Backpack - Strathcona Provincial Park

Strathcona Provincial Park is an large park quite similar to Olympic National Park in Washington State.  There are numerous  high glaciated peaks, valleys, rainforests, meadows, wildflowers and wildlife.  The area of this trip is in is one of the high alpine areas and surmounts via trail a significant 6867' peak (Mount Albert Edwards) with a large glacier to its northwest.  The camps  for night two and three will be high in the alpine zone with all the beauty therein.  

This trip is challenging in that it involves an off-trail traverse (1.5 miles) connecting two trails on Day 3.  This off-trail section while having been done by others and looking at the topography looks doable and not hard is nonetheless exploratory and the exact conditions are not known.  While not anticipated, this traverse could involve the use of hand to assist travel.

Here is the proposed route on Gaia:  https://www.gaiagps.com/public/me25tLMHQD9904947ncxBYng/

This is a Special Leader's Permission Only trip--which means that I will be taking applications for the trip and selecting amongst those qualified, the most compatible group.  In applying for this trip, please respond to or answer the following questions or concerns:

1)  Have you done a backpack trip of three night or more before?  Where and when?  Please list your backpack trips in the last year.

2)  This trip require good conditioning.  What have you been doing during the winter/spring to show you are in good conditioning for this trip?  What other activities will you be doing between now and the beginning of this trip in August?

3)  This trip requires some off-trail travel on Day 3 (about 1.5 miles total).  Do you have experience with off-trail travel?  Yes or No? Are you comfortable with this sort of travel and the possibility that it might involve using your hands some? Yes or No?

4)  Have you backpacked with this leader before?  If no, please provide that name of a Mountaineers Leader that I can contact about your past trips.

5) Do you have a valid Passport to enter Canada?  What is its expiration date?  Are you comfortable with potential border hassles on the return?  

6)  Are you planning to also apply for the juxtaposed trip to Vancouver Island/The North Coast Trail happening immediately before this trip?  See that posting for details.

I will start accepting application on Monday April 21 and reply back to all no later than May 5th. Rob

This trip is being done is coordination with the prior juxtaposed trip to The North Coast Trail also on Vancouver Island.  The leader and those doing both trips will be camping at Elk Falls Provincial Park on Aug. 5th, the night before this trip starts.  We will meet at the Paradise Meadows trailhead (likely) in the early afternoon on Aug. 6th.  The first day of backpacking in short and rather easy.  More details will be provided.