Iceline - Celeste Lake - Yoho Valley loop

Just getting caught up on posting some of my adventures from this summer...

In August I spent a few weeks in the Canadian Rockies, and if there's any place in the world that has more spectacular and varied hikes than here, I challenge you to tell me about it.

I started the Iceline hike a bit later in the day than I'd intended. I had planned to hit the trail in the afternoon, with the hopes of catching Takkakaw Falls with the late-day light that's more favorable for photography, but I got delayed by some unexpectedly nice views at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, so it wasn't until after sunset that I returned to the Falls. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The Iceline Trail starts and ends at the Takkakaw Falls. They were spectacular, but I didn't take any pics as I set out on my hike. "Later," I told myself, since my folks had already taken many of those shots. So across to the Whiskey Jack Hostel, and up the trail I went. Steep at first, the trail switchbacked up and up and up... And the view of Takkakaw Falls kept on improving. And suddenly, I was clear of the trees.

Takakkaw Falls from up high

The Iceline trail is justifiably popular and well-traveled, although due to my late start I saw only a few people, all going the other way. (Hmmm... Did they know something I didn't?) The views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys - and yes, the Falls - were magnificent. Unfortunately, as I reached the high point of the trail I looked up to see ominous clouds spilling over the mountain's peak, and I was encouraged to find the quickest way down. The "quickest way" - and I mean quick, as I was chased by the darkening sky and the splatter of fat raindrops on the rocks - essentially meant running down the trail to Lake Celeste, and the subsequent trek along the Yoho Valley back to my car. As luck would have it, the thunderstorm never did more than threaten, and the rain had subsided to a light, steady drizzle once I was off the exposed slopes. Traveling at a more relaxed pace, the Celeste Lake trail was quite pleasant with lush sub-alpine meadows and forests everywhere. At one point near the peak of the Iceline trail I had looked down on a meadow and thought to myself, "I hope the trail goes down there"; and lo and behold, forty-five minutes later I was striding through that very same verdant meadow, crossing merrily babbling brooks, under the stern eye of an unidentified raptor. It was magical, but since I had packed my camera to keep it out of the rain, I've got no pictures to share. Ah well, that's one sight that's for me alone!

Life on the edge

The trail became substantially easier as I descended, and by the time I had reached Laughing Falls and turned on to the Yoho Valley Trail, it was flat, wide - and quite frankly - boring. Ah well, at least the lack of challenge allowed me to make good time on it, which is just as well. Remember the late start that I had alluded to at the beginning of this post? Well, despite the speed I was able to maintain on this final part of the trek, I missed the evening light on Takakkaw Falls, and only caught the last of the sun's rays as they crept up the cliff face.

Sun's last light falling on Takakkaw Falls

I suppose there's always next year; after all, this is a trail that I wouldn't hesitate to hike again.

"Beauty Creek" is Aptly Named

The old Banff-Jasper highway

The walk wasn't so promising to begin with; maybe the flat, straight crumbling remnant pavement of the old Banff-Jasper Parkway route deters would-be sightseers form continuing further. Or maybe it's because there's only a little tiny symbol of a hiker at the trailhead that indicates that there's anything interesting beyond. Either way, people on this trail were few and far between, which I see as a good thing. Once you're on the trail proper, you're off the old asphalt and it becomes a bit more rugged, more rooty, more interesting - but is still very easy as far as walks in the Rockies go. Regardless of the inauspicious start, taking the next few steps along this trail was very worthwhile. In seemingly no time at all, the first falls appeared.

First set of waterfalls at Beauty Creek

Then the next, and the next, and the next - all in quick succession. Apparently there's five in all, but I didn't count. Stopping at each set to take pictures, usually from multiple angles, time just flew by, and despite the short length of my walk (1.6 km distance, 200m in altitude gained), two hours had gone by. I actually could have gone further but I hadn't prepared to do so and my stomach was reminding me that it was dinner time.

A waterfall at Beauty Creek

Hard-core hikers will be less than impressed with this walk. "Where is the elevation? Where are the epic views?" they will ask. But that's ok. As Kathy and Craig Copeland hinted at in their wonderful book, Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, this is a walk for the small wonders: "And hikers, after being overawed by grand mountains, are charmed by the human-scale beauty of this intimate chasm." And wonders there are indeed. I found this walk every bit as scenic as - and with the solitude, far more enchanting than - the crowded, sanitized, Disney-fied Johnston Canyon walk. At Beauty Creek, you can get right down to the water, scramble across rock slabs, and even perch precariously above cascades.

Beauty Creek waterfall from above

One thing that I don't understand is how kayakers could possibly manage this creek! According to the second edition of the Canadian Rockies Backroads Mapbook, Beauty Creek is one of the paddling opportunities in the Rockies:

Beauty Creek exists for one reason: to show off, preferably in front of a camera. If you are looking for an exhilarating ride down a wild white river, there are other places wilder and whiter. If you are looking for a great picture of you dropping off a 12 metrre high waterfall... well, here's your chance.

That I would like to see!

A Beauty Creek waterfall

Definitely a worthwhile stop, and even a potential for repeated visits to witness the changing light and seasons. But only if you appreciate waterfalls...

Overnight Backpack on Mill Brook Ridge, Catskills

Misty Alder Lake

Note: This hike was actually done in August 2010 but for some reason I didn't hit "Publish Post" on this entry.

