2014 Canadian Rockies/Beartooths – Page 5 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Nigel Pass & Panther Falls, Banff National Park, Canada (7-31-14)

On Lupe’s last full day of vacation in the Canadian Rockies in 2014, Lupe and SPHP took the trail to Nigel Pass and also stopped by nearby Panther Falls. The Nigel Pass trail is popular with backpackers for gaining access to long distance trails in the Brazeau River canyon area. Canadian Rockies explorer Mary Shaffer and her party first came across 60 meter Panther Falls on Nigel Creek in 1907.

The Nigel Pass trailhead is located along a gravel road on the E side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93. The trailhead parking lot is tucked out of sight a very short distance from and below the highway. The turnoff for the gravel road is N of the big loop in Hwy 93 as it starts to climb out of the N. Saskatchewan River valley, and 5.5 miles S of the Banff and Jasper National Parks boundary at Sunwapta Pass. The Parker Ridge trailhead along the opposite side of the highway is a couple of miles N of the Nigel Pass trailhead access road.

Lupe set off from the Nigel Pass trailhead at 10:05 AM. It was a pleasant 59 °F out, but the sun was already blazing high in a cloudless sky promising a very warm day for the Canadian Rockies. The previous day on Lupe’s way to Miette Hot Springs E of Jasper, the temperature had soared to a scorching 94 degrees. Fortunately Lupe was riding in the G6 in air conditioned comfort then, but today Lupe was destined to seek out shade, creeks and a small lake to stay cool and comfortable.

The hike to Nigel Pass is 7.2 km long and starts out with a 2.1 km walk along a gravel road heading NW. This road gains elevation at a very steady, but relaxed pace. It is on the SW side of the Nigel Creek valley and was pretty exposed to the sun in late morning. Lupe and SPHP were glad when the trail left the road and turned N into the shade of the forest. The trail soon passed to the W of a group of old buildings and then continued downhill for a short stretch to footbridges across Hilda Creek and then Nigel Creek just above their confluence.

Once on the E side of Nigel Creek, the trail made a short steep climb into the forest. It then headed steadily N up the E side of the valley well above creek level. As the trail continued N, the rate of climb gradually diminished to a very easy pace. Soon the trail started approaching tree line, and the forest began to thin out.

Lupe came to stretches of open ground where there were great views of Nigel Creek down in the valley to the W and a big rocky ridge up ahead at Nigel Pass. Lupe didn’t get too much of a chance to appreciate the view, however, since the open areas were almost entirely covered with bushes about 3 feet high. The bushes still amounted to a forest to Lupe.

Lupe reaches the SE end of the ridge at Nigel Pass. Photo is looking NW toward the Brazeau River canyon area.

After several km, Nigel Creek turned NW to head even farther away from the trail over to the W side of the valley. The trail itself continued N for another km and then turned NE as it climbed more steeply again through a patch of forest for the final stretch up to Nigel Pass. A couple from Michigan and their two daughters were at the high point on the trail. They had come to Canada to visit relatives in Edmonton, but were now on their way back from a backpacking trip down in the Brazeau River valley.

The trail continued over the ridge from this high point losing perhaps 100 feet of elevation down to where it crossed the Brazeau River, here just a swift stream not far from its source. From there the trail turned NW climbing the S side of a mountain, the upper reaches of which looked like one huge slab of rock. The trail actually rose to a higher point over there than where Lupe was now, before dropping a long way down into the Brazeau River valley.

The huge slab of rock on the mountain just N of the SE end of the ridge at Nigel Pass.

Without a map, SPHP was not certain Lupe had actually reached Nigel Pass. There was no sign around. The people from Michigan had not seen any sign for the pass either. They thought the pass was farther along the trail at the high point on the S side of the mountain beyond the Brazeau River in the valley to the N. They weren’t sure either, though.

SPHP was pretty certain Nigel Pass was somewhere along the ridge Lupe was already on. Leaving both the trail and the people from Michigan behind, Lupe climbed NW just a short distance up onto the top of the ridge. The ridge was barren and rocky and extended about a km off to the NW.

This photo looks along the ridge line towards the WNW. — This photo looks along the ridge line towards the WNW, but is partially obstructed by a favorite American dingo.

