Great Divide Trail (GDT) Section D – Field to Saskatchewan Crossing (4 days / 97 km)
Section D brought me both the best day on the trail and the day with the worst conditions. As the shortest section on the GDT, it required just four days of hiking, and my pack felt lighter with only four days of food. The breathtaking mountain views kept me in awe throughout the journey. I would say goodbye to Rabbit Foot and once again crossed paths with Andrew and Lucy.
Trip Completed: August 2022
Trip Summary
Location: Canadian Rockies Mountains
Traditional Territory: Section D is located primarily on Treaty 7 territory and is on the traditional territory of the Káínai, Piikáni, Siksiká, Stoney-Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations.
Maps & Resources
Maps and Navigation: I used the FarOut App—formerly known as Gut Hooks—for navigation on the trail and for planning my hike. I would strongly recommend that anyone attempting to hike any part of the GDT download the app and the appropriate map/s. The GDT can be sparsely marked in places and wayfinding can be difficult at times.
Other Resources:
Great Divide Trail Hikers Facebook Group is a wealth of knowledge for anyone hiking the trail. Search the posts for what you are looking for and if you cannot find your information, ask.
Every year the Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) has webinars on topics like Training for your hike, Risk Management, Gear Selection and Planning your hike. These videos can be found on YouTube.
Dusten Lynx Guidebook “Hiking the Great Divide Trail – 4th edition” is a great resource for all things Great Divide Trail. It can be purchased on amazon.ca.
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: The campsite reservation system for hiking a section or the entire GDT can be quite overwhelming. The Great Divide Trail Association has created a resource that they keep as up-to-date as possible. They also maintain a list of campsites on the trail and outline which Park or area it is in and what reservations are required.
Permits: When you’re camping on Alberta Crown Land, an Alberta Crown Land camping pass is required.
Know Before You Go
Season: The start of the hiking season greatly depends on the depth of the snowpack from the winter and how quickly it melts. As a rule of thumb hikers usually plan their hikes in the Waterton Area to start around the first of July or later. With warm gear hiking in this area can generally continue into October. Even in the summer, I experienced temperatures on the trail, as high as the mid-30 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping as low as –5 degrees Celsius at night. Be prepared and bring clothing and sleep systems that can accommodate both of these extreme ranges.
Cell Reception: Cell service is not available for the majority of the GDT. In Section B, from my memory, there was cell reception in the town of Coleman and on top of Fording River Pass. There was a pay phone at the park store in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. I would suggest having an emergency communication device, such as a Garmin Inreach or a Spot for emergency use.
Resupply Options: The Great Divide Trail Association maintains a resource that contains all the resupply options along the entirety of the Great Divide Trail. The store at the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park does sell a very limited number of items that could be used to resupply; however, these items are pricey.
Water: Water is very accessible throughout the trip but should be treated or filtered. For Section D, 2 litre carrying capacity should be sufficient.
Wildlife: This is bear territory. Make sure you manage your food and travel using best practices in the backcountry. There is a very large chance of encountering wildlife, such as black bears, grizzlies, mountain goats, deer, porcupines, etc. Please carry bear spray. Here is a great resource that explains the wildlife in the Canadian Rockies.
Waste: All campsites in the national parks have thunderboxes. When you are camping outside of the National Parks you should follow leave-no-trace practices, carry a poop trowel and bury your human waste. Make sure to carry out everything else with you, that you brought into the backcountry.
Shuttles & Outfitters
Outfitter: No outfitter was used for this trip.
Getting from Field to Calgary
At the time of this report, it appears that Rider Express has two buses, daily from Field to Calgary, visit the Busbud website for more info.
At the time of this report, it appears that Brewster Express has a daily bus between Calgary and Saskatchewan Crossing
Trip Report
Day 1: Field BC to Tributary Ford (34 km)
I had mentioned to Rory (Rabbit Foot) that I had booked a room with an extra bed at the Truffle Pig in Field for two nights, where I planned to zero. I invited him to share the room. He called me when he got cell service on the road walk into town, and we both got some much-needed rest and enjoyed great food. James had dropped off a resupply box for me at the Truffle Pig, so I was all stocked up and ready to go for the next section.
The gas station store in Field doesn’t carry enough supplies to put together a resupply, so it’s best to either ship a box to the Truffle Pig if you’re staying there or to the Field Post Office. Rory planned to hike the Kiwetinok Alternate, while I decided to stick to the main route. We set off by 7 am, agreeing to meet up at Tributary Ford on the map.
