NOTE from August 2010: The current forest fire in the Beaverfoot Valley is close to this trail, and therefore this hike should not be attempted at this time.
Synopsis: This hike follows a forested creek for most of the way. Terrific views are available just past the pass.
Access:From the junction of Hwy 1 and Hwy 95, drive east on Hwy 1 for 25.7 km, and turn right on Beaverfoot Road. (If you enter Yoho National Park, you've gone too far.) Drive down Beaverfoot Road, cross the railway tracks in 100 metres and continue to the bridge across the Kicking Horse River at 1.1 km. At 1.4 km, there are a bunch of signs, including one on the left that reads 0. Set your odometer to 0 here, and the FSR signs will match.
Drive south on the Beaverfoot FSR. Near 12.8 km, slow down for activity (people and horses) at Beaverfoot Lodge. At 23.9 km, stay right for Marion Lake. (Misspelled on the sign.) Despite what your instincts tell you, do not take the left hand fork. The road no longer goes through to Kootenay Crossing.
At 30.4 km, you pass the turnoff to the Marion Lake rec site. (It's about 1 km down the side road.) At 33.9 km, you cross the headwaters of the Kootenay River on a small bridge. At the Y just past the bridge, turn left on to the Beaverfoot-Wolverine Pass FSR.
At 35.2 km, take the right hand fork (up the hill). At 37.6 km stay left, and at 38.3 km stay left again (do not take Thomas Main.) At 43.0 km, stay straight. Do not go right. The trail starts on the left hand side of the road at 44.1 km or thereabouts.
Trailhead: Not currently very clear; look for the scattered remnants of a cairn on the north side of the road, just about opposite the east side of the large slide path on the north side of the valley.
Trail: The trail leaves the road and drops down to the creek. It is not totally obvious, but the slide path gives a good clue.
The trail loses 30 metres to the creek, which it crosses on a single log bridge with a rope railing. The trail then roughly follows the north bank of the creek for 2 kms, passing through five slide paths on the way. After the fifth slide path, the incline steepens and after another kilometre, you rock-jump back across the creek.
The next section of trail is well built, but it climbs inexorably: 400 metres in just over 2 kms. Eventually you break into another slide path, just below Mt. Drysdale, and from here the pass is just over a kilometre away. There is a bit of up and down before you get there, though.
Wolverine Pass is marked by a National Park sign. If you continue a few hundred metres into Kootenay Park, you meet the Rockwall trail and get the real rewards for this hike. Turn right, and within 500 metres you get a great view of the Tumbling Glacier, as well as Tumbling Creek and the Vermillion River valley all the way to the divide. Turn left, and within a klick you are at Rockwall Pass, with a great view of... well, a rock wall. But an impressive rock wall, to be sure.
It is possible to continue north or south on the Rockwall trail, but go much further than we suggest and you'll find yourself on a steep descent... which means a steep ascent to get back to the pass, and to your car. The National Park campgrounds are all down in the valley bottoms, but you can camp on the west side of Wolverine Pass, outside the park, for free. And then you don't have to hump your sleeping gear up those killer hills.
Note that the Wolverine Pass trail is shared with horses. Expect roots and mud, and one very boggy part. Also, the trail braids in places, but which braid you take makes no difference. (Also note these horse riders are the ones who do the dirty work keeping the trail clear of windfall.)
People come from all over the world to hike the Rockwall Trail, and it is a busy place in the summer. (I couldn't help thinking that a backcountry lodge on the west side of Wolverine Pass would make a killing selling cold beer and wine...)
Cautions: