Canada 2024: To Twin Falls and Back, a Long Journey

 On July 15th, 2024, Joan and I drove up the Yoho Valley road, including its notorious double switchbacks,

Click on any image to enlarge.

to park at the site of Takakkaw Falls,

Takakkaw Falls bottom right, Twin Falls top left.

and began our hike to Twin Falls and the now-shuttered Twin Falls Chalet, six miles one-way, not counting side trails. Takakkaw is extraordinarily popular,

and was already busy, but Joan and I managed to find a parking spot in the campground parking area. We brought extra water bottles along, given the prediction for hot weather. A fire ban had been declared because of breezy winds and dry conditions.

The first segment of the hike was a gentle grade on gravel and then packed dirt. There are many destinations, but only one way to begin. (Note: the distance to Yoho Glacier is now irrelevant, as it has melted back out of sight.)

As the woods crowded closer to the route, we encountered this yellow columbine.

We observed our first waterfall from a distance.

It was on the other side of the Yoho River, where the summer melt had created white-water conditions.

Joan and I did take the short spur to the Point Lace Falls;

water flows into the Yoho from the heights on all sides.

Continuing on, our next side trip was the Duchesnay Lake spur.

It had contracted a lot in the summer heat. Is it not receiving as much melt as before?

Naturally, we weren't the only ones on this popular trail. We briefly said hello to a cheerful group of Japanese tourists.

As the day progressed, the Yoho grew ever stronger. The glacial sediments remained suspended in the rushing middle, while at the sides they settled, turning the river edges turquoise(ish).

Just a few minutes later, we reached the campground below Laughing Falls, whose waters join the main stream.

Note the tents.

The Laughing Falls.

Laughing Falls

The crowds thinned beyond this landmark. Soon, a major intersection appeared. You can choose to ascend the west wall of Yoho Valley for various destinations, or continue north for Twin Falls.

 After further climbing, with the temperature rising, Joan and I needed the encouragement of seeing the Twin Falls in the distance.

Photo at full zoom.

The trail wound through a long sequence of ascending switchbacks and passed by a spur for the campground. Continuing on, we eventually saw the water from Twin Falls passing through a slit gorge.

After one more climb, the falls appeared.

How things looked downstream:

Joan and I also checked out the now-defunct chalet/teahouse,

Click on any image to enlarge.

sat on a bench, admired the falls, and followed the brief local loop around the site. This photo shows the chalet at its best, back in 2003, on our first trip here. Now, it is in considerably worse shape after various closures and reopenings; the Alpine Club of Canada surrendered its License of Occupation in January 2023.

Here is an interesting note from worldwaterfalldatabase, which confirms what we'd heard about the history of the falls:

  

When one channel of Twin Falls would get obstructed by debris flowing downstream and "turn off,"  workers would routinely be dispatched to the lip of the falls to remedy the situation with dynamite. In one such case, they actually succeeded in completely blocking the channel and temporarily turning the falls into a single plunge rather than a twin. The problem was, however, subsequently "fixed" and is no longer a concern today.

 

Given the heat and looming return hike, we decided not to tackle the climb to the top of the falls, let alone the whaleback trail that begins there -- the high point in the ridge is ~1300' higher up.

 

On the way back, around 3:00pm, at the intersection with the trail going up the west wall of the valley, Joan and I encountered a couple studying the sign. The husband immediately asked (I paraphrase from memory):

    "Which way do I go for the photos?"

It turned out that, having arrived in the mountains unprepared, this late arrival had sought advice from the visitors center in Field. Nonetheless, he couldn't name a specific destination or viewpoint, but still insisted on an answer in a New York minute. Given that, we couldn't help him.

 

The temperature continued to climb, and the last mile or two, out in the sun walking on gravel, were particularly wearing. Still, we continued past the campground parking, where we'd left our car, to get a view of the Takakkaw Falls in the afternoon light.

 

It was crowded. Flocks of people lined the walk towards the viewpoint. I couldn't take an afternoon photo of the falls from the viewpoint due to the constant mist, but before getting there, I took this one.

It had been a long day -- 13 miles total -- and returning on the flat, paved viewpoint path, I stumbled and fell. Got back up, embarrassed but uninjured.

Canada 2024: Sights and Sounds on the Opabin Plateau

July 14, 2024, was our last day at Lake O'Hara. Joan and I would be taking the 4:00 bus down to parking and, as we often do, chose to explore the Opabin Plateau. This would leave us plenty of time to catch the bus. To mix things up, we went clockwise around O'Hara from our cabin. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Near the lakeshore, plenty of flowers were in bloom. Here's a delicate rusty saxifrage.