The view to the S down the Nigel Creek valley towards Mt. Saskatchewan. — The view to the S down the Nigel Creek valley Lupe had just come up. **Mt. Saskatchewan (10,965 ft.)** is looking glorious beyond Parker ridge in the distance.

The view towards the ESE from the ridge at Nigel Pass. The Brazeau River issues from the canyon in this direction and there are a couple of small lakes back there. If SPHP had brought a decent area map along and realized what was there, it would have been fun to explore in that direction. — The view towards the ESE from the ridge at Nigel Pass. The Brazeau River issues from the canyon in this direction and there are a couple of small lakes back there. If SPHP had brought a decent area map along and realized what was there, it would have been fun to explore in this direction.

There were several modestly higher points along the ridge farther to the NW. It was also clear that a much better view of the lower Brazeau River canyon heading off to the N could be obtained by hiking over to the NW end of the ridge. So Lupe headed NW up and down along the barren rocky ridge, climbing each of the high points along the way.

The highest of these points was at the far NW end of the ridge. From there Lupe did have a great view down to the N of the Brazeau River canyon. Back to the S was a beautiful view down the upper Nigel Creek valley with Parker Ridge and the snow covered slopes of Mount Saskatchewan beyond.

Lupe now near the NW high point on the ridge at Nigel Pass. Photo looks N down into the Brazeau River canyon.

To the SW was a broad gap between the end of the ridge and a steep high rock wall. About 100 feet below Lupe down in the gap was a beautiful light blue heart-shaped lake with a few trees around it. This area looked like it might just as easily be Nigel Pass as where the trail had reached the crest of the ridge.

Lupe headed down the slope to the heart-shaped lake. Reaching the lake, she plunked herself right down in it and had a good long drink. A trail headed S from the lake down into the upper Nigel Creek valley.

The heart-shaped lake below the ridge at Nigel Pass. The topo map on Peakbagger.com shows the area near this lake labeled as Nigel Pass. SPHP considers the entire ridge from where Lupe met the people from Michigan on the trail to this heart-shaped lake all part of Nigel Pass. The heart-shaped lake is actually in Jasper National Park. The boundary between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park runs along the ridge.

A last look back along the Nigel Pass ridge towards the SE before Lupe headed SW down to the heart-shaped lake.

Always enthusiastic about the prospect of being able to make a loop and see something new on the way back, SPHP led Lupe S down the trail from the heart-shaped lake. Lupe was now heading back down the Nigel Creek valley, but on the W side of it instead of the E side. The trail from the heart-shaped lake is apparently seldom used. Bushes and small trees were growing up and crowding it. In some spots SPHP lost the trail completely, but soon found it again each time. Only Lupe’s curly tail stuck up above the bushes in many places. The trail continued steadily on though, and eventually reached Nigel Creek.

The trail looked like it went across to the SW side of Nigel Creek, but there was no bridge. Not wanting to get boots soaked and uncertain where the trail would end up, SPHP decided it might be best to just head back to the main trail. Fortunately, right along Nigel Creek the ground was rocky and pretty much free of trees and bushes. So Lupe stayed on the NE bank of Nigel Creek and followed it SE downstream. When Nigel Creek approached the E side of the valley, it turned S. A quick scramble up a low bank into the forest just ahead led Lupe back to the main trail. Lupe then followed the main trail the rest of the way back.

It was 4:21 PM, 85 degrees F, clear and calm when Lupe got back to the G6 at the trailhead. Lupe’s trip to Nigel Pass was complete, but she was destined to make one more little exploration this day. Lupe went to see Panther Falls a short distance farther downstream on Nigel Creek, first seen by explorer Mary Shaffer and her companions in 1907.

The trail to Panther Falls is located at the S end of a huge gravel pullout area on the E side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 located just 1 or 2 km S from the gravel access road to the Nigel Pass trailhead. This huge pullout area is the same one as for the Bridal Veil Falls lookout. At the S (downhill) end of the pullout, the trail to Panther Falls leaves the pullout area and makes a couple of switchbacks down a steep canyon wall to a viewpoint for Panther Falls.

Lupe enjoyed the cool spray from Panther Falls on this hot day. The trail to this viewpoint would be quite treacherous on a day cold enough for the spray to freeze. Bridal Veil Falls is not far away, but on a smaller creek, and not as impressive as Panther Falls.

