Well, I was wrong. I didn’t get to camp alone. Another GDTer and a group of guys showed up around dark. I was in my tent already and the guys camped quite a ways away, or so I saw in the morning. I also only met the GDT hiker properly the next day. She’s the first solo female hiker I’ve met although I’m sure there are some others too. She is going at a much faster pace than me so I likely won’t see her again.

The trail got right down to business with a hike up Cataract pass to start. It was fairly straight forward apart from a small snow patch to traverse. It was quite hard snow, so I made sure that each foot was going to grip before putting weight on it and kicking little shelves into the snow when needed. Unfortunately all the photos I took on the way up have my shadow in them since the sun was behind me.

Then it was down and around some water, sometimes having to boulder hop. I lost the trail at one point in the boulders and had to backtrack a bit since there was a small cliff between me and it. I eventually made it back.

The trail then entered Jasper and joins a popular multi day hike called the Brazeau Loop. The trail conditions improved dramatically and there was no issue finding the way the rest of the day and only 2 blowdowns to navigate.

The trail meandered through some woods before climbing up steeply at first and then more gradually once out in the open valley where Four Point creek flows. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun was actually a bit too intense as there was no shade.

Eventually I got to Jonas Pass and then up and over Jonas shoulder. The end of the climb up the shoulder was intense. Then it was a long downhill into camp at Jonas Cutoff. There is one other group here doing the Brazeau Loop.

The privy at the campsite seems to be a communal affair.