It was after 2 PM on 7-26-13 by the time Lupe and SPHP had finished with Lupe’s explorations up Peyto Creek looking for a way to reach the Peyto Glacier. Lupe and SPHP left the Peyto Lake area heading N in the G6 on the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93. Now that Lupe was N of the pass, the Icefields Parkway was dropping steadily down into the Mistaya River valley. Beautiful high peaks were on both sides of the road, but the highest and most easily seen ones, since the highway was closest to the E side of the valley, were to the W.
There was still plenty of time for Lupe to do something fun, but SPHP had no clear idea of where to go next. SPHP drove slowly to watch for possibilities. A quick side trip to an overflow campground S of Waterfowl Lakes did not prove interesting. A bit farther on was a pullout along the Icefields Parkway where there was a short trail down to the southernmost of the two large Waterfowl Lakes. The lake was a beautiful turquoise color, quite large and had impressive snow-capped peaks across the lake to the W. Sadly, other than the short trail to this lake, there was no sign of any other trail going anywhere.
Lupe and SPHP drove on and very shortly came to the Waterfowl Lakes campground. SPHP pulled in there, but a chain was across the entrance to the campground. It was closed due to damage to the water system sustained during floods in June.
Back on the Icefields Parkway again, Lupe and SPHP continued N several miles and came to a pullout for the Mistaya River canyon. Lupe took a short 300 meter trail down to a bridge across a deep, narrow chasm in the rock into which the very beautiful blue-green Mistaya River was pouring. Lots of people were around taking pictures. SPHP took a few, too.
Back near the highway, there was something else of interest, too. A Gem Trek map was posted showing hiking trails in the region. The ones right there at the Mistaya River were mostly long, but it also showed some shorter treks starting at the Waterfowl Lakes campground. SPHP started thinking it would be the perfect thing to do with the rest of the day. Since the campground was closed, there would be hardly any traffic on those trails. There had been plenty of space to park the G6 just outside the campground.
So SPHP drove back to the entrance to Waterfowl Lakes campground and parked the G6. Lupe and SPHP set off through the abandoned campground to find the main trail by looking for a bridge across the Mistaya River. The bridge turned out to be just upstream of where Lupe reached the river. There was also another trail map on display at the bridge confirming the information SPHP had seen at the Mistaya River Canyon pullout.
The map showed the trail system as forming a “T”. The main trail crossed the Mistaya River via a couple of decent bridges and went 1.3 km into the forest on the other side to a junction where one could go either left or right. To the right (N) was a trail to Chephren Lake, and to the left (S) a trail to Cirque Lake. Chephren was the bigger lake and the shortest distance from the trail junction at 2.4 km. The trail to the left went 2.9 km to Cirque Lake. Neither trail involved a lot of elevation gain or loss, but the trail to Cirque Lake gained more elevation than the trail to Chephren Lake, which hardly gained any at all.
Lupe and SPHP crossed the bridges over the Mistaya River and headed into the forest. Shortly before reaching the junction, Lupe met 7 or 8 people on their way back from one of the lakes. They went right on by and didn’t stop to talk to SPHP. They were the only people Lupe saw the rest of the day. At the junction, Lupe and SPHP chose to take the trail to the right to Chephren Lake. The entire route was almost flat and in the forest. There were some small open swampy areas off the trail. There were lots of exposed tree roots on the trail and some soggy spots, too. Lupe enjoyed going through the forest. There were squirrels now and then in the trees.
The trail just dead-ended at Chephren Lake. The lake shore where the trail reached the lake was rather swampy. SPHP was disappointed there wasn’t any way to explore the shoreline. Chephren Lake was certainly beautiful and surrounded by impressive mountains, including Howse Peak and Mount Chephren. It would have been great to have a canoe there.
With no way to easily explore the lake shore, Lupe and SPHP didn’t stay too long at Chephren Lake. When Lupe reached the trail junction again, SPHP thought there was still time to go on to see Cirque Lake. The trail to Cirque Lake actually went downhill for a little way, but was mostly level. When it finally got close to Cirque Lake, though, the trail started climbing steadily. Sometimes there were glimpses through the forest of the outlet stream from Cirque Lake as it rushed down the hillside.
The sun was still shining on the high peaks to the W & SW of Cirque Lake, but the lake itself was in shadow by the time Lupe arrived. SPHP was again disappointed to find that the trail just dead-ended at the lake. At least the ground was not swampy. There was a boulder field extending a short distance out into the lake. Lupe and SPHP boulder-hopped out a little way from the shore and selected a handsome boulder for Lupe’s own private tiny island. SPHP rested on Lupe’s island admiring the splendid scene, while Lupe sniffed around.
Lupe and SPHP stayed at Cirque Lake longer than they had a Chephren Lake. However, with the sun setting behind the mountains, sadly it was soon time to leave Cirque Lake and head back to the Waterfowl Lakes campground.
On the way to Cirque Lake there had been a white washcloth someone had forgotten hanging on a bush next to the trail not too far from the lake. Lupe hadn’t noticed it on the way to the lake, but on the way back she did. Lupe was suspicious of the white washcloth and barked ferociously at it. She would not get close to it. SPHP had to pluck it off the bush and throw it in the backpack, before Lupe dared to go on. Now it is Lupe’s washcloth and souvenir of her days in the Canadian Rockies. At home it hasn’t been a scary thing. It is just a washcloth here, not some dread unknown creature of the dark forest.
Shortly after Lupe and SPHP got back to the trail junction for the last time, and had already started back towards the Mistaya River and Waterfowl Lakes campground, Lupe did see a real dread creature of the darkening forest. She barked at it as ferociously as if it had been a white washcloth. It was a porcupine! The porcupine was up in a tree near the trail. It climbed even higher up, annoyed by the crazy noisy American Dingo below. SPHP led Lupe onward. Though Lupe seemed to think otherwise, a porcupine encounter would not be the least bit fun.
It was almost 10:00 PM when Lupe got back to the G6. Although the sun was long down behind the mountains, it was still light out. Lupe had some Alpo for dinner, and ate quite a few Milk Bones, too. Soon she was fast asleep and dreaming of tearing a deadly white washcloth apart bit by bit. Carolina Dogs are strong and fearless like that. In our dreams, we all are.
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