Shortly after leaving the highway and getting onto the trail, I made a wrong turn again and walked 2 km in the wrong direction, only to retrace those 2 km back to where I’d made the mistake. Nothing like adding extra km to an 1100 km hike. I finally reached Natural Bridge around 9 am The Natural Bridge is truly an impressive wonder, where the entire Kicking Horse River plunges into a hole in the rock and reappears below. It’s a must-see if you’re in the Field area.
From there, I headed down a road towards the Amiskiwi Picnic Area, passing the spot where both the Emerald River and the Amiskiwi River merge with the Kicking Horse River. The water in the Amiskiwi and the Emerald is bright blue, crystal clear, and at this location, it mixes with the silty waters of the Kicking Horse.
Continuing from the picnic area, the trail turns northwest and leaves civilization behind. Within an hour, the trail became unmaintained. At one point, I counted 14 blowdowns ahead of me that I had to either climb over or crawl under. Between the Amiskiwi Picnic Area (549.8 km) and Otter Creek Bridge (566.2 km), the trail follows an old forestry road, littered with hundreds of blowdowns and choked by willows that towered over my head. By 1:15 pm, I had only covered 16.6 km, not including the extra 4 km from my earlier wrong turn.
With the abundance of berries and tall willows in the area, I had to be diligent about making noise to avoid surprising any bears. By 2 pm, I reached Otto Creek Bridge (566.2 km). The willows continued on to the First Amiskwi River Ford (572.9 km), where the water was just below knee height and not running fast. Finally, the willows thinned out, revealing views of Amiskwi Peak, Ogre Peak, and Ogre NE2. When I finally got to Tributary Ford, Rory was not there. Exhausted from battling blowdowns and willows all day, I set up camp, ate supper and was asleep within minutes.
Camp: Tributary Ford is really just a flat patch of ground, next to this minor tributary of the Amiskwi River. There was a fire ring, no food prep area, bear boxes or thunderbox at this campsite. No Reservations are required here.
| Distance | 34 km + 4 km |
| Elevation Gain | 860 m |
| Daily Descent | 477 m |
| Campsite Reservation | No reservation required |
Day 2: Tributary Ford to Lamb Creek Camp (28.6 km)
I woke up refreshed at 6 am and was surprised to see Rory’s tent set up close to mine. After packing up, we both headed out north. Rory mentioned that the alternate route he took was also choked with willows and littered with deadfall. The trail was decent, following and crossing the Amiskwi River several times, and the views were great. We climbed 400 meters to reach Amiskwi Pass, and then the trail descended 800 meters to the Blaeberry Forestry Service Road.
Rory opted to take the Amiskwi Ridge Alternate, while I stayed on the main trail along the road. To my left, there were spectacular views of the Mummery Glacier. The GDTA had cut some fresh trail through this section, bypassing some of the road’s switchbacks, which made this part of the hike much more enjoyable. I decided to take the Collie Creek Alternate, as it cut nearly 9 km off the day’s distance. The walk along Collie Creek was rocky, but the two new bridges installed by the GDTA made crossing the creek a breeze.
Back on the main trail, I continued north, following the Blaeberry River. Eventually, I reached a point where two avalanches had come down off the mountain, covering the trail and pushing debris into the river. I scrambled up and over the debris field from the first avalanche, and then decided to take a chance crossing the second debris field down by the river. I managed to pick my way through it, wading through water that was sometimes up to my waist. It took over an hour to cover just 500 meters, but I made it through.
By 6 pm, I reached Lamb Creek, which was raging with glacial melt, and I was very grateful for the bridge provided for the crossing. When I arrived at the campsite, I was surprised to see Andrew and Lucy, the couple from England I had met earlier on Ball Pass. Rory arrived about an hour later, and we crammed all three tents into the small flat area before heading to bed.
Camp: Lamb Creek is a small campsite with a thunderbox and a fire ring. No reservations are required here.
| Distance | 28.6 km |
| Elevation Gain | 890 m |
| Daily Descent | 1120 m |
| Campsite Reservation | No reservation required |
Day 3: Lambe Creek to Howes River Camp (25.4 km)
Rory wasn’t planning to take a zero at Saskatchewan Crossing; instead, he aimed to push on to Sunshine Village and resupply in Banff. We said our goodbyes, not knowing if our paths would cross again on the trail. Andrew and Lucy were heading to the same campsite as I was, so we decided to hike together.
