The forecast wasn't looking good, but it had been 15 years since we'd backpacked along the Rockwall in B.C.'s Kootenay National Park and we weren't going to let the weather stop us!

Heading out of the Floe Lake trailhead parking lot, we enjoyed a light breeze and marvelled at the regeneration of life after the forest fires of 2003. The views were even more expansive now. Sunshine gradually turned to scattered cloud and the first few droplets were actually welcomed as we huffed up the endless switchbacks to the lake.

Dropping packs, we quickly chose a site, set up the tent and got the fly on -- just in time for some serious rain! Having packed another light tarp, we covered a table in the lakeside cooking area and relaxed. We were ready for whatever Mother Nature threw our way.

Overnight it rained, heavily at times, but the tent floor was well seam-sealed and we woke dry in the a.m. The low cloud added a mystical feel to the glacial blue lake, calving glacier and sheer rock walls dominating the landscape, but the serious rain let up long enough for us to shake off and dry out the tent fly, repack our backpacks and adjust pack covers.

Umbrellas in hand, we headed out through alpine meadows festooned with wildflowers in their prime, cheerfully soaking up the scenery. As the showers came in and out, we would open and close our umbrellas, staying dry and cool as we climbed up to Numa Pass. Nearing the summit, we passed a group of four heading the opposite direction. Their raingear lay cold and clammy and wet against their skin. "Umbrellas? Now isn't that a good idea," one of them mumbled as they headed off.

Reaching the pass, the weather turned momentarily nasty, so we donned rainjackets to block the wind, opened up the 'brellas and headed down to Numa Creek campsite. Passing another group of two hikers sweating their way up, rain ponchos dripping inside and out, one fellow gave us the once over. "Gaitors! You're going to be happy you have those on. Wish I had brought mine." Brushing tall grasses aside as we continued down, we smiled in agreement.

The tarp and table system provided respite from the rain again that evening, using a hiking pole to raise the height nicely over the table for cooking. "Nice tarp," a fellow hiker commented as headed out the following morn.

Up over Tumbling Pass, we strolled through flower-filled meadows once again, stopping to snap photos of Tumbling Glacier before the fogged turned to mist. 'Brellas up, down we go. Camp was again set up in a lull, dry thermarests and sleeping bags unrolled and settled and cooking tarp tied in place before we packed a snack and head out with a light daypack for an afternoon stroll up to Wolverine and Rockwall passes. Spectacular views made the extra elevation gain worth every step and as the rain settled in near Rockwall, we smiled, opened the umbrellas and head back to camp.

The couple sitting beneath our cooking tarp, finishing up the last of their supper, were apologetic. "Sorry, we thought we'd be finished before you got back. We just needed a dry place to eat..." No worries, we were more than happy to share. The fellow went on to say how his feet were soaked, the tent was soaked, they were cold and they were done, cutting short their trip and heading out in the morning.

But what about those views, those wildflowers, those mountain passes...?

Wet Weather Gear Worth Packing:

Seam-sealed tent with fly
Waterproof wing (or light tarp for cooking or emergency shelter)
Waterproof pack covers
Raincoats/pants (breathable)
Gaitors
Umbrellas