The Panther Falls viewpoint is hidden in a thick forest and a bit treacherous as spray from the falls makes the narrow trail wet and slippery. On such an amazingly hot day in the Canadian Rockies, Lupe and SPHP both appreciated the cool spray coming from Panther Falls!

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Glacier Lake & Division Mountain, Banff National Park, Canada (7-28-14)

Lupe and SPHP had a great time on the easy trail to Glacier Lake and beyond. Amazingly, although it was the height of tourist season in Banff National Park, Lupe met absolutely no one else the entire day until very close to the end of the return trip. Perhaps a sign at the trailhead explains why Lupe and SPHP enjoyed a day of such unexpected solitude. The sign said that since Glacier Lake is at a fairly low elevation, the trail to Glacier Lake is among the first to be snow free early in the year. Consequently, it is a popular trail in late spring and less so later in the summer.

The turnoff for the Glacier Lake trailhead is located a short distance (less than a kilometer) NW of Saskatchewan Crossing on the W side of Icefields Parkway Hwy 93. (Saskatchewan Crossing is in northern Banff National Park at the intersection of Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 and Hwy 11 which heads E to Rocky Mountain House.) The trailhead is at a large gravel parking area still quite close to Hwy 93 at the end of a short gravel road.

Having taken a couple of gorgeous long day hikes (Iceline Trail and Cirque Peak) with Lupe involving a lot of elevation gain on the previous two days, SPHP at least, was ready for something a bit less strenuous. SPHP had noticed on the maps during previous trips to Canada a large lake called Glacier Lake in northern Banff National Park. The trail to Glacier Lake did not involve much elevation gain, so SPHP decided maybe this would be a great opportunity for Lupe to explore the Glacier Lake Trail.

Lupe set out from the trailhead at 8:54 AM. The day promised to be rather hot for the Canadian Rockies. It was already 52 °F out with totally clear blue skies and no breeze at all. Only one other vehicle was parked at the spacious trailhead parking lot. The Glacier Lake Trail started out heading SW through a forest with lots of squirrels, which made Lupe quite happy right away.

Lupe a bit N of the great footbridge across the North Saskatchewan River.

The trail was level until approaching the N. Saskatchewan River where it dropped down to the high bank on the E side of the river. At 1.1 km from the trailhead, there was a large excellent footbridge across the N. Saskatchewan. The river was flowing strongly and a beautiful icy blue-gray color. Before crossing the bridge, Lupe explored just a little bit to the N along the 20 foot cliffs above the E bank of the river, just to watch the water roar along over the rapids upstream of the bridge.

Looking upstream from the footbridge across the North Saskatchewan River.

After crossing the N. Saskatchewan, the trail climbed back out of the river gorge before resuming a level trek SW through the forest. After another 1.2 km, Lupe reached an open grassy area on a little bluff above the Howse River. From the bluff was a wonderful view to the SW of the Howse River, a big meandering braided stream in a huge flat valley, and Mt. Outram (10,646 ft.) in the distance.

Off to the NW side of the river a low green forested ridge was in sight ahead. Lupe would have to climb over this ridge to get to Glacier Lake. Unfortunately, mosquitoes, which were bothersome all day, were particularly voracious and numerous at the Howse River viewpoint. Lupe stayed only long enough for a quick photo and pressed on.

Lupe at the Howse River viewpoint. Mt. Outram in the distance. The Glacier Lake Trail climbs over the low forested ridge at the right to reach Glacier Lake.

The trail dropped down from the viewpoint to the N bank of the Howse River, which it followed W across a small meadow before leaving the river and heading back into the forest. Although the trail remained quite close to the floor of the river valley and not far N of the river for a considerable distance, the Howse River stayed hidden by the forest and never came back into view. The trail turned SW again and gradually started to climb.

Eventually Lupe came to a stream where she could cool off and get a drink. The trail climbed steadily at a moderate pace as it followed the stream, crossing it 5 times on small plank bridges. Even after leaving the stream, the trail continued climbing for a while. Finally, Lupe reached the top of the low ridge, which was the highest elevation attained on this day’s entire hike. The top of the ridge was flat for some distance. Surprisingly, the ground was damp, even muddy in places. Lupe barked at the numerous squirrels in the forest with great energy and enthusiasm. She was having a wonderful time.

