Lupe entered British Columbia for the first time on the morning of 7-24-13, Day 15 of her 2013 Dingo Vacation to the Beartooths/Canadian Rockies. Two or three km S of the small community of Field, SPHP turned right (W) off Trans-Canada Hwy 1 on Emerald Lake Road. A little over a km off Hwy 1, Lupe and SPHP stopped to view the Natural Bridge over the Kicking Horse River.
The Kicking Horse River had a powerful flood of glacial-silt laden water pouring under the Natural Bridge. It was an impressive scene, but far too dangerous for Dingoes to stay and play. Lupe and SPHP drove on the rest of the way to Emerald Lake, about 8 km from Hwy 1, arriving at the SW shore of the beautiful deep green lake around 8:30 AM.
SPHP’s original intention was for Lupe to take the 5.2 km trail around Emerald Lake. Just NE of the parking lot was a bridge for vehicles over a narrow arm of Emerald Lake. The bridge led to Emerald Lake Lodge. Lupe and SPHP crossed the bridge, went past the lodge and all of its cabins or condos, and picked up the trail around the lake. The trail led around the big SE bay of the lake and then turned N following the E shore. SPHP purposely chose to go around Emerald Lake counterclockwise in order to stay in the shade of the mountains as long as possible.
The forest and undergrowth along the trail was thick and lush. The trail was often a little distance from the lake shore, so all the vegetation frequently hid the lake from view. It was still early enough so Lupe met only a few people on the trail along the E shore of Emerald Lake.
At the N end of the lake, the terrain changed. The trail crossed a stream and left the dense forest behind. On the other side of the stream, the entire area along the N shore was rocky and nearly flat. There were only scattered trees and bushes. The entire area NNE of Emerald Lake was a giant alluvial fan of dirt and rocks deposited by braided streams originating from unseen glaciers in the mountains to the N or NW.
Lupe was near the NW end of Emerald Lake and about 2/3 of the way around it when she came to a side trail heading NNE to Yoho Pass and Yoho Lake. From Yoho Lake, SPHP knew Lupe could go on to Takakkaw Falls. It was tempting. After some hesitation and actually heading a short distance on past the trail to Yoho Pass, SPHP turned around. Lupe was going to go back and take the trail to Yoho Lake!
Lupe met a few people on the trail to Yoho Lake, but not too many. At first, the trail went through scrub forest over a maze of glacier melt streams running down the alluvial fan from NW to SE. The trail itself headed NNE toward a steep headwall. When Lupe reached the end of the alluvial fan, the real climb up to Yoho Pass began. Once the trail started up, it climbed steeply and relentlessly. Lupe passed close by a big waterfall that had been visible from a distance, and discovered an even more dramatic waterfall above it plunging down from a great height.
The climb up to Yoho Pass seemed long, hot and steep. Biting flies plagued Lupe and SPHP. Lupe was happy when very high up she came to some very small streams crossing the trail to drink from. SPHP was happy when the trail reached the forest and there was finally some shade. Eventually the trail started leveling out as it got closer to Yoho Pass.
Yoho Pass was beautiful. There weren’t any views due to the thick, shady forest, but there were lots of wildflowers around. From the pass, the trail descended gently for 0.7 km to Yoho Lake. Lots of people were at Yoho Lake. There is a campground at the lake, and a park ranger was busy giving a large group a guided nature tour.
Lupe and SPHP avoided all the people by following a trail SE a little way along the shore of Yoho Lake away from the campground. Lupe and SPHP sat down by the shore to enjoy the view and take a break and enjoy a snack. Biting flies were annoying, but at least there weren’t any mosquitoes.
The flies were a major distraction. SPHP was trying to deal with them when suddenly there was a huge splash. SPHP turned to see that 4 ducks – 2 adults and 2 young ones – were swimming by. Lupe had charged into the lake, leash and all, after them! SPHP was amazed. Normally Lupe won’t enter water where she can’t touch bottom. She also normally comes when called, but Lupe had duck dinner in mind. SPHP was alarmed. This was going to be hard to explain to the park ranger, if Lupe didn’t get out of Yoho Lake quickly.
