2014 Canadian Rockies/Beartooths – Page 3 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Upper Kananaskis Lake, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada (7-17-14)

On the third day of Lupe’s 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies & Beartooths, she woke up in Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. SPHP was disappointed to see that it was still smoky out. Although the area was gorgeous, the heat and bugs hadn’t been much fun on the previous day’s hike to Bertha Lake either. Lupe and SPHP had breakfast at a picnic table near Upper Waterton Lake. After breakfast there was a stroll along the beach admiring the lake. The lake was fabulous, but it looked like another hot, smoky day was on its way.

SPHP was in the mood to head farther N. Heat, bugs, smoke and lots of people around wasn’t really what Lupe & SPHP were after. So after the stroll along the beach, Lupe bid farewell to Upper Waterton Lake. Back in the G6, Lupe and SPHP headed N on Hwy 6 to Pincher Creek. After a short jog to the W on Hwy 3, there was a beautiful drive N on Hwy 22 to Longview. From Longview, SPHP drove SW on Hwy 542 to Hwy 40. There were lots of cows in this area and Lupe was delighted to have the opportunity to conduct a dingo-satisfying barking frenzy.

SPHP turned N on Hwy 40, a wonderful drive through big mountains. SPHP had forgotten to get water before leaving Waterton Park and stopped at several places along Hwy 40, but none of them had water. Hwy 40 climbed up and over a pass into Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. With no clear destination in mind, SPHP decided to check out the Kananaskis Lakes area. Maybe there would be water? Soon Lupe was at Upper Kananaskis Lake. There were lots of people around here too, but not so many as at Waterton Lakes. SPHP was impressed enough to want to do a bit of exploring.

Lupe’s first exploration at Upper Kananaskis Lake was along a trail above the S shore heading W from the SE corner of the lake. Although the day had been bright and sunny earlier (it hit 84 °F according to the G6), Lupe and SPHP didn’t get very far along the trail before encountering intermittent rain and thunder. Lots of people suddenly appeared on the trail heading back towards the parking lot. Lupe got as far as a waterfall where the bridge across Sarrail Creek was out, if there had ever been one. Three large, wet and slippery looking logs at varying levels served as the only bridge across the stream.

Lupe stopped at this waterfall near the S shore of Upper Kananaskis Lake. The stream comes down from Rawson Lake, which Lupe visited 2 days later.

Other people were having no difficulty negotiating the logs across the stream, but SPHP decided against having Lupe try it. The weather was deteriorating and everyone else was heading back to the parking lot. Lupe and SPHP retreated to the parking lot, too. Lupe took a nap in the G6 while SPHP wrote. It rained on and off. It even hailed a bit, but the hail was small and didn’t last long. Eventually the rain stopped, and it became sunny and breezy out, although there were still quite a few clouds around.

The rain had temporarily cleared the smoky haze out of the air, and the evening was shaping up to be cool and pleasant. Lupe had snoozed enough and was ready for another exploration. The trail she had been on earlier was part of a trail that circumnavigates Upper Kananaskis Lake. This time Lupe and SPHP took the trail in the opposite direction, heading NW along the NE shore. To get to this portion of the trail, Lupe had to cross a dam. (Although Upper Kananaskis Lake is a natural lake, the level has been raised by the construction of two dams.) She picked up the trail on the other side of the dam and continued along the NE shore of Upper Kananaskis Lake.

Looking back to the SE from the trail on the NE shore of Upper Kananaskis Lake, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

There were lots of great viewpoints along the trail, which was typically elevated 10 – 40 feet above the lake. After crossing the 1st dam, Lupe met no one at all on the entire trail, which was puzzling to SPHP until Lupe neared the 2nd dam. Lupe had already traversed about 4.0 km of the 4.2 km between the dams, when suddenly she could go no further. On a steep slope 40 feet above the lake, a 30 foot section had caved in. The area was taped off and marked as closed. There was no way to continue, so Lupe and SPHP turned around and again got to enjoy a private stroll back to the first dam.

Sunlight breaks through the clouds to shine on Upper Kananaskis Lake.

SPHP liked Upper Kananaskis Lake so much that Lupe got to spend several more days in the area. She went on two fabulous daylong expeditions while in the area. One was on the Maude-Lawson Lakes trail to the Turbine Campground where she saw three grizzly bears. The other was to Three Isle Lake and South Kananaskis Pass where she crossed into British Columbia from Alberta. Oh, and yes, there was drinking water available in campgrounds near Upper Kananaskis Lake – there was even a shower house!

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Waterton Lakes and Bertha Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada (7-16-14)

Lupe entered Canada via Hwy 17 on the afternoon of July 16, 2014, the 2nd day of her 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies & Beartooths. She was already in Waterton Lakes National Park, and the first order of business was to go see the lake itself. Lupe soon arrived in the small community and tourist town of Waterton Park, which is located on the NW shore at the N end of Upper Waterton Lake. SPHP found a place to park near the S end of town near the lake.

Lupe on the rocky beach at Upper Waterton Lake, Canada

It was a hot day. According to the G6 it was 90 °F. Not exactly the weather Lupe and SPHP had been anticipating in Canada, but certainly a good day to check out the beach. The beach was rocky, with rounded rocks of various sizes. A breeze was blowing and there was some moderate wave action. Lupe was hot and was eager to wade in the lake to cool off. Lupe doesn’t like to swim, but she loves to wade and lay down in the water. She was clearly glad to have the opportunity to get wet and cool down.

Upper Waterton Lake was quite beautiful. The deeper water was a brilliant and very appealing blue color, while the shallower water near the shore took on the gray color of the rocks on the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately, the scene was not quite as beautiful as it normally would have been due to considerable smoke in the air. The smoke was from wildfires somewhere, but SPHP never really found out where the fires were. The smoke was thick enough to detract from the view.