Having crossed the ridge, the trail started heading down towards Glacier Lake, which was not visible yet through the dense forest. The trail wound around, still heading generally SW and lost all of the elevation Lupe had gained climbing the ridge. (Glacier Lake itself is actually 10 meters below the Glacier Lake trailhead.) Thousands of moths were fluttering around this portion of the forest.

After a while, a sign came into view ahead at a trail intersection. By the time Lupe reached the intersection, Glacier Lake was visible just ahead through the trees. Lupe was now 6.6 km from the Howse River viewpoint. The sign indicated that the trail heading S led to the Glacier Lake campground, which is located at the E end of the lake. Another trail continued WSW along the N shore of the lake. Despite the relative proximity of the campground, which couldn’t have been very far away, Lupe neither saw nor heard anyone.

Lupe, being a very intelligent dingo, headed straight on down to Glacier Lake and got in to cool off. By now it was getting plenty warm out. Moths were flying all around, and there were quite a few that had flown down and become stuck on the surface of the lake. They were fluttering madly about desperately trying to escape. There was no sign of any hungry fish willing to eat them. The fish were probably all mothed out. The lake was calm and smooth, other than the tiny ripples generated by the struggling moths.

Lupe takes a shady break shortly after reaching Glacier Lake.

Lupe was at the ENE end of Glacier Lake, which filled the entire broad valley ahead. Glacier Lake is roughly 3.5 km long and almost 1 km wide. It was a light milky blue color and somewhat opaque. Looking ahead to the WSW, the lake was bordered by large mountains. Division Mountain lay beyond the far end of the lake, and the SE Lyell Glacier on it drew the eye like a magnet. Lupe rested in the shade of a low tree branch near the shore of Glacier Lake. She snapped at flies and was bothered by mosquitoes.

Lupe was now 8.9 km from the trailhead. A sign back at the trailhead had said that a rough trail continued 4.5 km along the N shore of Glacier Lake. It was supposed to be possible to hike beyond the lake and reach the glacial moraines. The valley upstream below Division Mountain and SE Lyell Glacier looked like a great place to explore, so after a brief rest, Lupe headed out along the trail on the N shore of Glacier Lake heading WSW.

Not too far along this trail, Lupe came to a place where her barking at squirrels echoed back very clearly at her from the other side of the lake. She found the echoes quite puzzling, as she could never see this dog that barked every time she did. SPHP seemed unduly amused by the situation, so after a few minutes, Lupe continued on to maintain her dignity. She passed by a couple of old campfire sites along the way. Despite being described back at the trailhead as a rough trail, this trail was actually in pretty good condition all the way to the far end of the lake.

SW beyond Glacier Lake were views to the S across the Glacier River of these splendid mountains, one of which is possibly **Mt. Forbes (11,867 ft.)**.

Once Lupe got past Glacier Lake, the trail was no longer pinned back in the forest at the foot of the mountain along the N side of the valley. Instead it went down onto the broad flat valley floor. This was an area that was quite open, but with lots of bushes with little red berries and a few stands of trees scattered around. There were pockets of water here and there, too, where Lupe could cool off. SPHP became more cautious as it seemed like this might be a likely place for bears, although the notion that they might well prefer higher country to avoid the heat this time of year gave some comfort.

A closer look at the mountains to the S.

Beyond Glacier Lake, the trail was fainter, but still easily followed, which Lupe did until it ended suddenly at an eroded bank of the Glacier River. The Glacier River is the main water source for Glacier Lake. It was a very pretty icy blue color, but deep and swift enough to preclude any thought of fording it. Happily, a short stroll upstream along the N bank of the river soon led to another faint trail.

Lupe followed this new faint trail upstream for some distance, but eventually the Glacier River moved over to the N side of the valley forcing the trail back up into the woods at the base of the mountain. At first this trail seemed to be OK, but quite soon Lupe started coming to more and more deadfall timber on the trail. Lupe didn’t have any real problems with it, but it slowed SPHP down considerably.

Soon the deadfall became so thick that it became difficult to tell where the trail was, or if there was even still a trail to follow. At times the main part of the Glacier River moved a bit off to the S and Lupe could get back down on the valley floor for short distances, but there were little side flows and pockets of water and mucky, marshy ground which made even that route difficult. After trekking along for what seemed like quite a while, but couldn’t have involved much distance, the trail seemed to just completely end in a jumble of deadfall in the forest.

