Mount Assiniboine, at an elevation of 3,618 metres, is situated along the Continental Divide. Situated in the south east corner of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, the mountain sits in beautiful isolation and soars above its neighbors. Mount Assiniboine name is in honor of the Assiniboine people. It means "stone boiler", a name that comes from the practice of putting hot rocks into animal pouches or holes filled with water in order to cook food.
Upon arrival I donned snowshoes and helped tramp down the snow for easier access to the cabins and outhouse. I also had a chance to x-c ski for a couple of hours and venture down the valley to capture the different views of Mt. Assiniboine.
About a kilometer from the main Lodge and cabins are the Naiset cabins. Totally self supported, each cabin has a wood burning stove for heat, and there is a cabin set up for cooking your meals.
One day Pierre, Dominique and I snowshoed to the Naiset cabins to open up the stream there for the cabin dwellers who would be arriving soon. We had to dig down thru 4 feet of snow, then chip a hole thru 4 inches of ice. Once we had the opening we put a cover over it to keep it from freezing over.
There had been a lot of new snow in the area so one afternoon four of us were on the room clearing the snow off. Our goal was to reduce the snow load as well as clear snow from the kitchen windows to let the light in. As the main dining room of the lodge is heated by a wood stove we transported wood from its storage shed to a large pile outside the lodge.
It was a great three day adventure spent with old and new found friends. Hard work, great food and restful sleep, protected from the elements by ancient logs.
A magical place ....I will return again.
Robert Krysak
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