Back Country Campsite Restoration & Cleanup

Willmore Wilderness Foundation Crews have worked on seven back country campsites in 2016 and 2017. Crews have cleaned a massive amount of garbage out of these camps. We burnt a ruined zodiac raft, harness, bed rolls, tents, plastic tarps, blow up mattresses, and more. We packed out packhorse loads of gas cans, oil containers, propane bottles, liquor bottles, metal stoves, metal frames and more. We piled up metal trash this year on random sites on the Smoky River, and will continue to pack out this garbage in 2018. Trail clearing crews cleared encroaching brush around various sites and cleaned up downed timber.

We have made benches, installed toilets, made corrals, installed hitching rails and built or restored fire rings on the backcountry campsites. Susan Feddema-Leonard personally filmed, photographed and GPS’d these activities during both years. She shot and filmed “before” and “after” pictures of each campsite.

A map of the seven main sites we worked on has been posted above. Access begins at the Sulphur Gates Trail head near Grande Cache and traverses around Mt. deVeber, to the Continental Divide Trail, then to the Jackpine River, forming a loop back to Grande Cache. The Great Divide Trail traverses the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia, wandering through the vast wilderness of the Canadian Rocky Mountains for more than 1200 kilometres. It is one of the most spectacular and challenging long‐distance trails on the planet.

The trail crew also travelled from Cowlick Creek, up and over Hayden Ridge. We went upstream on the Sulphur River and camped at Zenda Creek. The trail crew continued upstream to Deadman Creek. This was about 80 kilometers one way, with a 160 kilometer return trip.

Backcountry Campsites:

  1. Sheep Creek Airstrip:
    Location: Located on the north side of Sheep Creek between Femme Creek and Cote Creek. Camp improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Corral
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Two custom handmade log benches
  • Wash Stand
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Copper Kettle Camp:
    Location: Located on the north side of Sheep Creek near the headwater, adjacent to the BC Border. The campsite is on the Continental Divide. Camp improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Corral
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Three custom handmade log benches
  • Restoration of two historic benches on hillside
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Morkill Camp:
    Location: Located on the Alberta-BC Border at the Headwaters of the Muddy Water River and the Morkill River. The campsite is on the Continental Divide. Camp improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Corral
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Three custom handmade log benches
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Jackpine Camp at Art Allen’s Cabin:
    Location: Located downstream from the confluence of Bazil Creek on the north side of the Jackpine River. The crew refurbished an old campsite at Art Allen’s cabin.Camps improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Two custom handmade log benches
  • Wash stand
  • Firewood
  • Re-roofing of the historic cabin with tin that was packed in.
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Many Faces Camp:
    Location: Many Faces Camp is located on Me and Charlie Creek close to its confluence at Boulder Creek. Camps improvements include:
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Two custom handmade log benches
  • Wash stand
  • Firewood
  • Two camp corral that can be used by Many Faces campers or Boulder Creek campers. The corral is located in-between both campsites, which are close to 400 meters apart.
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Boulder Creek:
    Location: Boulder Creek Camp is located on the shore of Boulder Creek. Camps improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Frame for tarp shelter
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Two custom handmade log benches
  • Wash stand
  • Firewood
  • Two camp corral that can be used by Many Faces campers or Boulder Creek campers. The corral is located in-between both campsites, which are close to 400 meters apart.
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Muddy Water River:
    Location: The Muddy Water Camp is located on the west side of the Muddy Water River, approximately 50 meters from the crossing. Camps improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Wall tent Frame
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Two custom handmade log benches
  • Wash stand
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup

Other Campsites

  1. Kvass Flats:
    Location: Kvass Flats Camp is located on the banks of the Smoky River between Davy Creek and Henrietta Creek. Camps improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Wall tent Frame
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Two custom handmade log benches
  • Wash stand
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup

9. Random Camp #1:
Location: Random Camp #1 is located on the north bank of the Smoky river upstream from Davey Creek. There are many random campsites located downstream from Kvass Flats on the Smoky River. These were particularity unkempt. The plastic took some time to clean up and burn. Camps improvements include:

  • Clean-up of two campsites
  • Burnt trash and packed out metal and bottles.

10. Random Camp #2:
Location: Random Camp #2 is located on the north bank of the Smoky River, upstream from Davey Creek. There are many random campsites located downstream from Kvass Flats on the Smoky River. These were particularity unkempt. The plastic took some time to clean up and burn. Camps improvements include:

  • Clean-up of two campsites
  • Burnt trash and packed out metal and bottles.
  1. Cowlick Creek Camp: Location: Cowlick Creek Camp is located close to the base of Hayden Ridge. Camp improvements include:
  • Toilet
  • Hitching rails
  • Fire Ring
  • Wash stand
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Big Grave Camp:
    Location: Big Grave Camp is located on the east side of the Sulphur River, slightly upstream from where Kvass Creek flows into the Sulphur River. A lot of garbage was left at the Big Graves Forestry Cabin. Many five gallon buckets were filled with trash that included liquor bottles, tin cans, clothing, propane bottles and more. Camp improvements include:
  • Fire Ring
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup
  1. Zenda Creek Camp:
    Location: Zenda Creek flows into the east side of the Sulphur River close to Little Grave Flats. Camps improvements include:
  • Fire Ring
  • Firewood
  • Campsite cleanup

The backcountry work completed in 2017 will appear in 3, one-hour film productions we shot in 2017 that will air on Wild TV. The film productions and social media strategies are promoting tourism in ID #25.