« Redpoint on the Trail | Main | Raining Cats & Dogs »
July 16, 2006
Canada Trip Report
And now for the trip report of our 10-day vacation in the Canadian Rockies with Paul's parents, Marian and Regis. The idea of doing this trip with family originated back when Paul and I were on our honeymoon in the Canadian Rockies. This area of Canada was so amazing to us that we just had to share it with both our families. Unfortunately, my family was unable to join us on this occasion, so it ended up just Regis, Marian, Paul and myself. Overall, the trip was stellar. Traveling with Paul's parents was a blast and the scenery in the mountains of Canada is, of course, absolutely breathtaking. The four of us hiked up some really incredible (and really strenuous!) terrain. To write about all the fun would take me a week, so I'll share with you just some of the highlights:
Our trip started off in Seattle, Washington. From there we made our way up to Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Our first hike of the trip was the Iceline Trail. The trail starts off with a pretty steep grade, switchbacking up an avalanche slope and then into an old-growth forest. Immediately, we had fine views of the Yoho Valley, the impressive 833 ft Takakkaw Falls, and the Daly Glacier which feeds the Takakkaw Falls (Takakkaw is Cree for "It is magnificent!"). After the switchbacks, we were above treeline and traversing through rocky, unvegetated landscape. At about 2.5 miles we reached the Emerald Glacier. Paul and I ran ahead a bit to get a closer glimpse of the glacier while Regis and Marian took in the views from the glacier's forefield. After a rest and some snacks, we turned around and headed back down the same way we came up. Stats: 5 miles, 1815 feet elevation gain, 4 hours.
Our next big hike was in Banff National Park at Lake Louise. Lake Louise is one of the most popular areas in all of the Canadian Rockies. The Lake Louise Chateau is situated right on the lakefront, providing stunning views of the turquoise blue Lake Louise and the massive glaciers above it. We came up with a perfect hiking day plan that allowed Paul and I to get some trail running in while still getting to meet up and hike with Regis and Marian later in the day. Paul and I took off running toward the Plain of the Six Glaciers. The trail runs along the side of Lake Louise and then gains elevation to the glaciers behind it. The end of the trail brings you to the exposed crest of a lateral moraine that overlooks the Lower Victoria Glacier. Above us, we had views of Abbot Pass separating Mt. Lefroy (11,230 feet) and Mt. Victoria (11,364 ft), which marks the Continental Divide. Far below us, we could see the entire Lake Louise and the Bow Valley. From here, Paul and I ran the Highline Junction trail that took us up and over the Big Beehive (steep!) and down to Lake Agnes. Meanwhile, Regis and Marian hiked the Lake Agnes trail up to Lake Agnes and we all rendezvoused at the Lake Agnes Teahouse. Perfect timing! Stats: 11.6 miles, 2243 ft elevation gain (twice, due to having to run up and over the Big Beehive), 6 hours (including a stop at the teahouse for lunch).
Probably our most favorite hike of the trip was this next one. Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park. Lake O'Hara is THE MOST popular hiking destination in Yoho National Park. And it only takes a quick glance at these photos to figure out why. The area is so popular, in fact, that access is limited to visitors. To get into Lake O'Hara, you have two options: Reserve a seat on one of the 6 buses that travel up there each day (for a *very* pricey fee), or hike the 7 miles up/in. Or, well I suppose there's a 3rd option: RUN the 7 miles. ;-) Paul and I laced up our running shoes, reserved 2 bus seats for Regis and Marian, and said "see you at the top!" The run in was awesome. The air was cool and crisp and the morning light was casting deep blue shadows across the snow-covered peaks around us. Soon we arrived at Lake O'Hara and met up with Regis and Marian. From here, we walked along the lake together and then split again, planning to reconvene later on the trails. Paul and I decided to take the All Souls' Alpine Route. Wow, was that trail EXPOSED!!! The trail pushes up through scree and boulder fields to some pretty airy ledges, a couple of which you actually have to do 1 or 2 moves of scrambling (hands & feet) - a few moments of glee for these two rock climbers. :-) From the All Souls' Prospect (the summit point of the trail at 7380 feet) we traversed a couple of small snowfields and then headed over to Opabin Lake where we met up with Regis and Marian again. From here, we all hiked together back down to Lake O'Hara, passing a family of mountain goats along the way. Regis and Marian then boarded the bus, while Paul and I downed a couple sticks of beef jerky and then ran the 7 miles back down to the car. A satisfying day indeed. Stats: 19.5 miles, 2131 ft elevation gain, 7 hours.
After our Lake O'Hara hike, we drove north on the Icefield Parkway toward Jasper, Alberta. Here are a couple of the many, many glaciers and icefields along the way:
The final hiking day of the trip involved a little jaunt out to Maligne Lake and then a walk along Maligne Canyon. Maligne Canyon is an impressive "must-see" for Jasper. It's a slot canyon and at its deepest is 180 feet, at it's narrowest only 3 feet!! Stats: 2.6 miles, 345 ft elevation, 2 hours.
From Jasper, we said good-bye to the magnificent Rockies and traveled west toward Whistler, Biritish Columbia. We checked out the ski slopes at Whistler-Blackcomb. The place was packed with outdoor enthusiasts: mountain bikers, snowboarders/skiers (you can ski on the glacier in the summer!), climbers, hikers, zip-liners,....pretty much any nutty sport you can think of....it was there. After Whistler, the highway took us right by Squamish. So of course, as climbers, Paul and I couldn't resist the urge to stop at look at the rock wall and touch the boulders. It didn't take us long to regret not bringing our climbing gear, so we high-tailed it out of there ASAP.
Once back in Seattle, we spent a couple days with Paul's Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Bob, and cousin Chris. The weather was beautiful. Marilyn and Bob gave us a tour of the city...by boat! They also filled our ears with story after amazing story of the incredible skiing and snowboarding up at Whistler-Blackcomb, tempting us to consider a trip up for a visit this winter. Perhaps we will be back in Canada sooner than we think. :-)
Posted by April at July 16, 2006 03:29 PM