Category: 2014 Canadian Rockies/Beartooths

Warren Peaks, WY (7-15-14) & Porphyry Peak, MT (7-16-14)

SPHP came to at 6:15 AM on July 15, 2014.  A very late beginning for Lupe’s 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies!  Despite the occasion, SPHP just felt lazy and spent another half an hour summoning the energy to roll out of bed.  In truth, SPHP felt somewhat unprepared.  Other than go to the Canadian Rockies, SPHP really didn’t have any specific idea what was going to happen over the next few weeks.  Unlike SPHP, Lupe was bright-eyed, expectant and ready for action!

Lupe waits in the G6 for SPHP to get a move on! Dingo vacations are supposed to get off to an early start!
Lupe getting bored waiting in the G6 for SPHP to get a move on! Dingo vacations are supposed to get off to an early start!

The house and yard were in as good shape as they were going to be, and the G6 was half packed the previous evening.  At 8:00 AM, Lupe got her heartworm medicine.  At 9:40 AM the G6 was finally rolling out of the driveway.  It was hazy out and a rather cool day for mid-July.  Lupe and SPHP headed W on I-90.  All day it felt like weather was building up farther to the W where Lupe was going.

Now we're talking! Lupe arrives at the lookout tower on Warren Peaks.
Now we’re talking! Lupe arrives at the lookout tower on Warren Peaks.

Lupe’s first stop was a little side trip up to Warren Peaks (6,650 ft.) in the Bear Lodge mountains in NE Wyoming.  Warren Peaks became Lupe’s first peakbagging success of her 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies & Beartooths.  It didn’t seem like much of an achievement, since a road goes all the way up to the lookout tower and SPHP just drove the G6 up there.  Still, the view was pretty, and just being up there further lifted SPHP’s rising enthusiasm for the glorious days ahead that were now just beginning.

Lupe's first peakbagging success of her 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies and Beartooths was Warren Peaks in NE, Wyoming.
Lupe’s first peakbagging success of her 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies and Beartooths was Warren Peaks in NE, Wyoming.
View to the SSW of Warren Peaks in the Bear Lodge Mountains of NE Wyoming.
View to the SSW of Warren Peaks in the Bear Lodge Mountains of NE Wyoming.

It had only been 62°F at Warren Peaks at 11:35 AM, but it was 81°F by the time Lupe reached the Powder River two hours later.  Things cooled off again just E of the Bighorn Mountains where Lupe encountered the first rain shower of the day.  The rain was harder and steadier in Montana.  At Billings, MT, SPHP was glad to leave I-90 and all its road construction.  Lupe headed N on Hwy 3 to Lavina and turned W on Hwy 12 following the Musselshell River.

W of Harlowton, Hwy 12 goes up into the Little Belt Mountains.  Neither Lupe nor SPHP had ever been to the Little Belts before.  Lupe saw lots of pretty country on this day’s drive, but other than the glorious Bighorn Mountains which Lupe didn’t enter, the Little Belt Mountains were the best.  The Little Belts were gently rolling and forested with meadows in the valleys.  They were quite beautiful and sparsely populated.  Lupe and SPHP turned N on Hwy 89 just N of White Sulphur Springs, and went as far as a big parking pullout up at King’s Hill Pass (7,393 ft. elevation).

By the time Lupe reached King’s Hill Pass, the sun was close to setting.  SPHP parked the G6.  For 45 minutes Lupe got to romp around in the wet woods while SPHP explored a bit too.  It felt good to be out of the G6 and moving, but with all the clouds around, darkness started coming on fast.  Soon after retiring to the G6 for the night, rain and fog rolled in.

By morning on July 16th, the skies were clear.  The first order of business was for Lupe to climb Porphyry Peak (8,192 ft.), which was a couple of miles W of Hwy 89 at King’s Hill Pass according to the map.  Lupe and SPHP started up a road that skirted the S side of the King’s Hill Campground.  Lupe dashed around in and out of the wet forest, very pleased with the way this day was starting out.  Soon she was a very soggy doggie, but it didn’t bother her in the least.

Soggy doggie Lupe up on Porphyry Peak on the morning of 7-16-14
Soggy doggie Lupe up on Porphyry Peak on the morning of 7-16-14.  Porphyry Peak was Lupe’s 2nd peakbagging success of this American dingo vacation.

The road wound around all the way up to the summit of Porphyry Peak where there was a lookout tower plus a couple of ski lifts and a few other facilities connected with the Showdown Montana Ski area.  A sign at the bottom of the lookout tower said to shout for permission to climb the tower.  SPHP shouted, but there was no answer.  The tower went unclimbed by Lupe and SPHP.  The views were pretty nice even without climbing the lookout tower.  After wandering around the top of the mountain by the ski lifts where the views were best, Lupe and SPHP headed back down to the G6.

The ranger tower on Porphyry Peak, MT
The ranger tower on Porphyry Peak, MT
Lupe on Porphyry Peak where the Showdown Montana ski area is located.
Lupe on Porphyry Peak where the Showdown Montana ski area is located.

