to truly soak in the beauty of Jumbo Pass Cabin!.. Or jump on it sooner while they’re still young. We didn’t hear a peep from our daughter, but lots from her strong-willed older brother. Bless him!