The day was cloudy and cooler than most of the trip had been. Andrew set a great pace, and by 9 am, we had already covered over 5 km and made it up and over Howes Pass, the only significant elevation gain for the day. By 10:30 am, we entered the Howes River floodplain, and the views were breathtaking. The rest of the day was spent walking across the wide-open plain, an easy, flat hike with spongy ground in some places. Our feet were wet for most of the day as we crossed the braids of the river multiple times, walking beneath towering mountains casting shadows over us.
Around 11 am, we encountered a young couple hiking with their 1-year-old son, Indiana. The mother carried him on her back in a backpack-style baby seat, while the father carried all their gear. Andrew, being the gentleman he is, offered to help carry something for them. They gladly handed him a large Ziplock bag full of dirty diapers. I almost burst out laughing—the look on Andrew’s face was priceless. I don’t think that was what he expected! The couple was finishing a section of the GDT they had missed the year before. They had hiked most of the GDT with Indiana when he was just a few months old. I’m certain Indiana must be the youngest to complete the trail—a record that may never be broken.
There are four spots where an alternate trail branches off from the main route and heads into the forest on the east side of the river, meant for when the river is too deep or difficult to cross. We managed to stick to the main trail through most of these sections, wading through water at times up to my waist.
By 4:15 pm, the sky was completely clouded over, and you could feel a storm in the air. We were off the floodplain and only 3 km from camp. We reached camp and got set up just before the storm hit. The campsite is perched on a hill overlooking the Howes River but felt a bit exposed, with little tree cover. By 7 pm, the rain stopped, and it cleared while we enjoyed supper and took in the beautiful surroundings. Looking back, the day on the Howes River floodplain stands out as one of my favourite days on the entire GDT.
Camp: Howes River camp is really just a few flat spots on the top of a small hill that overlooks the Howes River. There was no fire pit, thunderbox food prep area or food lockers, but I loved it. The views of the mountains from the camp were amazing.
| Distance | 25.4 km |
| Elevation Gain | 407 m |
| Daily Descent | 377 m |
| Campsite Reservation | No reservation required |
Day 4: Howes River Camp to Saskatchewan River Crossing (7.6 km)
Awake before 7 am and on the trail before 8, we were all eager to complete Section D. Andrew and Lucy planned to stay the night at the Saskatchewan River Crossing Resort and continue hiking the next day. Meanwhile, a friend of James, named Shae, was coming to pick me up at the resort and take me to a hostel she managed in Nordegg, where I would take a zero day. Sadly, I wouldn’t see Andrew and Lucy again on the trail.
The hike from camp to the trailhead was along great trail, mostly flat and easygoing. We crossed the Mistaya River and paused to take some photos of this striking section of water. When we reached the trailhead, Andrew tossed the dirty diapers into the nearest trash bin, which drew laughter and cheers from Lucy and me. He handled it like a true sport, even keeping the diapers in his Ursak at night with his food, safely out of reach of bears. I can’t even imagine the disaster if a bear had gotten hold of that Ursak!
Indiana’s dad had told us he left two beers hidden behind the left rear tire of his car as a reward. Warm beer has never tasted so good.
The final 5.3 km to the Crossing Resort was an uneventful highway walk. Once I arrived, I spent too much money on overpriced snacks—and I enjoyed every bite.
| Distance | 7.6 km + 1.5 km off trail |
| Elevation Gain | 30 m |
| Daily Descent | 17 m |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Trip Video
Day 1 & 2
Day 3 & 4
Reflections
The day on the Howes River floodplain was one of my best on the trail. I spent most of the time hiking and camping with others, and I felt strong. However, I began to grow tired of my food, realizing I hadn’t diversified my meals enough.
Author Bio
Chris is semi-retired and now finds himself in the position where he has the desire, the means and the time to go adventuring in the backcountry. His backcountry time is spread between canoeing and hiking. During the summer of 2022, Chris hiked part of the Great Divide Trail (GDT) from the US border, at Waterton National Park, up to Maligne Lake in Jasper – just under 800 km in 33 days. In September 2023, he returned to Jasper and completed the remaining 350 km of the GDT.
Over the years, Chris has done some amazing canoe trips with his dad and two boys. This includes the East and West Branches of the Spanish River, several trips into Algonquin and as well as paddling around Phillip Edward Island. Chris has lots of great memories of his dad and boys out in the wilderness, pushing their limits and enjoying life. Those memories were the catalyst for this trip and many more to come.
Instagram: @havanamild
YouTube: @lostwithoutyou