Lupe enjoys a rest on the moss SW of Glacier Lake where the trail vanished.

Lupe and SPHP stopped and had a late lunch. Lupe rested very comfortably on some green moss and enjoyed her Taste of the Wild, while SPHP paused to consider the situation. Perhaps 1/2 km farther upstream was a low forested ridge jutting out to the S from the mountain. This ridge forced the Glacier River back to the S side of the valley. It looked like once the low ridge could be reached, it was likely the rest of the trip to the glacial moraines below Division Mountain and the SE Lyell Glacier would be pretty easy. SPHP guessed the glacial moraines were at most only 2 or 3 km beyond the low ridge.

Unfortunately, the afternoon was already wearing on. Pretty soon it would be time to turn back. SPHP decided to allow another 30 minutes to try to find the trail again or some other clear route to that low ridge. Sadly 30 minutes came and went. Lupe and SPHP had not made much headway through the deadfall timber. The forest was nearly impenetrable. The valley floor was blocked alternately by the Glacier River or a slow slog around deep pockets of water and mud.

Lupe near her farthest point of advance along the Glacier River. Division Mountain and the SE Lyell Glacier tantalizingly out of reach.

Division Mountain & the SE Lyell Glacier and from the Glacier River. What magnificent sights lurked around the corner just out of reach on this glorious day?

At this pace, it was going to take a another hour just to get to the low ridge. Clearly it was too late in the day for that. Very reluctantly, and convinced they were not far from magnificent sights ahead, SPHP informed Lupe it was time to turn back. Lupe’s spirits were not dampened at all. She was going to get a second shot at barking at all the squirrels she had seen along the way!

Lupe gets refreshed in Glacier Lake on the way back.

The entire return trip was along the exact same route. At the bridge over the N. Saskatchewan River, Lupe saw the only other hikers she encountered the entire day. A couple from Monterrey, Mexico were standing on the SW end of the bridge. They said they had never been to Canada before. They and their son, who was out of sight exploring the river bank somewhere below the bridge, had flown into Edmonton and they were now touring the Canadian Rockies. The Mexicans were very impressed, both with the spectacular scenery and the annoying mosquitoes.

Good-bye to Glacier Lake, Banff National Park, Canada

Lupe arrived back at the Glacier Lake Trailhead at 7:16 PM. It was a still roasting 81 °F out. The sun was still blazing like a demon in a clear blue sky, although it would soon disappear behind the mountains. The G6 was beastly hot after being closed up all day. Lupe and SPHP hopped in and headed N on the beautiful Icefields Parkway Hwy No. 93, cruising along with the windows partially down so our heroic dingo could enjoy the wind in her face while she and SPHP gazed happily at the magnificent Canadian Rockies.

Although the round trip to Glacier Lake and beyond had been quite a long day hike of over 10 hours, it was actually a pretty easy day until the trail beyond the lake had disappeared beneath the deadfall timber. After two long day hikes in a row with substantial elevation gains, this less strenuous hike was a rather welcome relief to SPHP.

The sad part was that the most fantastic scenery near Divide Mountain and the SE Lyell Glacier proved tantalizingly close, yet just out of reach. SPHP is absolutely convinced that this area merits further exploration. It was a shame the last section of trail was such a shambles. At Lupe’s point of farthest advance, she was only 2-3 kilometers beyond Glacier Lake. Just being able to go just a little bit farther would have made a lot of difference.

Lupe suggests any other dingoes hoping to explore the area near Divide Mountain and the SE Lyell Glacier persuade their SPHP’s to get an earlier start. Better yet, obtain a wilderness pass (required for overnight stays) and make a reservation at the campground at Glacier Lake. With base camp so close, success would be ensured despite the deadfall timber. Lupe and SPHP would love to see photos any successful adventurers who get close to the SE Lyell Glacier are willing to share.

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Cirque Peak, Banff National Park, Canada (7-27-14)

The hike up to the summit of Cirque Peak (9,820 ft.) in Banff National Park was recommended by a couple of friendly Canadians that Lupe and SPHP ran into on a different trail a couple days before. Those Canadians really knew what they were talking about! This is a fairly long day hike, but the scenery is absolutely wonderful. From the summit of Cirque Peak are splendid 360° views. The most impressive of all is the view to the SW of Bow Lake, Bow Glacier Falls, and another even higher little lake and falls all fed by the giant Wapta Icefield.

