Mount Assiniboine in a day

[atodor]

This is a question for extreme hikers / trail runners. Also, not a climbing question, so apologies if post is misplaced.
I am planning to do the Assiniboine Pass - Wonder Pass loop in the Canadian Rockies as a day hike from Mount Shark trailhead. Obviously I want to include the Nublet and Cerulean Lake. According to AllTrails, this would give me 35 miles. I have run marathons in 4 hours, but I have never hiked so long in a day, so I am worried that I might not make it in daylight. That would be Sept. 2, which gives me, with a stretch, 15 hours. Also, I wouldn't want to run. The most I have hiked is 26-28 miles in 10-11 hours. E.g. Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), 28 miles in 10 hours; North Fork Buffalo River Falls (Teton Wilderness), 26 miles in 11 hours this summer. Any thoughts on the feasibility of this plan?
Also, is clockwise or counterclockwise better in term of views? It seems that counterclockwise would be easier, but I'd prefer to face the panoramas.

[jfm3]

I haven't done this particular loop, but I have seen Mt. Assiniboine from a distance from several summits in Banff National Park, and I've completed a few outings that are in this realm of mileage/time.

Some things to consider:

Daylight is obviously preferable, but with a good headlamp and spare batteries, traveling in the dark isn't so bad. It's definitely better to start in the dark and hopefully end in daylight. Although, this is grizzly country, and I certainly wouldn't want to tangle with a grizzly in the dark. Be sure to carry bear spray. A weapon like a large knife might also be preferable. The legality/logistics of carrying a firearm for bear protection are complicated, but that is something you could also research.

What is your reason for not wanting to run? Running on the flat/downhill sections of really long loops like this can cumulatively save a few hours over the day. Most of the trail/mountain runners on this forum are likely, truly "running" on just the descents and the easier flat sections. Some of us on this forum (Eric Lee, Andrea Sansone & Andrew Hamilton, Chris Fisher, Erin Ton, Anton, etc.) can truly run most of a mountain loop, but for the rest of us it's all power hiking on the uphills. Even the downhill portions aren't very fast- I can complete the Four Pass Loop in 10 hours at a moderate pace, but even at my fastest on the descents I'm probably not even cracking a 10-minute mile.

What is the vertical gain/loss on this loop? For me personally, the vert (and sometimes the nature of the vert- snow climbing, rock, off-trail, etc.) is more of a factor in speed than the mileage. 35 miles with 3,000 feet of gain is pretty easy, but 35 miles with 8,000 feet of gain is an elite day.

[atodor]

@jfm3: Thank you for the encouraging thoughts.
On Alltrails elevation gain says 5300, but trailhead to highest pass is 3000.
I was thinking to avoid running to moderate effort, avoid bear encounters and take in the views, but the downhill running suggestion makes great sense.
Can I ask you what peaks have you climbed around Assiniboine?
Have you done Tonquin Valley loop? Is it better clockwise or couterclockwise? Is it a good idea to plan on hitch-hiking between the trailheads?

[jfm3]

I hiked up Mt. Rundle West End and Mt. Bourgeau, summited Mt. St. Piran as part of a big running loop around Lake Louise (no views of Assiniboine there, but still in the same sort of terrain), climbed most of Mt. Temple (turned around due to snow/lightning on the last 500 feet) and ran from Moraine Lake to Wenkchemna Pass and back.

I haven't done anything in Jasper National Park, so I'm not familiar with the Tonquin Valley Loop. Hitchhiking is certainly possible, but if there isn't regular traffic it could be quite awhile before someone comes by to give you a ride.

I've done running loops in Glacier (USA), Banff and Grand Teton National Parks, which are all in grizzly bear territory. I've never encountered a grizzly in the wild and I've seen only a few black bears harmlessly off the trail. There are opinions that running of any sort should absolutely always be avoided in grizzly country, but many people have and do run regularly in those areas. I've never found that trail running has distracted from scenery/views.

AllTrails is generally regarded as a less-reliable mapping tool. Gaia, Garmin and Strava usually provide better maps and allow you to plan routes. This would probably give you a better idea of the elevation profile. 5,300 vertical feet over 35 miles is not a terribly difficult route, especially if 3,000 of those feet come on a single climb. The altitude is also significantly lower than Colorado (if you are used to starting routes at 8-10,000 feet in Colorado), which adds some speed and slightly reduces the effort.

[TomPierce]

A slight detour. I did a climb in WY in well known grizzly terrain, so I studied up on bear gear. Consensus seems to be that spray has a higher effectiveness rate than guns, but don't quote me on that. And of course a knife is a last ditch thing to use when you're already getting mauled.

One tip I'll thrown in is that it is VERY useful to understand and train with your spray first. The goal is that you're creating a cloud for the bear to inhale, it is NOT like mace/pepper spray where you're spraying a stream on the bear's nose. Look at some youtube videos as an example. If you want to train first to get an idea of the cloud created and the range of the product, some brands sell spray along with an inert training cylinder:

https://www.amazon.com/SABRE-Frontiersm ... 056&sr=8-4

I found such practice very useful.

-Tom

[atodor]

@TomPierce You ran into a grizzly?

[TomPierce]

Ha, ha...I can now see how my last comment could be misinterpreted. I meant that if I hadn't actually used the trainer cylinder I would have absolutely flunked an actual encounter. That was very useful.

But we did cross several recent grizzly tracks in the snow. Very, very large tracks....

[Jon Frohlich]

I can't imagine running the Tonquin Valley. The terrain is tough. The mosquitoes are hellish. And then there's bears, moose, weather, stream crossings, and mud. At the very least.

The place is gorgeous but it's barely fit for humans.

[Peak200]

I have seen reviews of this climb and its class 5 mixed snow
And rock climbing: not sure you can scramble up it

[jfm3]

I have seen reviews of this climb and its class 5 mixed snow
And rock climbing: not sure you can scramble up it

The original post is referring to a trail loop near Assiniboine, not climbing the mountain itself. The title of this thread could have been chosen more carefully.

[colin j]

Disclaimer: I'm not a trail runner and have only viewed Assiniboine from afar.

Last year I was in the Banff area for some peakbagging and backpacking and hiked the Rockwall trail in Kootenay over 4 days. That was about 33 miles and each day we encountered trail runners who didn't seem to have any issues finishing in a day. As long as your in good shape and train up for it it should be pretty feasible and I wouldn't be surprised if you run into other people with a similar idea.

We also encountered a grizzly a bit north of Rockwall pass; though we were carrying bear spray we didn't use it. The bear we encountered left pretty quickly as soon as it was aware of our presence. I would avoid a firearm; it's illegal to carry in Canadian national parks and my guess would be that it's highly frowned upon in provincial parks as well. Honestly, the only situation I would imagine using spray is if you encountered several at once, especially if they're cubs.

If it's your first time in the Canadian Rockies get ready to have your mind blown; I personally can't wait for my next opportunity to go back up there.

[atodor]

@Jon Frohlich: Can it be worse than North Fork Buffalo at the start of summer?