Most skiers will do this trip in reverse and we have hiked into Bow Hut from Bow Lake this way too. One one of our trips, though, we found ourselves at Balfour Hut in poor conditions and chose to ski out to Bow Hut, then down to Bow Lake. In whiteout conditions, we compassed our way up Vulture Glacier onto … Continue reading…
With Balfour Hut as basecamp, an interesting ski is to travel west through Balfour Pass, rounding Mount Balfour on the north side. Follow the moraines and then ascend Diablaret Glacier up to the high ridge on the west side of Balfour. This is a particularly interesting side route for several reasons. First, it offers a wide view of the Yoho … Continue reading…
In a previous post, the trip from the Peyto Lookout to Peyto Hut was featured. The next leg is to bear south toward either Bow Hut or Balfour Hut. If you choose Bow Hut, there are two route choices to Balfour. On our last trip, we skipped Bow Hut and followed the high route to Vulture Col. Stay in the … Continue reading…
Outdoor enthusiasts world-wide keep the Wapta Traverse on their “bucket list.” It is a high altitude route traversing a number of glaciers on the Great Divide. Although there are other traverses in the Canadian Rockies, many require crossing steep icefalls and are best suited to skilled mountaineers. The Wapta Traverse, on the other hand, can be completed with reasonable skiing … Continue reading…
We talked about backroads as winter corridors into the forest and how little information is available. A series of posts will offer a few routes over the winter: Hull Hill North We recommend this route for a number of reasons. First, there is a good road to the “trailhead.” Drive south on the Lac le Jeune Road and turn onto … Continue reading…
Lake O’Hara is a popular destination for cross-country skiers and snowshoers in the winter. As a day trip, it is 12 km each way just to get to the lake and back. The route is along the snow-covered gravel road, which makes nice cross-country skiing. The route is not tracked, although skier-tracks can become deeply furrowed and improve the glide … Continue reading…
There are a number of sections of the Great Divide Trail and hiking most of them is a multi-year challenge. One summer, we backpacked from the Kootenay National Park to Lake O’Hara, a 4 day journey to Floe Lake, through Numa Pass, Tumbling Pass, under the Rockwall, and beyond to Helmet Creek, Goodsir Pass, and then up McArthur Pass to … Continue reading…
The easy way to Lake O’Hara is to book the bus and ride up to the parking area. But there are other ways to get there…. Wenkchemna Pass to Opabin Pass Late in October we drove to Moraine Lake. The first snows had not yet struck, but the road in was dry (its not plowed in winter). No one was … Continue reading…
Another quieter, less visited area of Lake O’Hara are the trails over to Morning Glory, Linda Lake, and the upper Cathedral Lakes. Either of two trails can be taken over to the basin, and they both end up in the woods on their way to a plateau of forest-surrounded lakes. If it is cloudy or if your legs are heavy … Continue reading…
Another magical area is to hike up from Lake O’Hara through the meadows to Lake McArthur. The trail is only about 3.6 km and climbs through alpine meadows, past the top of McArthur Pass and over a rise to the shores of Lake McArthur. All by itself, this is a perfect destination, but combining it with a side route up … Continue reading…
A continuation of posts on the Lake O’Hara area …. One of the premier hikes in the Rockies is the hike up to Wiwaxy Gap, down to Lake Oesa, around Yukness Ledge and a loop on the Opabin Plateau. From the campground/bus area, look for a trail junction on the north side of Lake O’Hara. Cross the bridge at the … Continue reading…
Some of the finest hiking trails anywhere in North American can be found at Lake O”Hara in Yoho National Park. The trail system sits high in the mountains on the BC side of the Great Divide, on the other side of Mt. Victoria which looms over Lake Louise. Access to the area is limited by the National Parks system to … Continue reading…
An extensive trail/backroad/track network extends between Johnson Lake and South Barriere Lake. To access the trails, take the Agate Bay Road from Louis Creek. This scenic paved road comes to an end at Adams Lake, but the turn-off to Johnson Lake is about 11km to the west (at N51 07.331, W119 49.990). Follow this road north to Johnson Lake. The … Continue reading…
The route down to Shelley Lake and beyond is a well-established trail. The route to the trailhead is the same as for the Jolly-Tsintsunko Lake trail. Follow the Jamieson Creek FSR until the 28km mark and turn onto the Shelley Lake – Beaverhut Road. Follow this road until the 8km marker. We spotted a small road to our right … Continue reading…
Lime Ridge is in the Marble Range, northwest of Clinton. It is just outside Marble Range Provincial Park, but it is slated to be included in the park once the mining claims for Continental Lime have expired. The Marble Range was a shallow shelf under the seas 250 million years ago. After folding and faulting occurred, these limestone mountains were … Continue reading…
Mahood Lake isn’t easy to get to from the Kamloops area. The east end is buried deep in Wells Gray Park. You can get to the east end of the lake by driving to Clearwater, then the west side of the Clearwater River Road to the end. The trailhead to Sylvia and Goodwin Falls starts there. The trail also goes … Continue reading…