The trailhead for this hike is the Helen Lake Trailhead along the E side of the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93. It is located directly across the highway from the pullout for viewing the Crowfoot Glacier at the S end of Bow Lake.

Lupe got off to an early start on this fabulous hike, leaving from the Helen Lake Trailhead at 6:45 AM. The skies were totally clear, the wind non-existent, and it was a crisp 39 °F out.

The first part of the 14.5 km hike to Cirque Peak is the 6 km trek to Helen Lake, which basically consists of two parts. On the first part, the trail starts out climbing fairly steeply through the forest. Pretty soon the rate of climb slackens and the trail gradually works its way SSE towards the S end of the high ridge to the E. Through occasional breaks in the forest, increasingly impressive views of the Crowfoot Glacier to the SSW, Bow Peak to the S, and Mt. Andromache and Mt. Hector to the SSE are seen as the trail gains elevation.

Bow Peak (R) and Mt. Hector (Center) from the Helen Lake Trail — **Mt. Andromache** **(9,829 ft.)** (L), **Mt. Hector (11,135 ft.)** (Center L), and **Bow Peak (9,318 ft.)** (R) from the Helen Lake Trail.

About 1/2 way to Helen Lake, the trail finally rounds the S end of the ridge to the E and the view changes. A large deep valley heads up towards Cirque Peak now visible to the N. Dolomite Peak, which has somewhat the appearance of the spine of a Stegosaurus with the top of the N end of the spine snapped off, lies to the E of the valley.

Dolomite Mountain to the E of the Helen Lake Trail. — **Dolomite Peak** **(9,383 ft.)** to the E of the Helen Lake Trail.

Cirque Mountain looms to the NNE shortly after the Helen Lake Trail rounds the S end of the ridge. — Cirque Peak looms ahead to the N shortly after the Helen Lake Trail rounds the S end of the ridge.

The trail is already pretty high up on the W side of the valley, near the tree line. It heads N towards Cirque Peak, now along the E side of the ridge the trail just rounded. The valley below to the E is heavily forested, but the trail ahead goes through stretches of open heather, stunted forests and scattered trees. The trail is now nearly level for a fairly long stretch, and even has a few occasional drops as well. Numerous hoary marmots whistle their alarms as one approaches, which greatly interested Lupe.

Lupe cools off in the creek near Helen Lake, Banff National Park — The creek below Helen Lake along the Helen Lake Trail, Banff National Park

Lupe gets refreshed in the creek near Helen Lake, Banff National Park, Canada

Eventually the trail resumes its climb and rises above tree line, crossing open heather while gaining elevation at a comfortable pace. Lupe came to a nice creek flowing through a small ravine where she was able to cool off and get a good drink.

Lupe on the Helen Lake Trail. Mt, Andromache (L) and Mt. Hector (R) to the S. — Lupe on the Helen Lake Trail. Mt. Andromache (Center L) and Mt. Hector (Center) to the S.

Soon after crossing the creek, the trail comes over a ridge from which Helen Lake can be seen just ahead. A headwall is visible not far to the N and E of Helen Lake. The long rocky S ridge coming down from the summit of Cirque Peak is seen above the headwall. Helen Lake itself seemed more like a pretty green pond than a lake. It just wasn’t terribly big. Something (small fish?) seemed to be hitting the surface of the still waters of Helen Lake while Lupe trotted by heading E on the trail above the S shore.

Helen Lake (R) comes into view below Cirque Peak. Banff National Park, Canada. — Lupe reaches Helen Lake below Cirque Peak. Dolomite Pass is beyond the headwall at the right side of the photo. Banff National Park, Canada.

Lupe met the first other hiker of the day at Helen Lake. A fisherman looking to catch a few cutthroat trout was heading for considerably larger Katherine Lake on the other side of Dolomite Pass. He overtook SPHP, but stopped briefly to chat and pat Lupe before continuing on. Lupe continued on as well and followed the trail up over the headwall to the E of Helen Lake reaching the start of the Dolomite Pass area.

