CR2012: Opabin Plateau and Opabin Lake

The next day, July 31st, was our last at Lake O'Hara for the year. Fortunately, we had arranged to take the afternoon bus out, so we had time for one more hike. This time, we would climb to the Opabin Plateau and "mess around" on the many trails there on our way to Opabin Lake.

We took the West Opabin trail, which offers much more scenery than the East trail. Early on we were offered flowers again, this time side-by-side arnica and columbine.

The West Opabin trail quickly leaves the lakeside forest and begins to climb up a rocky face of the plateau. Looking out, even from the low beginnings of the climb, is worthwhile.

On our way up we encountered this bladder campion.

We first went to the Opabin Prospect, although we took the longer (counterclockwise) direction from the West Opabin intersection (see map below.) However, the video I took there didn't turn out well, so I have no pictures from this year to offer. But the first half of a post from last year has excellent pictures and information about both the West Opabin climb and the Prospect.

Now it's time for a map, to help me explain our peregrinations around the plateau.

In this picture we are approaching the Cascade Lakes.

We spent a while at these lakes watching the wildlife. There was a pair of common goldeye ducks diving, resting, and sunning.

And a sandpiper!

We crossed over to the Opabin Highline trail, to head up towards Hungabee Lake and then Opabin Lake. About 40 minutes later we encountered a pika by the side of the road.

The highline trail runs into the East Opabin trail just before the Yukness Ledges trail, a busy stretch of intersections. Just beyond, when you are committed to reaching Opabin Lake (no more intersections, except the return), a small portion of the trail has been rerouted. Signs and trees block the old path.

Snow avalanches over the winter had decapitated some of the trees.

We came over the top of the moraine and down to the shores of Opabin Lake.

The lake was much fuller this year than last, as the next photo, from September 2, 2011 shows. I was standing on lakebed, and more dry lakebed is visible in the photo.

Joan and I lunched on the shores of the lake, very much where this year's portrait photo was taken. There was a gray-crowned rosy finch foraging on the rim of the lake and in a feeder creek, and I caught some of its rapid hunting of water bugs in this video.


We weren't the only ones admiring the view.

There were a couple of marmots browsing on the greenery near the lake, but not close enough for a good photo.

Then it was time for us to march back to the lodge to catch the afternoon bus down to the parking area. My parting photo from Lake O'Hara is the view from the top of the moraine, looking away from Opabin Lake.

From the parking area it was a quick drive back to the Kicking Horse Lodge and the Truffle Pigs Café.

Tomorrow we would explore the trail, new to us, to Paget Lookout.