I went on an impromptu overnight backpacking trip in the Catskills. My intention was to hike from Alder Lake, along the Mill Brook Ridge to the Balsam Lake Mountain trailhead, and continue along the Neversink-Hardenburgh Trail to spend the night at a campsite just past Vly Pond. Essentially, completing the Mill Brook Ridge and part of the Fall Brook sections of the Finger Lakes Trail. You know the saying, "No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy"? Well, none of my plans survive contact with... well... me.

Spent Friday night at a campsite at Alder Lake. Experimented a bit with taking nighttime shots with my new camera, and then just lay down on a picnic table to catch the tail end of the Perseid meteor shower.

Saturday dawned bright and clear, and after a quick breakfast I hit the trail. Given my previous Catskills hiking experience, I made sure that I was carrying enough water to last me the two days. My backpack (Gregory Z55) wasn't really designed to take this kind of weight and the way it was distributed (5L in bladders in the pouch inside the pack, another 2L in bottles in the exterior pouch) so it wasn't long before it - and my shoulders - started complaining. Off to a great start...

This trail doesn't seem to get a lot of use and the ferns and other plants grow quite close to the path, so for much of the time there wasn't enough room to place my hiking poles. I do like this kind of terrain though, and the greenness is very refreshing. With the many streams along the way, it's quickly becoming obvious that I needn't have worried about the water situation. Just as well, since my hydration pack bladder sprang a leak and emptied itself overnight.

Directions to the spring

The two scenic lookouts (at Mill Brook Ridge and at the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower) revealed nice enough views, but nothing really to write home about.

By the time I got to the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower, my chronic plantar fasciitis was acting up in a big way. Rather than continuing on to the Neversink-Hardenburgh Trail, I decided to make camp at the Balsam Lake lean-to, thinking that I was better off knowing I could make my way back, rather than suffering through an extra 10 miles of up- and downhill hiking. Turned out to be the right decision.

Catskill Mists

Conrad Kain Trail impressions

Bugaboo Glacier

I'll preface this post with a caveat: I hesitate to call this a trail review since I didn't really capture any hard data on it (mileage, trail conditions, time to complete, etc.); this post merely reflects my impressions and experience of it.

And here's another caveat: I hadn't actually intended to do this trail. I actually wanted to go up the nearby Cobalt Lake trail, but by the time I got my act together, the day was half done, and I wasn't sure I could safely complete the slightly longer and steeper route to and from Cobalt Lake before nightfall. 

At the trailhead, I was sure to secure my vehicle against the predations of the local porcupine population.

The route to the Conrad Kain hut in British Columbia's Porcupine Provincial Park is quite heavily traveled by mountaineers, rock climbers, and all kinds of adventurous folk who want to test themselves against the Bugaboo Mountain Range. The lower section of the trail is very well groomed, quite mild, and offers no indication of the challenge to come. The lower trail meanders happily along amidst forests and streams and then gradually - so gradually that you barely notice it - goes *up*. Passing a waterfall you suddenly notice that you're breathing a bit harder. Then you leave the trees behind and the altitude you've gained is revealed. Tenacious wildflowers cling to the mountainside rubble. Then come the rock piles and the steepness, each step harder than the last. And next, the cliff where your only security is the narrow path beneath your feet and the chain tethered helpfully to the sheer rock face.

A Treacherous Path

(Note that my impression of this part of the trail is coloured somewhat by a mild case of acrophobia and a two-month layoff from any strenuous physical activity resulting from a strained lower back. Those without the aforementioned conditions who are in reasonably good shape and sure-footed should suffer no ill effects from the trek.)

Western Anemone

Once you're free of the trees and the steep ups you see the glaciers, the view into the distant valley, the streams, and the cascades created by the meltwater from the aforementioned glaciers. And still the trail climbs on...

Glacial Meltwater

Arriving at the Conrad Kain Hut comes with a mild sense of relief, and yet is anti-climactic. You have a view of the Bugaboo Glacier, and the valley below through which the Bugaboo Creek runs, as well as the various peaks of the Bugaboo Range, but somehow I'd expected something more. I can only surmise that the "more" comes from the mountaineering and rock climbing for which this hut is a mere launching point. As attested to by the number of vehicles at the trailhead parking lot, there were indeed many parties staying at the hut or passing by, with the intention of summiting the surrounding peaks or traversing the glaciers or staying at one of the two nearby campsites. Not being one of those intrepid souls myself, and in any case lacking a party to adventure with, I set my boots on the trail back down. For me, this was challenge enough. My right knee doesn't actually work properly anymore due to an injury acquired a couple of years ago playing Ultimate Frisbee, so descending for me is actually as difficult as the trip up. On the way down I was passed by several mountaineers burdened with two or three times the load that I was carrying. No big deal, I wasn't in a hurry anyways.

Conrad Kain Hut

At the end of the day, I'd sum up the hike to the Conrad Kain Hut thus: It's a great workout, and if you've got a hankering to experience mountains and glaciers away from the crowds that plague the nearby National Parks of the Canadian Rockies, this is a worthwhile trip. Otherwise, it's a fantastic launching point (pretty much the only launching point) for expeditions deeper into the Bugaboo Mountains.