There are actually three Waterton Lakes. Lupe and SPHP had driven by Lower Waterton Lake on the way to Waterton Park. The lower lake is good-sized at a couple of km long, but is the smallest of the three lakes. Upper Waterton Lake is the largest and goes all the way S into Glacier National Park in the United States. Middle Waterton Lake is 4 km long and actually at the same level as Upper Waterton Lake, since the two lakes are connected by a narrow straight called the Bosporus. However, Middle Waterton Lake lies outside the long canyon flanked by dramatic peaks Upper Waterton Lake lies within.

Lupe at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada

After Lupe had cooled off in the lake, SPHP thought it might be fun to go take a look at the lake from the grounds of the Prince of Wales Hotel up on a hill at the very N end of Upper Waterton Lakes. This involved a drive back through the town of Waterton Park, but it wasn’t far and didn’t take long despite all the tourist traffic. The views from the grounds of the Prince of Wales Hotel were quite grand, but still just as smoky. Quite a few people were around, and Lupe made a few new acquaintances.

Lupe and the Prince of Wales. — Lupe and the Prince of Wales 7-16-14

The Bosporus strait connecting Middle Waterton Lake (L) and Upper Waterton Lake (R). The mountain is **Vimy Peak** **(7,805 ft.)**.

After the jaunt up to the Prince of Wales Hotel, Lupe and SPHP returned to the shore of Upper Waterton Lake near the S end of Waterton Park. Lupe and SPHP wandered SW along the shore of the lake and came to a trail that heads S along the W shore of Upper Waterton Lakes. A map near the start of the trail showed another trail about 1.5 km S to Bertha Lake. Bertha Lake was located up a steep side canyon to the W. The whole trip to Bertha Lake was about 5 km long and involved an elevation gain of 475 meters or over 1,500 feet. SPHP thought that a trip to Bertha Lake looked like an interesting thing to do. Lupe was happy to be on a trail again.

For the first 1.5 km heading S, the trail climbed gradually. Upper Waterton Lake was always in view extending away to the S sandwiched in between jagged mountains to the E & W. There were bushes 2 or 3 feet high on both sides of the trail, so most of the time Lupe probably didn’t have much of a view. Even though it was getting to be late in the afternoon, it was still very warm out.

There were lots of hikers heading back towards Waterton Park. There were even more mosquitoes and flies feasting upon them, Lupe & SPHP. The bugs weren’t too bad though along this first stretch, as it was easy to just keep moving and avoid most of the swarm. SPHP chatted briefly with some of the returning hikers. Quite a few had been up to Bertha Lake and all declared the trek to be worthwhile.

Shortly before reaching the side trail to Bertha Lake, there was a very short spur trail to a little point. At the point was a bench situated looking S to have beautiful view of Upper Waterton Lake. Lupe and SPHP paused here for maybe 10 minutes to relish the scene. There was a bit of a breeze up on the point to help ward off the bugs. It was a great view. SPHP wished there wasn’t so much smoke around, but there was nothing to be done about it.

There were two waterfalls on Bertha Creek on the way to Bertha Lake. The first one was reached 1.4 km from the main trail along Upper Waterton Lake. The trail to this point was gaining elevation faster than along Upper Waterton Lake, but still at a generally modest pace. The trail crossed to the S of Bertha Creek just below the lower Bertha Creek falls. Once past the falls, the trail began a long relentless ascent up the forested S side of the side canyon Bertha Lake is in.

The switchbacks lasted nearly the entire 2.8 km from the lower falls to Bertha Lake. They seemed endless. It was still hot. SPHP was sweating. The heat drained away energy. Even Lupe plodded along dispiritedly behind SPHP. It was a tough grind. SPHP felt out of shape. At each stop for a breather, though, flies and mosquitoes descended instantly and drove SPHP and Lupe onward. The trail never got close to the upper falls on Bertha Creek, and didn’t start to level out until nearly at Bertha Lake.

Bertha Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada

Bertha Lake was very pretty in the early evening light. There was a campground on the NW shore. Lupe and SPHP crossed Bertha Creek again to get over to the campground. SPHP was surprised to find the campground was completely abandoned. Peakbagger.com shows a trail completely around Bertha Lake. Lupe and SPHP continued SW on the trail leaving the campground behind. SPHP intended to circumnavigate the lake, but about 2/3 of the way to the SW end of Bertha Lake the trail was blocked by thick deadfall timber.

It was too late to consider forcing a way through the deadfall. Lupe and SPHP turned back. The way back down the trail to Upper Waterton Lake was much more fun than the climb up had been. With gravity now a friend, it was easy to keep going and outpace most of the flies and mosquitoes that were still around. With the sun low enough so Lupe and SPHP were in the shadow of the mountain, it had cooled off a bit by now, too. Lupe trotted along looking lively again. There were spectacular views of the N side of the canyon, and eventually out to the E towards Upper Waterton Lake. SPHP hadn’t noticed them much on the struggle up.

Lupe and SPHP had only seen one person on the way up to Bertha Lake after passing the lower falls, and saw no one at all on the way back down until below the lower falls again. There were still some people on the main trail back to Waterton Park, even a few just starting out. This far N, it was later than SPHP had realized. Although it was still light out, it was 9:30 PM by the time Lupe reached the G6. Time for a bit of dinner and then a good snooze!

Upper Waterton Lake from the Prince of Wales Hotel. Looks like a great place to own a boat! Short guided tours of the lake can be booked in Waterton Park aboard cruise boats.

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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.

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. 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.

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.

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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