And then, a Davidson's penstemon.

We began to climb the switchbacks of the East trail. It is usually a boring trail, but today we were treated early to the singing of a winter wren. Soon, on our right, the Opabin outflow thundered down.

The red object is somebody's lost water bottle.

A photo towards the west as we trod deeper into the plateau.

Joan and I found a congenial spot for a half-lunch on the High Line route, with good views for our binoculars. Looking down, 

we spotted hikers descending the rockpile.

Then we turned our gaze to the west and the All Souls alpine route, perhaps our least favorite due to the dodgy scree slope between the prospect and the Opabin plateau. This year, there were also remaining snow patches. One couple was attempting it,

but not without the occasional misstep and slide.

Then we continued on to Lake Opabin, now free of ice, for the other half of our lunch.

A ground squirrel was keeping an eye on us, hoping for a discarded morsel.

Patches of snow hosted snow algae.

Joan and I looked at the unofficial and virtually vertical beaten path up to Sleeping Poets Pool. For us, not this year -- we'd been up there in 2012 and 2019.

From the lip of the western descent from Opabin, Hungabee Lake and much of the plateau were spread out before us.

Soon after reaching the bottom, we were treated to a marmot appearance.

Looks pretty young.

All too soon, we reached the descent on the West Opabin trail.

We encountered an Eastern European couple climbing up the trail. The guy was scrambling off-trail, and the gal was distressed at the difficulty of the climb. She asked, "How much further?" Joan and I tried to help, but they had no map and seemed utterly unprepared.

 

Then -- what a treat -- we encountered a pika, harvesting greenery for next winter's food. It seemed to mind us not at all.

Joan and I reached the lodge in plenty of time to take a break and then board the departing bus. Reunited with our car, Moz, we drove down Kicking Horse Pass to the Cathedral Mountain Lodge. The next hike aims for Takakkaw/Twin Falls; our previous visit to these sights preceded this blog by several years, and it was time to visit again. 

Canada 2024: On the Odaray Highline

On our way to breakfast on July 13, 2024, Joan and I spotted a vole paddling frantically from a stump in Lake O'Hara to the shore to forage. It did this twice before developing shyness. Small things count among the mountains.

 

We decided to visit the Odaray Highline today, with the option, conditions permitting, of climbing up to the Grandview. We hustled up to the sign-up kiosk,

closed earlier but now open, to sign in -- only four parties were allowed across the gap at this time of year. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

 

As is customary, Joan and I waited a while to see if any other hikers would appear; together we would form one group/disturbance instead of two, however, none did, and we set off. At the far end of the gap, I took this photo pointing southwest towards the Selkirk range.

The trail ahead wound with the mountain slopes to our left, and greenery still a stone's throw to our right (if not in this photo).

A few deeply shaded spots still sheltered snow -- and critter tracks!

Although we spotted few actual critters on the way out (there was one golden-mantled squirrel),

various flowers in various states of emergence and blooming were present, maturity varying according to the altitude, sun exposure, and their genetics. Here was some pink mountain heather.

At the end of a gently rising trail, the way forward on the prospect has been off-limits for a long time due to grizzly bear conflicts.

However, the Grandview trail heads steeply up the mountain, at first with switchbacks. Here's a photo from 2016.

Joan and I began the climb up, but without any intention of reaching the top. After our snow adventures yesterday, and feeling some fatigue after the last several days of hiking, we decided to defer the narrow, sometimes hands-and-feet clambering final stage. Rather, we climbed along until my altimeter watch showed an additional 250' of gain, and found a spot for the first half of our lunch. Along the way we spotted interesting fungi.

Looking back from the start of the climb.

Lake O'Hara is at left.

Other hikers began to arrive, and true early birds came down from the top. No problems with snow, they declared. Still, Joan and I weren't tempted. Next year?

 

A view heading back on the Highline.

As we regained the kiosk, we had a fabulous marmot sighting. This boulder is a favorite of theirs.

Joan and I connected to the McArthur trail and walked a bit before finishing our lunch.

Two young marmots made an appearance!

We also heard pikas, but never spotted them.

A big wind began to blow up the gap, and we decided to return, via the kiosk, down to Schaffer Lake, and then along Big Larches. We needed time to pack anyway, as our luggage would be picked up at 10am the next day, even if we were taking the 4:30pm bus to our car. Packing is never finished, but we had time to attend dinner!