Yoho National Park & Canadian Rockies - not-to-miss hikes?
 

My hubby & I have been a number of times, but know we probably are missing a few key, wonderful hikes.

Interested in one of the Burgess Shale hikes, but alas, the guided ones (required) probably will be over by the time we hit the area. (later Sept)

So, looks like we'll never get to experience that aspect of the park!
Help us find something new to experience. :-)

Have done a couple of simple hikes near Emerald Lake...but not much yet around Takk. Falls.
Did finally see Wapta last time.

I keep hearing about the Iceline Trail but am not sure where to access that, how long it takes, if it can be done in one long day, or...? Would you prioritize it over Lake O'hara area hikes? Or, just do Lake O'hara one day (w/the bus) but not two? Do the other day
somewhere else?

I'm figuring on 3-4 days for this park. Thanks so much!! :-)

Ps. Have done the teahouse hikes a number of times at Lake Louise &
most of the day hikes near Moraine.
(just a FYI)

Meant to add that despite being there several times,
have never hikes a single hike along the Icefields Parkway, so am esp. interested in rec's for it.
(just never had had time besides all the sightseeing from the road & viewpoints)

Perhaps these trails are only interesting when wildflowers in bloom? (won't be the case in late Sept)

Does the same hold true w/Cavell Meadows? (again, never done)

Lastly...Mt Robson or other lesser visited parks? (Kootenay, Glacier, BC)
Am open to anything! :-)

A short (but kinda steep) hike off the icefields parkway was Parkers Ridge. It took us to the top of the ridge for a look at Saskatchewan Glacier as it comes down off the Columbia Icefield. It might be closed by late September because of snow or it may have no snow at all.

We were there last year in early September. We did the following from memory:

A hike around Emerald Lake and then up to Yoho Lake. A pretty steep hike up but deserted and thoroughly enjoyed it. we were the only people up at the lake.

Got the 9.30 bus to Lake O'Hara and had a good hike around the area for most of the day. Combined a couple of trails to make up about 6 hours hiking all in. Recommended.

Did a hike from out of the end of Yoho valley up to Twin Falls I think it was. Some superb waterfalls en route. Not difficult but a fair way.

We also did one hike in Kootenay en route from Glacier NP (US). We found the dayhiking in the park to be relatively limited but had a great 3-4 hike up to a glacier - I can't recall the name but if you look at the park website it is in the north part of the park

In Waterton Park the Crypt Lake Trail is considered as one of the top day hikes in Canada.

Thanks you guys! Some nice ideas...
appreciate it. (all new to us!)
:-) Altho' I've heard of the Parker one.

Let me suggest that you can resolve these issues more authoritatively if you obtain a copy of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Brian Patton and Bart Robinson.

It is without peer for Canadian Rockies trails and I think it is the best hiking guide in English that I have used.

It is complete and written by two men who have pushed measuring wheels along hundreds of miles of trails over a period of many years.

The copy I have is the 7th edition and it is excellent.

There are two criticisms of the book that I feel are total hogwash.

One person was complaining that Glacier National Park was not included. Well, Glacier (Canada) National Park is not in the Canadian Rockies; neither is Revelstoke.

The other complaint is that one cannot tell how difficult a hike is. That is a judgment call of course BUT the authors do include both measured trail distances and elevation changes. If someone cannot estimate difficulty from distance and elevation change, I suggest they need to stay on the sidewalk.

I know I told a hiker once that the Highline Trail from O'Hara to Lake McArthur was not scary. Well he disagreed vigorously with my assessment. I had never paid any attention to the spots that scared him half to death (his words).

Thanks will get that book then!
(maybe from our library)

And could you share a bit more about the Iceline Trail I've seen you recommend in the past?

Hours it takes?
Where to grab it, etc?
(if you're so inclined)

If not, I understand.
All the best! :-)

Hi Daydreamer,

We returned home a few days ago from a week-long trip to the Canadian Rockies that included some time in Yoho. We did do part of the Iceline trail, so I thought I'd tell you our experiences. The short summary: you really should hike this trail! It's quite stunning and goes through an amazing array of different environments, with astonishing views.

I am assuming from the hiking experiences you describe that you are at least a reasonably experienced hiker. Frankly, I am not, although I'm in OK shape. But we went up the trail (which is quite steep!) more slowly than I'd have liked (it's embarrassing to be passed by a dachsund). I'm also not certain how far we got; our GPS was acting up, and I'm pretty sure it lied when it said we'd gone 145 miles. ;-) But we got up to the open rocky area beneath the glaciers before we had to turn back at a stream crossing that just looked too risky to me. (We were not using hiking poles, and if you do the hike you should consider doing so--I was really bummed not to have been able to cross the stream!)

Anyway, I estimate that we went about 3 miles up the trail, maybe a little more. All told, we spent about 6 hours on the trail (out and back), though we dawdled a lot, stopped for many pix, and sat for a while eating lunch on the boulder field.

You can park in the Takkawaw falls parking lot and walk the one-third mile to the trailhead at the Whiskey Jack Hostel parking lot--or you can park on the road near the hostel, as we and many others did.

