Hiking The Tamarack
September 2026 · 4 days · 53.5 km / 33.5 miles
This is a blog post about my four-day backpacking trip on the Tamarack Trail in September 2026 I completed with my friends Spencer and Kale.
Background
2026 has been quite the year for me, though definitely not the year for hiking or being outdoors much. Weeks before this trip, Spencer and I were scheduled to hike the Brazeau Loop together in Jasper, but I amazingly managed to flood my house the night before I flew out. If you're cleaning your washing machine and trying to be a good homeowner like me, don't make the same mistake I did. Please reseat your filters properly! In less than twenty minutes, the leak seeped through the third-story flooring and pooled across the entire ceiling of the story below. Instead of backpacking Brazeau, I spent the week dealing with a water remediation company and State Farm insurance. So there was a lot of pressure on this trip to have at least one good backpacking experience for the year. I barely knew anything about Waterton or the Tamarack Trail going into it, but it delivered. Thank you, Spencer, for booking the reservations back in January!
Route
| Day | Route, including side trips | Kilometres | Miles | Feet climbed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowe trailhead → Mount Lineham summit → Lone Lake | 22.5 | 14 | 4,500–4,900 |
| 2 | Lone Lake → Upper Twin Lake camp, plus Sage Pass out-and-back | 10.5 | 6.5 | ~1,100 |
| 3 | Twin Lakes → Avion Ridge → Goat Lake | 13.5 | 8.5 | 2,600–3,100 |
| 4 | Goat Lake → Red Rock Canyon parking | 7 | 4.5 | ~0–100 |
| Total | 53.5 | 33.5 | 8,200–9,200 | |
For an experienced backpacker, this route could be done in just one night. Two nights is much more ideal for enjoying the scenery and not feeling rushed. We choose to do three nights but the last day was basically free.
Select any photo to open the full-resolution original.
Day 01
Rowe trailhead → Mount Lineham summit → Lone Lake
22.5 km / 14 miles4,500–4,900 ft. ascent
Day zero I flew into Calgary, where Kale picked up Spencer and I for the three-hour drive south to Waterton. The first night of our trip we camped at the Waterton Townsite Campground and I got carded at the Thirsty Bear. Kale introduced us to the Canadian Caesar, a take on the Bloody Mary that uses clam juice. I hate Bloody Marys, so I thought this was absolutely disgusting. He appeared to love it.
We woke at 6:30AM the next day with a reasonable plan: throw our shit in the car, grab coffee at 7 at the one open coffee shop, drive 25 minutes to the Red Rock Canyon parking lot, and then catch our scheduled shuttle at 8AM (which we ordered ahead of time). At 7:05, an avid line of hikers stood waiting for their food and drink. Spencer and Kale ordered drip. I stuck to my oat milk latte. Each minute my name wasn't called and an oat-milk latte not in hand, we worried we wouldn't have time to pack at the lot and would miss the shuttle. The barista didn't help, exclaiming "The shuttle waits for no one!". None of us wanted to ask if she was joking. Minutes later, Spencer took initiative, waving down the barista in front of the other customers and saying "Actually, please don't make Forrest's latte." They offered to make it immediately and we felt obliged to stay a very awkward two more minutes. So I got my oat-milk latte after all. Yay! I hoped it would make my bowels move. We piled into Kale's Prius and hurried toward the pick-up point as the sun rose in the canyon.
At 8:00, we were still deep in the packing process when the shuttle arrived. And guess who popped out of this mini-van shuttle? The one and only Brian Baker, a true man and legend of Waterton. Brian's family owns and operates Tamarack Outdoors. His grandfather George ran the transport business that eventually became Tamarack, and Brian started his own shuttle and guiding company, Mountain Sunset Tours, back in 1979. It turns out the man driving us to the trailhead is someone whose family has spent generations getting people around the park.