Cirque Peak from Dolomite Pass, Banff National Park, Canada

At Dolomite Pass, it was time to leave the trail. The trail continued over the pass to the E, but Cirque Peak was now almost due N. A broad rocky plain with little vegetation stretched off to the N gradually losing elevation until it got close to the S ridge coming down from Cirque Peak. SPHP did not notice any clear trail or cairns suggesting which way to go. So SPHP was uncertain whether to try to go up the toe of the S ridge or up the side of it a bit to the NE of the toe, but decided to head N and try the side of the ridge.

Now N of Dolomite Pass, Lupe cools off in "Gnat Pond" at the base of Cirque Peak. — Now N of Dolomite Pass, Lupe cools off in “Gnat Pond” at the base of Cirque Peak.

After a pleasant easy stroll across the rocky plain, Lupe and SPHP arrived at a very shallow pond at the base of the S ridge a bit NE of the toe. There was water in the cracks between the rocks around the pond from which clouds of gnats swarmed up. SPHP led Lupe around the E side of the pond and over to the S ridge.

The rocks forming the side of the S ridge looked a lot bigger than they had from a distance. In fact, they were boulders of various sizes. It didn’t look like too hard a climb to get up on the ridge though, so Lupe and SPHP started scrambling up the side of the ridge. The ridge had several little false summits and near the real top there were rock walls. However, after some false starts and various explorations, the top of the ridge was gained.

The SW ridge leading up to Cirque Peak. — The S ridge leading up to Cirque Peak.

Once on top of the S ridge, the way up Cirque Peak was obvious – just follow the ridge right on up. The ridge was pretty broad, there were several unmaintained trails, and the rocks on top of the ridge were nearly all small – not boulders – so it was easy to just keep trudging on up the mountain. Lung capacity was the only limiting factor. However, lung capacity quickly came into play, as the long climb up the ridge became progressively steeper.

The small loose rocks and mud forming the ridge started to give way beneath every step. Even Lupe was sending showers of small rocks sliding as she climbed. SPHP felt guilty about greatly increasing the erosion rate just by struggling up the mountain. The slope of the mountain near the top seemed to be the maximum slope that the laws of physics would allow for such a loose pile of dirt and rock to even support itself.

Near the very top of Cirque Peak, the loose rock finally met up with a 30 to 50 foot layer of dark gray solid rock. Fortunately, the solid rock was not just a wall, and was climbable without any great difficulty. When Lupe reached the summit, there were two people there ahead of her. They had passed Lupe and SPHP on the steepest part of the loose rock not far from the summit a short time before, and were the first to arrive at the summit of Cirque Peak this day. They said they were originally from Hungary, but were now living in Canada.

Lupe checks out the view to the NW towards Peyto Lake from Cirque Peak. — Lupe checks out the view to the SSW towards the Crowfoot Glacier and the S end of Bow Lake from the false summit of Cirque Peak.

The Hungarians quickly pointed out that technically Lupe and SPHP were still only at a false summit. The true summit of Cirque Peak was a slightly higher rocky crag just a short distance to the E. The Hungarians had already been there. Lupe and SPHP rested and had some water at the false summit while the Hungarians were still there.

The false summit area wasn’t terribly big and was almost completely surrounded by cliffs or very long steep slopes. Fortunately, there were some good solid rocks providing relatively comfortable and secure perches. It felt like being up in a small plane with so much air around in every direction.

Dolomite Peak, Mt. Andromache & Mt. Hector to the S from Cirque Peak. — Dolomite Peak, Mt. Andromache & Mt. Hector (progressively more distant near the center of the photo) to the SSE from Cirque Peak.

The views from Cirque Peak were spectacular in every direction. To the S were Dolomite Peak, Mt. Andromache, Mt. Hector, and way off in the distance was a glimpse of Mt. Assiniboine (11,864 ft.). Far below was “Gnat Pond” at the base of the S ridge of Cirque Peak, and even farther below was Helen Lake. Portions of Katherine Lake were visible beyond Dolomite Pass.

View to the N from Cirque Peak. A portion of Peyto Lake is visible at the left side of this photo.

To the E was a broad expanse of air before reaching jagged mountains beyond a deep valley. To the N, a snowfield or small glacier lay far, far below Lupe and SPHP at the base of the towering N cliffs of Cirque Peak. A thin, treacherous ridge extended NW from Cirque Peak just to the W of the snowfield. Beyond were more mountains and Peyto Lake in the distance.

Bow Lake, Bow Glacier Falls & the Wapta Icefield from Cirque Peak.