The ducks had no problem dealing with the situation. They didn’t even bother to swim away. Instead the whole duck family swam back and forth as a group flotilla leading the eager, but slow-swimming Carolina Dog on a merry chase. The ducks acted more like they were expecting to be fed than become dinner themselves. They wanted to see what SPHP had in the way of snacks. SPHP convinced Lupe to get out of the lake before hypothermia set in. Lupe seemed disappointed that duck wasn’t on the menu, but greatly refreshed from her brisk swim in Yoho Lake.
There were a couple of other problems at Yoho Lake. Although SPHP had led Lupe here thinking it would be fun to go on to Takakkaw Falls, that meant losing a ton of elevation heading down into Yoho Valley. The more SPHP thought about it, the less SPHP wanted to lose that hard won elevation gained coming up to Yoho Pass, especially since it would all have to be regained again in just a few hours on the return trip. Furthermore, virtually all of the people arriving at Yoho Lake seemed to be coming up from the trail leading down to Yoho Valley and Takakkaw Falls. Large groups were coming from that direction.
SPHP’s aversions to crowds and losing elevation made SPHP consider whether or not Lupe should just head back to Emerald Lake, or go on to Takkakaw Falls. Fortunately, a 3rd option presented itself. A much less used trail, the Highline Trail heads N from Yoho Lake to the Iceline Trail high up on the W slopes of Yoho Valley. The Highline Trail actually gains elevation on the way to the Iceline Trail, which appealed to SPHP. Better yet, SPHP had read good things about the Iceline Trail. Maybe Takakkaw Falls could be seen across Yoho Valley from the Highline or Iceline trails?
So Lupe took the Highline Trail heading N. It was a great decision. At first the Highline Trail climbed steeply, switchbacking around in the forest, but then it leveled out and continued N high up on the ridge forming the W side of Yoho Valley. Lupe and SPHP heard it first – the distant roar of water plunging off a mountain. Soon a splendid view of Takakkaw Falls appeared.
Lupe and SPHP met no one at all on the Highline Trail. Before reaching the Iceline Trail, the Highline Trail broke out of the forest into the open. The views were amazing. When Lupe got to the Iceline Trail, the views got even better! The Iceline Trail resumed climbing and took Lupe way up above tree line into a stunning world of rock, water, ice, towering peaks and sky. Lupe started meeting small groups of people again as soon as she hit the Iceline Trail. It was immediately apparent why they were all here.
After a while, the Iceline Trail climbed more slowly. It went over a series of ridges, each one moderately higher than the last. Streams rushed down each little valley from the small glaciers a short distance above Lupe and SPHP. Finally Lupe came to the highest ridge. She had a view to the NW of Mt. McArthur, Isolated Peak and Whaleback Mountain (8,586 ft.) beyond the deep green valley of the Little Yoho River.
From this highest ridge, a spur from the Iceline Trail led a short distance up onto a barren rocky hill, the highest point along the Iceline Trail. Lupe and SPHP took the spur trail and reached the summit. Glaciers could be seen in every direction – the scene was splendid at every point of the compass. A couple of hikers and their dog joined Lupe and SPHP for a little while at the Iceline Trail high point, but left again. Lupe and SPHP lingered up there somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour.
By now it was starting to get late in the day. It was a long way back to Emerald Lake. Lupe and SPHP had to start back. It was a spectacular, beautiful hike all the way back to the G6. The weather was perfect, the trail was nearly all downhill, and Lupe was having a blast exploring and sniffing. Before leaving the high glacier streams, SPHP filled the water bottles with glacier water. SPHP drank a bunch of it untreated and never had any ill effects from it.
Once Lupe got back to the Highline Trail, the only people she met all the way back to Emerald Lake were a few near Yoho Lake. Lupe completed her circumnavigation of Emerald Lake by taking the trail along the W shore back to the G6. The sun was still shining on the tops of the highest peaks when Lupe and SPHP arrived at 9:38 PM. Lupe’s 5.2 km trek around Emerald Lake had turned into a 13 hour day. And what a glorious day it was!
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Iceline Trail High Point, Yoho National Park, Canada (7-26-14)
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