Brian announced he was leaving right at 8. We looked at each other, embarrassed. However, it turns out Brian is a bit of a jokester as he reassured us to take our time and make sure we had all our stuff. As we packed and got into the shuttle, Brian began to educate us youngins on all things Waterton, supplying a lifetime of hiking tips and tricks along the way (hint: eat citrus). We learned Waterton was established in 1895 and is the smallest national park in the Canadian Rockies. It also contains the site of Western Canada's first oil well, which struck oil in 1902 before production dwindled to almost nothing by 1904. He also told us about the Kenow wildfire in September 2017. The fire burned roughly 19,300 hectares inside Waterton and affected more than 80% of its hiking trail network. Even nearly a decade later, the standing dead trees make parts of the landscape feel eerie. Spencer and Kale are excellent students and history nerds, almost annoyingly so. They listened and asked questions enthusiastically. Brian was eating it up. I sat there in silence. It was pretty sweet meeting somebody with such rich ties to the region.
Brian delivered us safely to Rowe Lake trailhead. The hiking began pleasantly with just a gradual climb but that didn't stop our layers stripping quickly once the sun appeared and sweat beads formed. It was a beautiful day, and we felt lucky to have this weather so late in September. We exclaimed this out loud many times, as backpackers do. After passing through Rowe meadow, the gentle hike gave way to our first real climb: a long, mostly exposed ascent on the ridge leading to Mount Lineham. This was actually the toughest climb of the whole trip.
At the ridge junction, we had a choice: continue on toward the pass or ascend Mount Lineham, the second-highest peak in Waterton. Towering before us, the promise of great views was tempting (see the amazing picture of Mount Lineham at the top of this page). The opportunity to leave our packs behind was even more convincing. We decided to go for it. The first look over the ridge revealed stunning views of the Lineham Lakes, partially obscured by the clouds' shadows, tucked into a rocky basin beneath the mountain. Across the valley we could also see Upper and Lower Rowe Lakes in the distance. The 360 degree views from the summit were magnificent. It was especially cool that you could see exactly where the prairie met the mountains, something Waterton is known for.
Back at our packs, we drained the last of our water and were still thirsty. I also ate one of the best, juiciest oranges of my life. Thank you, Brian, for making us bring it. By the top of the pass our legs felt like sandbags, the sun was at its peak, our bottles were empty, and we still had more than an hour of climbing ahead.
The descent was kind of brutal. We kept checking the map as if those little blue lines might move. Our jokes got dumber and the silences got longer. We were all getting a little delirious. Eventually we found a creek, or at least what the map called a creek: the tiniest trickle, barely enough to wet a bottle. We kept going. Later, during a stop, I heard something faint off the trail. Running water? Or just the wind? I honestly couldn't tell. Spencer went to investigate, and a minute later he called back, "Liquid gold!" We drank, filled up, and drank some more. Onwards to Lone Lake.
The last stretch was still a slog featuring rolling terrain, another climb, and then what felt like twenty switchbacks down toward Lone Lake. But the clouds had cleared, and the warm late-summer sun was hard not to appreciate. At one point I got far enough ahead that I laid down to wait for my friends and fell asleep.
We arrived at Lone Lake exhausted. There was an older couple there who greeted us and kept us company for a bit. With sunlight retreating, we set up our tents, ate dinner (Spencer's group dinner took several pounds off his pack), and went to bed. The damage was 14 miles and an estimated 4,700 feet of climbing for the day.
Day 02
Lone Lake → Upper Twin Lake camp, plus Sage Pass out-and-back
10.5 km / 6.5 miles~1,100 ft. ascent
After a tough first day, we had earned day two. The hike from Lone Lake to Twin Lakes campground is just a flat four miles. It was a welcome break for our aching bodies as we wandered gently through forest and open meadows.
The day before had also brought me some reassurance about my IT (iliotibial) band. Going into the trip, I was worried about this old issue flaring up, where strenuous hiking or running inflames my right IT band and makes it difficult to walk. Flare-ups in the weeks beforehand had me questioning whether I should come at all. Years ago, the same injury completely wrecked a backpacking trip with my dad in Idaho's Sawtooth Range, so I know better than to ignore it. I spent the week before aggressively stretching my hips, legs, and IT band, because experience has taught me this helps. On the trail, I stretched frequently during breaks and paid a lot of attention to whether my right side felt different from my left. But as another day passed without any trouble, I finally stopped thinking about it. The band was behaving.
We arrived at Twin Lakes ridiculously early. I laid out my sleeping pad, pulled out my book (The Fifth Season), and fell asleep in the sun. There was no wind, no bugs, and nobody else around. Just silence. It was pretty perfect. A lot of backpackers forget that backpacking isn't just about pushing your limits or racking up mileage; it's also a chance to relax and enjoy being outside.