From King’s Hill Pass, Hwy 89 lost elevation for many miles.  It was a pretty drive, and SPHP was convinced the Little Belt Mountains are the most scenic route through this part of Montana.  Near the bottom of the range was a picnic area close to a little creek.  SPHP stopped there long enough for Lupe to sniff around a bit and get a drink.  Then it was back in the G6 and onward to Great Falls, MT.

The Little Belt Mountains in Montana looking NNE from Porphyry Peak.
The Little Belt Mountains in Montana looking NNE from Porphyry Peak.
The wet, green forest on Porphyry Peak.
The wet, green forest on Porphyry Peak.

W of Great Falls, the air was no longer clear and clean.  The mountains farther W were in a haze, which eventually proved to be smoke.  SPHP stayed on Hwy 89 all the way through Choteau and Browning to St. Mary just E of Glacier National Park.  It was all new territory to both Lupe and SPHP.  Lupe happily barked at cows and horses along the way.  In Choteau was a pretty neat statue of a dinosaur.  Later on, SPHP regretted not stopping there to get a picture of Lupe next to the dinosaur.

A soggy Lupe in the G6 ready to leave Porphyry Peak, MT for more dingo adventures in Canada.
A soggy Lupe in the G6 ready to leave King’s Hill Pass, MT for more dingo adventures in Canada.

From St. Mary, SPHP took Hwy 2 N to Hwy 12, which led Lupe to the Canadian border.  At the drive up window, there was no one else in line to get into Canada.  SPHP presented a U.S. passport and the Canadian border agent asked a bunch of standard questions.

SPHP must have been somehow suspicious, or perhaps it was just a dull, boring day on the border.  SPHP was asked to park the G6 and go inside the main building while Lupe waited in the car.  There SPHP presented the exact same passport, different Canadian border patrol personnel asked the exact same questions, and SPHP gave the exact same answers.  Somehow this cleared up all difficulties or misunderstandings, whatever they may have been, and Lupe was free to proceed into beautiful Canada!  Her 2nd Canadian Rockies adventure was now truly underway!

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Sherbrooke Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada (7-25-14)

It was 41°F and still totally overcast when Lupe and SPHP woke up in the G6.  It had rained a little during the night, but by now the pavement was mostly dry.  SPHP drove over to a picnic area near the N end of the Bow Parkway.  No one else was around yet.  While SPHP made a bit of breakfast, Lupe sniffed around.  There wasn’t too much for her to do since the squirrels weren’t even up yet.

On the drive over to the picnic ground, SPHP had seen new snow high up on the mountains.  Not so much to the E & S, but a fair amount to the N.  The gray skies, mountaintops lost in the clouds, and new snow made the mountains look beautiful, but also remote and vaguely threatening.

After breakfast, Lupe and SPHP drove over to Lake Louise Village so SPHP could mail a postcard.  While there, SPHP chanced to meet a 74 year old man from San Diego, CA.  He was friendly and talkative.  He was on a six month tour of the Canadian Rockies and the American West in a little motor home all by himself.

That sounded pretty awesome!  SPHP enjoyed chatting with him.  The man mentioned the hike to Sherbrooke Lake as a pretty nice one, and not too long.  It sounded like a good idea to SPHP on a cool, drippy, overcast day when the mountains were hidden in the clouds anyway.

Sherbrooke Lake from the SE shore, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Sherbrooke Lake from the SE shore, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Lupe and SPHP had actually planned to go to Sherbrooke Lake while in the Canadian Rockies back in 2013, but SPHP had not found the trailhead.  This time, with the help of a tip from the guy from San Diego, it wasn’t a problem.

From Lake Louise, Lupe and SPHP headed N and then W on the Trans-Canada Hwy No. 1 past the turn off for the Icefields Parkway Hwy No. 93.  After entering Yoho National Park, SPHP slowed down when Wapta Lake came into view on the S side of the highway.  On the N side of the highway across from the lake is the Great Divide Lodge.  SPHP turned into the big parking lot for the Great Divide Lodge.  It turned out the trailhead wasn’t there, but SPHP knew it had to be close by.

Getting back on Trans-Canada Hwy No. 1 and continuing W just 0.25 mile from the Great Divide Lodge, SPHP saw another turnoff on the N side of the highway.  There was no sign, but this was the correct turn for the Sherbrooke Lake trailhead.  The road went N up a little hill, and then curved E to end at the trailhead parking lot, which wasn’t far from the highway at all.  There were no other vehicles at the misty trailhead.  Low gray clouds were dripping light rain sporadically when Lupe set out on the trail to Sherbrooke Lake.

The trail goes through the forest the entire 3.1 km to Sherbrooke Lake.  Nearly all of the 165 m elevation gain occurs on the first part of the trail before it reaches a junction at 1.4 km with a trail to the lookout on Paget Peak (8,465 ft.).  Ordinarily, SPHP would have been tempted to check out Paget Peak, but it seemed pointless to climb up into the fog.  The last part of the trek to Sherbrooke Lake was a pleasant stroll through the dripping forest with little elevation change.  Lupe was pretty damp, but in good spirits when she reached Sherbrooke Lake along its SE shore.

