Kootenay National Park and Stanley Glacier Hike

After leaving Lake O'Hara we drove to Kootenay National Park, a long and skinny park. It derives from the first motor road to cross the Canadian Rockies, finished in 1920. Originally to be built by the province of British Columbia as the Banff-Windermere Highway, the road was built by the federal government after BC ran out of funds due to World War I. In exchange, BC granted the federal government the land five miles to either side of the road for a national park.

Our first day's hike was Stanley Glacier, a popular destination (and it was a Saturday). We got a chance to chat with lots of hikers, from locals to Japanese tour groups. The hike starts up from the road to reach the lip of a hanging valley and passes through terrain that's been burned by forest fires three times in recent history: 1967, 2001, and 2003.

After reaching the mouth you continue on up the valley, gaining altitude as the vegetation thins out and then disappears. Here is a view looking back towards the road, with the classic glacial valley U-shape:

Along the way, there are waterfalls on the steep southern wall:

Going on past the terminus of the official route, the dominant feature at the head of the valley is an island in the sky. Walking there, the landscape is nothing but scree with a beaten footpath or two, and you must watch your footing and cease walking to do your gawking. Ahead, there's an outcrop of harder rock, the top of which forms a micro-plateau nourished and cloven by glacial meltwater.

Up close, the "island in the sky" is a lush respite from the rocks. We had lunch there and were well content; we didn't climb on up to the glacier (seen in the photo above) but began our return trip, and I took the picture looking back. Our outbound route was on the southern side of the valley, return was on the northern side, which had a more trodden path. (The two routes reunite at the marker for the official trail.)