We spent most of the afternoon hanging out by the lake. Spencer set up his hammock, we cracked jokes, watched the water, and eventually worked up the nerve to cold plunge in. Later that evening, we hiked a mile up to Sage Pass for another side quest. The climb offered some great views, although the top was a wasteland of dead trees.
After dinner, we busted out Monopoly Deal. By most measures, this is a shitty game, but it is entertaining. You either feel like an unstoppable capitalist or personally victimized. Throughout the trip we engineering nerds analyzed the balance of the cards (we agreed the rent mechanic is underpowered with a low player count) and came up with new cards and mechanics we'd like to see. I also learned that in Canada, you can't call a software developer an engineer. They take engineering seriously.
At night, we heard an owl make some truly unhinged sounds. Our working theory was that it was incredibly horny. Until it hooted, I had no idea it was an owl at all.
Day 03
Twin Lakes → Avion Ridge → Goat Lake
13.5 km / 8.5 miles2,600–3,100 ft. ascent
We ate breakfast watching the sun rise over Upper Twin Lake, hoping to see another moose like the one Kale spotted at Lone Lake the day before. No such luck.
I didn't think the views from day one could be topped, but day three was easily one of the best days of hiking in my life. A steep climb out of the Twin Lakes took us up through beautiful golden larch trees towards Avion Ridge, eventually leading to a dramatic open ridge walk featuring 360-degree panoramic views along the continental divide and surrounding alpine meadows. Without a cloud in the sky, we could see a hundred different peaks in all directions. I imagine with bad weather this would be incredibly harrowing, but for us, it was an alpine dream. We spent a lot of time just marveling at the weather and how gorgeous it was. The descent down to Goat Lake was also notable featuring mixed rocky terrian and scrambles, running streams and waterfalls, and odd looking cotten plants, making it a visually diverse and unique experience.
Goat Lake did live up to its name! We spotted a family of mountain goats showing us how it's done. I've never seen them actually jump like this before.
Day 04
Goat Lake → Red Rock Canyon parking
7 km / 4.5 miles~0–100 ft. ascent
Leaving Goat Lake, the trail descends aggressively through Red Rock Canyon, offering a final glimpse of the surrounding peaks and forests, before merging with the Snowshoe trail leading back to the parking area.
If you're trying to condense this trip into three days, you might as well tack this portion on to the end of day three. We had considered doing this the night before and spending the third night in town, but another relaxing night in the backcountry was more appealing.
It took us less than ninety minutes to reach the parking lot and reunite with our car where we discovered that a rat somehow had weaseled its way into the car and eaten most of our extra food and pooped everywhere. The litter critter got away with it too!
To finish the trip, Spencer and Kale demanded to go back to see the Waterton Visitor center. Here they relived their backpacking glory, reminisced with strangers about their time on the trial, and inquired with the local rangers on the wildlife populations. I told you they were nerds about this stuff didn't I?
I don't have much more to say except that the Tamarack Trail is a fantastic backpacking trip that you should consider doing yourself.
Other Notes
I tried out a few new pieces of gear on this trip:
- Atom Packs Prospector EP50. This was my first trip using my new pack and I really loved it. At 32 oz (2 lb), it was light and never left my hips feeling sore. Nor did it creak a single time. I had reservations about buying a 50-liter pack because it is sort of an awkward amount of size. Not so large you can bring anything, but also not small enough to really be considered ultralight, but it worked well.
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 tent. No problems here. Way easier to set up than my previous Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2. I like the side entrance and fewer stakes required.
- Zoom UL Insulated Sleeping Pad. I slept well the entire trip and I think this pad made a difference as a side sleeper (long and wide version all the way).
Also worth mentioning, the conveyor outhouses we encountered on this trail were very neat technology, featuring foot-powered conveyor systems known as a kick pumps. The belt is designed so urine tickles off the side into a pipe while solid waste stays on top of the belt and is mechanically rolled out of sight into a decomposition vault. The outhouses felt incredibly clean as a result. Plus, pumping your own shit and watching it move slowly on the conveyor belt is oddly satisfying? Hopefully they are easy to maintain and don't fail, otherwise I would be very afraid.