The first notable stop on the hike was the beautifully turquoise Kinney Lake only a few miles in. The weather was still on our side until we began the uphill climb past 3 waterfalls, where we met our first rain and a little snow. At this point, the 2600 ft. elevation gain and the milage had really began to kick our butts. The final blow was at the clearing for Berg lake, where we were kindly met with an icy wind that could knock us right over. We dragged the last few miles to the other end of the lake where the designated campsites were located. Being that we had planned to spend 3 days and 2 nights in the Berg Lake wilderness, when we first stumbled upon the enclosed Hargreaves Shelter we were ECSTATIC. It was so windy and cold that even being outside of our tiny tent for long periods of time was not super enjoyable, so this was a welcome place to rest our feet and cook.
On day 2 we hiked up to Toboggan Falls (more elevation!) and the Hargreaves Lake where we were met with both insane views and weather. We returned to the shelter exhausted and wind-burnt, yet happy we got out and explored the area nonetheless. Day 3 came quickly and we loaded up on ibuprofen and made our way back, much quicker than on the way up. According to Nick’s Garmin watch, we clocked in at 42 miles total for the trip. In terms of all we were able to see in one hiking trail, I am left with no choice but to give Canada the new honor of the Hansen’s top backpacking location.