The most magnificent view of all though lay to the SW. Most of Bow Lake was in sight and beyond it Bow Glacier Falls. A lake Lupe and SPHP had never seen before was above Bow Glacier Falls, and another waterfall plunged into it from the Bow Glacier extending out from the vast expanse of the Wapta Icefield.

Lupe on the true summit of Cirque Peak and the view to the E.

Once the Hungarians started down, Lupe and SPHP worked their way over to the true summit of Cirque Peak. This involved a climb down of maybe 20 to 30 feet, traversing a fairly narrow saddle with dizzying drops on either side, and an easy climb up a craggy knob slightly higher than the false summit to the W.

The rocky E crag that is the true summit of Cirque Peak. NOT a good place to race around chasing squirrels!

Incredibly, after reaching the true summit, Lupe found a squirrel way up here and about gave SPHP a heart attack by chasing it around the rocks oblivious to the cliffs all around her. Lupe was quickly brought under control again and taken back to the false summit for a more secure vantage point from which to appreciate the stupendous scenery.

Conditions on Cirque Peak were near perfect. The sky was now partly cloudy, but mostly sunny and non-threatening. Amazingly, there was no wind at all most of the time, just a gentle breeze that came up now and then. Temperatures were in the upper 50’s or low 60’s. Visibility was wonderful. Lupe remained on top of Cirque Peak as long as she and SPHP were the only ones up there, which was quite some time.

The SW ridge, the way back down Cirque Peak, as seen from the top. "Gnat Pond" (L) and Helen Lake (Center L) far below. — The S ridge, the way back down Cirque Peak, as seen from just below the solid rock layer at the top. “Gnat Pond” (L) and Helen Lake (Center L) far below.

Visible below, however, were lots of hikers strung out all along the SW ridge making their way steadily up. When the next hikers finally got close, Lupe started down Cirque Peak just in time to get off the layer of solid rock before meeting up with the next party and their dog, Ella, at the very top of the steep slope of loose rocks.

Lupe meets Ella and her humans at the base of the solid rock layer which forms the summit of Cirque Peak.

Even more loose rocks showered down the steep upper slopes of Cirque Peak on the way down than on the way up. Lupe had to lose a lot of elevation before reaching firm footing again. On the way back down, SPHP learned that the proper route onto the S ridge was NOT the climb over the boulders above the shallow pond, but via an unmaintained trail heading N along the top of the headwall E of Helen Lake.

This trail eventually winds its way up onto the rocky toe of the S ridge. There were cairns along the headwall marking the path, but SPHP had gone too far E to have noticed them on the way up. Lupe and SPHP followed other hikers down off the S ridge via this route and saw that it was much superior to the way they’d come up in the morning.

Dolomite Peak (which SPHP thinks looks like a Stegosaurus with the N end of the spine snapped off) and Mt. Hector from the SW ridge of Cirque Peak. — Dolomite Peak (which SPHP thinks looks like a Stegosaurus with the N end of the spine snapped off) and Mt. Hector from the S ridge of Cirque Peak.

The rest of the hike back to the Helen Lake Trailhead was just retracing the hike up earlier in the day. There were lots of people around on the way back, compared to virtually none on the way up. Lupe arrived back at the trailhead at 4:54 PM. It was 68 °F, partly cloudy and calm. Lupe and SPHP headed to the picnic ground near the S end of Bow Lake for a shared evening meal of sardines. Then it was time for a bit of relaxation soaking tired paws and feet in the cold lake while watching sunlight sparkle brilliantly on the waves.

This photo of Bow Lake showing the Crowfoot Glacier was taken on 7-25-13 on Lupe's 2013 Dingo Vacation to Canada. — This photo of Bow Lake showing the Crowfoot Glacier was taken on 7-25-13 on Lupe’s 2013 Dingo Vacation to Canada.

P1050127 — The Crowfoot Glacier above the S end of Bow Lake on 7-25-13. This photo was taken not far from the picnic ground near the S end of Bow Lake on Lupe’s prior 2013 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies.

Lupe and SPHP strongly recommend the hike up Cirque Peak if conditions are good. The fantastic views are well worth the effort. However, under wet conditions, the hike up the S ridge of Cirque Peak is probably a horrible muddy slog to be avoided, even if visibility is acceptable.

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Mount Jimmy Simpson, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada (8-6-18)