The path along the Huber Ledges connects Wiwaxy Gap to Lake Oesa. Starting out, a first-timer would be uncertain if this trail actually makes it all the way through. From down at Lake O'Hara, you can't see it at all.
But it does. The route is often clear ...
... but there are sometimes rocky parts where you must choose the best option for your length of leg, size of boot, sense of balance, etc. Keep an eye out for the alpine blazes so you don't get fooled by a false path in these locations.
As you proceed on the Huber Ledges a chain of lakes comes into view. In this next picture note the gray field of boulders towards which the trail is heading; this is another spot where the alpine blazes are important. It's also the only place on the Huber Ledges where you can improvise a relief stop.
Looking more closely at the lakes,
Oesa is at top left. Then the water flows through Lefroy Lake and Lake Victoria; the shallow green water at far right, directly under the Yukness Ledges, is one of the Nymph Pools.
I took a closer, wider photo of Lake Oesa as we exited the boulder field. The relatively flat, stony shelf at right is a popular picnic stop, whether you arrive via the Huber Ledges, Yukness Ledges, or the Oesa trail that arrives directly from Lake O'Hara.
In the photo the lake doesn't look as large as it should. For scale, can you find the people enjoying the picnic grounds on the right? This next picture will zoom and point them out. If necessary, click to enlarge!
Joan and I enjoyed a sunny lunch with at least a dozen other hikers scattered around the shelf. Then we rambled to the far side to join the Yukness Ledges trail, which drops off the Oesa platform before it reaches the Yukness scree slope. Here, we look back to see other hikers making that descent. It's minor, but it requires a couple of alpine blazes to find the correct way.
The initial scree path has chunks of rock bigger than stones but smaller than boulders.
The trail soon arrives at a tilted and fracturing table-top. Weaving between the blocks, the alpine route reaches the edge of the highest level, and drops down, precipitously at first, and then more easily, to the lowest level. This picture was taken from our earlier viewpoint on the Huber Ledges. If you click to enlarge you can discern the trail hugging the far right of the ledge.
Here we look back towards Oesa from the table-top.
Other hikers pose for a photo near the edge.
This blaze marks the start of the clamber down to the lower levels of Yukness -- not the end of the road, which it otherwise resembles.
Once headed west the trail quickly enters a geological grove, shards fallen down from North Yukness Peak. Fortunately for us they don't break loose often, at least on a human time scale.
There is just enough climbing and descending to keep the hiker warmed up.
There are wonderful views from Yukness Ledges, many of which are variations on a theme. I'll present only one example, which looks straight along the length of Lake O'Hara. The zig-zag trail climbing from the lakeside, far right, is the direct route to Oesa from O'Hara. There are pale green rings of submerged avalanche debris next to the shore.
Eventually the route bends south as its works around the promontory, and now it is carrying us into the Opabin Plateau, but higher up than the east trail, visible between the trees below on the right.
The Yukness Ledges route ends at Hungabee Lake, where we were in the snow two days ago. But first there is another boulder field to thread through.
Then it's down the east trail one more time to Lake O'Hara. After we return to the cabin and clean up, we head to the cheerful-looking lodge for dinner.
Sadly, the next morning we must depart. We have a full day of driving to begin the last segment of our trip, and a completely opposite one to what we have accomplished so far. We're changing from the mountains to the plains, and from chills to dry heat. We're heading to Brooks, about 230 miles to the east, where we'll stay while visiting Dinosaur Provincial Park. But that's a subject for the next post.
Here is a farewell photo of Lake O'Hara and Cathedral Mountain, taken while waiting for the morning bus.
As soon as you leave O'Hara, you're planning how and when to return.
Your blogs are fantastic. They way you "hike" people through your treks allows people who haven't experienced them to know what to expect, and those who have to relive them as if they were back there again. You do a tremendous job. Thanks for putting your time into these. They are very enjoyable.
Thanks. The hard part is figuring out how to describe a hike more than once, over the years, without being repetitive, although the critters and weather add some variability!
Great reports. We are trying to get into O'Hara this summer and would like to ask a few questions if you don't mind. This will be my grandson's first hiking adventure with us and I don't think he is the bravest young man. It appears that the Huber ledges may have a little too much exposure for us. If we go to Oesa and turn left toward Huber, Can we get to some great views before getting to the exposure section? I get the impression that the Yuckness ledges don't have the exposure that Huber has. Is that correct? Thanks in advance
First: feel free to ask the lodge staff at O'Hara, especially the managers Bruce and Alison, about any questions you may have. Trail conditions can vary from year to year.
Huber Ledges definitely has more of the feel of being perched on the edge of a cliff, but the portion next to Oesa isn't bad. It will be fun to look down on the trail you came up on. But you'll want to turn around, back to Oesa rather than push on to Wiwaxy, which involves exposed sections and a monster downhill from Wiwaxy.
Yukness from Oesa starts out gently, with views down to the smaller lakes below Oesa, then drops down to the ledges and begins to have views down to O'Hara, and off and on sense of exposure.
The sense of exposure is a funny thing and depends on how close you are to a drop-off, the width of the trail, having a reassuring wall on the other side, and other psychological factors.
In both cases there will be short segments where it's important to be careful with your footing and watch for the alpine route blazes. Wear appropriate footwear, take your time, and you should be OK.
If you go partway on the Yukness and then turn back, there's a cutoff for Victoria Lake that takes you to the Lake Oesa trail without climbing back up to that level.
We been there before, just like you said: As soon as you leave O'Hara, you're planning how and when to return.
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing!
Your blogs are fantastic. They way you "hike" people through your treks allows people who haven't experienced them to know what to expect, and those who have to relive them as if they were back there again. You do a tremendous job. Thanks for putting your time into these. They are very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThanks. The hard part is figuring out how to describe a hike more than once, over the years, without being repetitive, although the critters and weather add some variability!
DeleteGreat reports. We are trying to get into O'Hara this summer and would like to ask a few questions if you don't mind. This will be my grandson's first hiking adventure with us and I don't think he is the bravest young man. It appears that the Huber ledges may have a little too much exposure for us. If we go to Oesa and turn left toward Huber, Can we get to some great views before getting to the exposure section? I get the impression that the Yuckness ledges don't have the exposure that Huber has. Is that correct? Thanks in advance
ReplyDeleteFirst: feel free to ask the lodge staff at O'Hara, especially the managers Bruce and Alison, about any questions you may have. Trail conditions can vary from year to year.
DeleteHuber Ledges definitely has more of the feel of being perched on the edge of a cliff, but the portion next to Oesa isn't bad. It will be fun to look down on the trail you came up on. But you'll want to turn around, back to Oesa rather than push on to Wiwaxy, which involves exposed sections and a monster downhill from Wiwaxy.
Yukness from Oesa starts out gently, with views down to the smaller lakes below Oesa, then drops down to the ledges and begins to have views down to O'Hara, and off and on sense of exposure.
The sense of exposure is a funny thing and depends on how close you are to a drop-off, the width of the trail, having a reassuring wall on the other side, and other psychological factors.
In both cases there will be short segments where it's important to be careful with your footing and watch for the alpine route blazes. Wear appropriate footwear, take your time, and you should be OK.
If you go partway on the Yukness and then turn back, there's a cutoff for Victoria Lake that takes you to the Lake Oesa trail without climbing back up to that level.