A wet Lupe reaches the SE shore of Sherbrooke Lake in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
A damp Lupe reaches the SE shore of Sherbrooke Lake in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada.  Photo is looking N.

Under the overcast skies, Sherbrooke Lake was a light gray-green color.  The air was calm, and the lake was smooth with hardly a ripple on its surface.  The trail continued another 1.4 km along the E shore of the lake to the far N end.

Everything was sopping wet, as Lupe and SPHP headed N along the lakeshore trail.  Little streams crossed the trail on their way down into the lake.  Small birds were perched up in the trees near the water’s edge.  Lupe barked enthusiastically at them.  There were even a few squirrels around.  Her barking echoed through the valley, but no one else was around to care.

The NW shore of Sherbrooke Lake.
The NW shore of Sherbrooke Lake.

At the far NE corner of Sherbrooke Lake, the trail went into some terrain covered with tall bushes as it started around the N shore.  Here there were larger creeks flowing down into the lake.  The trail started to fade quickly as it went into the wet bushes.  There were rounded stones on the ground and muddy places.  SPHP got the impression that this whole area Lupe was approaching was a big wash where a larger braided stream was depositing rocks and mud, slowly filling in the N end of the lake.

It was starting to rain more steadily.  The trail was fading away as it headed into the tall wet bushes.  The larger streams Lupe now encountered were difficult to cross without getting wet.  It was becoming clear that continuing on meant both Lupe and SPHP would get totally soaked.  Without adequate rain gear, it was time to turn around.  Lupe was just as happy barking at birds on the way back S along the E shore of the lake, as she had been going N.

Looking back to the S from the NE corner of Sherbrooke Lake.
Looking back to the S from the NE corner of Sherbrooke Lake.

Lupe and SPHP had seen no one at all on the entire trip to Sherbrooke Lake, but on the way back a couple from Edmonton appeared at the junction with the trail to the Paget Peak lookout.  They were very nice and SPHP chatted with them for a while.

The Edmonton couple were on their way to the N end of Sherbrooke Lake where Lupe had just been, except they were going to continue on beyond the lake.  They said that the trail does not end at the N end of Sherbrooke Lake.  Not too far N of the lake is a headwall.  The trail climbs up and over the headwall to some fantastically beautiful territory (Niles Meadows) and goes on toward Niles Peak.  Definitely worth checking out sometime, but sissy SPHP wanted to do it in better weather.

The Edmonton couple was justifiably excited about a trip to the Himalayas they were going to take in the relatively near future.  They planned on spending time at a 14,000 foot elevation base camp near Mt. Everest, although they had no plans to climb Everest.  The airfare there was the big expense.  They could hire a Sherpa for $10 per day to haul all of their gear, cook, make camp, etc.  SPHP made a mental note to cross Sherpa off the list of possible career opportunities.

Of more immediate interest to SPHP was another trek in the Canadian Rockies that they recommended.  Across the Icefields Parkway Hwy No. 93 from the Crowfoot Glacier near Bow Lake is the Helen Lake trailhead.  From Helen Lake it is possible to climb up to the top of Cirque Peak where there are fabulous views of the Wapta Icefield, Bow Lake and Bow Glacier Falls.  Two days later Lupe and SPHP actually climbed Cirque Peak.  The experience was everything the couple from Edmonton promised it would be and more!

Just before 1:00 PM, a very soggy Lupe was back at the trailhead.  Lupe hopped right into the G6 and began licking herself dry.  She’d had a great time on the trail to Sherbrooke Lake.  It really had been an enjoyable outing and had only taken a few hours.  Sometime in the future Lupe and SPHP hope to return to see Niles Meadows.

Lupe’s 2014 visit to Sherbrooke Lake was over.  It rained for a while.  Lupe and SPHP took a nap.  By the time SPHP woke up, the rain had tapered off.  Lupe and SPHP returned to Lake Louise Village.  There was still time left in the day to do something else.  Lupe and SPHP headed for Moraine Lake for a walk along the lakeshore trail.

Lupe at Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada 7-25-14
Lupe at Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada 7-25-14

From the big rock pile at the outlet end of Moraine Lake, SPHP was amazed how blue the lake was despite the still cloudy skies.

Moraine Lake and Valley of the Ten Peaks from the rock pile.
Moraine Lake and Valley of the Ten Peaks from the rock pile.

After dinner, Lupe and SPHP went to Lake Louise to take a wonderful evening stroll to the end of the lake.

Lupe took an evening stroll along beautiful Lake Louise to the far side of the lake. Mt. Lefroy (L) and Mount Victoria (center) visible in the distance.
Lupe took an evening stroll along beautiful Lake Louise to the far side of the lake. Mt. Lefroy  (11,293 ft.) (L) and Mount Victoria (11,375 ft.) (center) visible in the distance.
Chateau du Lac Louise
The Chateau du Lac Louise is visible beyond Lupe across Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada 7-25-14

The views at Lake Louise looked even a bit more spectacular this evening with the bit of fresh snow from last night still lingering on the peaks.

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