Bike-Packing into Elk Lakes Cabin in Elk Lakes Provincial Park
I had the grand idea to book out the Elk Lakes cabin from October 4th-6th, 2021, and to invite a bunch of moms and their babies. What could go wrong? My husband thought I was completely insane, but he kept that to himself, packed us up and sent us on our way.
At a Glance:
Trailhead: Elk Pass parking lot in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Distance: 9 kilometres one-way
Accessibility: Hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country/backcountry skiing
Amenities: lighting, mattress pads, propane stove/oven (propane supplied), pots/pans, dishware, cutlery, outhouse, wood stove (firewood provided).
Reservations at: The Alpine Club of Canada
All seven pairs of moms and babies met at the Elk Lakes trailhead in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park that Monday morning, and the once-peaceful parking lot became a wasteland of gear, mountain bikes, chariots and the occasional baby walking off into the distance (my own), while we nervously figured out our plan of action.
What felt like a thousand hours later, we finally buckled our babies into their chariots and front-rider bike seats, slipped on our backpacks, hopped onto our bikes, and hit the trail - only to realize it immediately became an uphill battle. A 200-meter elevation gain did not intimidate us beforehand, but once we had to pedal and push our entire load up to Elk Pass, we sure felt different. The descent to the cabin, on the other hand, was easy breezy!
Once we arrived, we had a mix of emotions on our hands. Some babies were tired, fussy and ready for bed, while others were hyped to play with the pots, pans and any other loud items the cabin had to offer.
Thankfully, the cabin had two separate levels: the living quarters on the first floor and the sleeping quarters on the second. With a little white noise, we were able to get our babies to sleep one-by-one, and to enjoy a couple of well-earned drinks before zonking out ourselves.
The night was musical, to say the least.
The following day, the sun was shining! We hiked to Lower Elk Lakes that morning, feasted on charcuterie mid-day, and hiked to Upper Elk Lakes that afternoon. Although our babies took turns sharing the spotlight with their cries, they had a lovely time crawling by the shoreline, walking along the trails, tossing rocks and collecting sticks. That night was more peaceful!
On the morning of our departure, we took turns overseeing the babies and performing clean-up duties. Our rule of thumb was: whoever’s baby was the most content playing outside, should be inside packing, washing dishes, cleaning surfaces and/or mopping floors. It took some time, but we eventually made our way out of the sparkling-clean cabin and back up to Elk Pass.
The downhill bike ride to the trailhead felt like such a relief! It had been a physically- and mentally-challenging trip, but we were extremely proud of ourselves and our babies for spending two nights in the backcountry together. At the parking lot, gear was once again scattered everywhere, and we were high-fiving, hooting and hollering.
It was indeed “type 2” fun: slightly miserable while it was happening, but fun in retrospect. That said, I would highly recommend the experience to others looking to take their babies into an accessible backcountry cabin. Here are a few suggestions I would keep in mind to make your trip a little less hectic:
Use a front-rider bike seat mounted on a mountain bike.
For some reason, I thought our chariot would be a better mode of transportation for Indy. I was wrong! Much of the uphill is at an incline where you most likely have to dismount and push your bike. The chariot definitely acted like an anchor, making it way more challenging than it could have been.
Don’t overpack.
The Elk Lakes cabin is extremely well-equipped. It has a wood stove, propane lighting, a propane oven, cookware, dishes, utensils and foam mattresses. I packed lots of layers for Indy and me, knowing that October can be quite chilly in the Rockies. However, the cabin stayed really cozy and warm (especially on the second floor!) with the heat coming off from the massive pot of boiling water on the stovetop. We never felt the need to turn on the wood stove!
Don’t worry about bringing toys/books for playtime.
There is so much for the babies to explore both in and out of the cabin. In fact, the cabin felt somewhat baby-proofed! On the first floor, there were pots, pans, baking sheets and cutting boards accessible at ground level, but anything sharp, hot or breakable was either stowed away or stored up high (aside from the wood stove, of course!). On the second floor, the veranda did not allow for babies to either fit or fall through, but they had to be mindful of the staircase.
Make BLW-friendly group meals.
Before leaving on our trip, we assigned each other simple meals that we could all enjoy (including the babies). Having one person in charge of the cooking per meal time still left us with enough hands to care for the babies.
Plan ahead to keep your garbage at a minimum.
Indy decided to defecate a million and one times during our stay. I was very satisfied with my decision to pre-portion and store our food in ziploc bags beforehand, since all I had to carry out (aside from his heavy diapers) were the empty bags.
Pack comforting items for bedtime.
Try your best to replicate the environment that you create for bedtime at home. In our case: I turned on a portable white noise machine, fed Indy a bottle, gave him a soother and rocked him to sleep. He slept like a champ both nights!
Be flexible and stay positive.
This one is important! I think it is very helpful to go into the experience knowing that babies will cry, make a mess, refuse naps, and wake up through the night. Go with the flow as best as you can, even if it is very different from your typical “schedule” at home. Indy only slept one 30-minute nap in the front-carrier on our hike to Upper Elk Lakes the second day; However, he was happy as a clam to be exploring around the cabin during his usual “nap time”. I had to let go of that expectation and embrace the moments he was truly enjoying himself.
If you feel inspired to book a stay at Elk Lakes cabin with your friends and their babies after reading this, power to you! It was hectic, but oh-so-gratifying! Reach out if you have any further questions.