We had the Patton and Robinson book, and I second the endorsement from Bob Brown, although of course you have to read between the lines to learn how hard a hike is (ie judge from the elevation change and length). I wish we'd bought the topo map before, rather than after, the hike, since you won't find those in the book. But the descriptions are very clear and helpful.

BTW, if I did the hike again (with poles!) I'd take the Lake Celeste turnoff and hike to Twin Falls and come back along the Yoho River. I think it would be a long hike but really worth it, and with the hardest parts at the beginning.

Finally, we stayed at Emerald Lake Lodge (loved it!) and several of the staff recommended Iceline. I'm so glad we did it. You can see a few pix at this site that I just ran across on a Google search: http://ihtcr.com/default.htm.

Have a great time!! I can't wait to go back to that incredible area.

Becky

BeckyC:

We are staying at the Emerald Lodge is Septemner. Did you eat dinner at the lodge or was it close enough to drive into Lake Louise area for dinner?

Thanks,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,

We were at Emerald Lake Lodge for only 3 nights and were quite happy to eat dinner there every night. The food was excellent (and I have to say that we have pretty high standards!). And, unless you are already out and about, you'll probably find that it's not worth the time and effort to get to your car and then drive over to Lake Louise, even though it's not all that far (30 minute drive). The nice thing about ELL is that there are three restaurants, so right there you have a bit of variety.

Hope this helps, and that you have a fabulous time at ELL. We thought it was wonderful!

Thanks so much, Becky! :-)
Just saw I had more postings, now.

Terrific advice & specifics...
truly appreciate it!

Can't wait to give this new area for us, a try.

Re: EML...we love it too!
To Lisa...(zuma) I might add
that closer than Lake Louise
(while staying at EML) that there's a teeny, but creative & many would say 'gourmet' little 'find' in the tiny town of Field, called the Truffle Pig Cafe . (or Truffles)

DEFINITELY worth a lunch stop, at the least. Nothing fancy to look at, but the chef/cook there is truly creative! So, if you'd like to add a little variety to your dining, and go more casual one day...it's not a long drive to
hit this little spot.

We just got back from Yoho, where we spent 3 nights at Emerald Lake Lodge and 3 nights in the Alpine Club of Canada's Stanley Mitchell Hut. I'm not sure if you're into a doing an overnight stay in the backcountry, but if you are, you can stay at the Stanley Mitchell Hut for abut $35 per person. No privacy, though - it sleeps about 26 people - and you'll need to bring your own sleeping bag and food. It was worth it, though, to be able to access more remote trails (including a walk on the glacier). We hiked in from Takakkaw Falls along the Little Yoho Valley trail, which is less grueling than the Iceline trail (but also less open). It took about 2 3/4 hours to hike to the hut while carrying full packs.

When we left Stanley Mitchell, we hiked out along the Iceline Trail. You get much better views hiking in this direction, because the mountain views are more in front of you instead of somewhat behind you. Also, the really steep part of the trail is downhill at the end, instead of a daunting slog uphill at the beginning of the day. It was one of the most satisfying walks of our trip (we also spent 3 nights at a backcountry hut in Elk Lakes), although it was a fairly tough walk. I think it took us about 3.5 hours from the hut.

Make sure your boots are waterproof. There are a number of streams to cross and in late September there might be more water. Also, if it's a wet day, I would recommend against coming down the Iceline trail. The steep part at the end is a bit tricky and was a bit slippery even on a regular day. My husband (who I think must be part mountain goat he's so sure-footed) skidded a couple of times, and I skidded and fell once.

If you don't want to stay overnight in a hut (and I don't blame you), you could do the walk in a long day, but I'd recommend that you walk up along the Little Yoho Valley trail and back along the Iceline trail.

Thanks so much, frog! Wonderful advice & will be sure to hike the right direction, if we can make it.
Still workin' on our trip. Appreciate the feedback. :-)
How was your weather overall?

We had beautiful, sunny weather at Elk Lakes and for two out of three days at Emerald Lake. There was a huge thunderstorm on our last day there but the weather cleared by dinner. The next day, we hiked up to the Stanley Mitchell Hut in mixed conditions (rain showers). It poured the next day until early afternoon. (Nothing like experiencing a rain day in a cabin containing 26 people plus a dozen air force cadets trying to get out of the rain.) The last two days were lovely.

Wow, the hiking talk on this thread gets me psyched for our trip in a couple weeks. We would love to stay in a backcountry lodge sometime.

We also loved our stay at Emerald Lake Lodge in 2004. The cost of a room has doubled since our visit so we are staying in Lake Louise. The drive out to Emerald Lake from Lake Louise is really lovely.

We enjoyed our dinners and breakfasts there. Try the bumbleberry pie--My husband only really enjoys homebaked pies and he loved this pie. As I recall though, we didn't think much of the elk breakfast sausage.

Last visit, we also enjoyed the Parker Ridge hike and this trip want to try Wilcox Pass. We are also going to spend a day hiking at Lake O'Hara.

Can't wait.