Canada 2024: Helen Lake

On July 18th, 2024, Joan and I chose to tackle a hike to Helen Lake, and preferably further. Long ago -- before this blog began -- we trod that trail and were fascinated by the sight of rollicking marmots. But we had been frustrated when trying to get further; snow had lingered on the narrow, rocky climb beyond the lake. This time promised to be different.

 

First, a map copied from this information-packed website. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Those contour lines are in meters, not feet!

The lodge on the shores of Bow Lake is a black spot in the upper left of the map.

 

The parking area for Helen Lake was a short distance south on the parkway. It's a popular hike, so get there early. As you can see on the map, the trail began with a climb in the woods; the footing involved rocks, roots, small streams, and the occasional dried horse poop (only on the lower stretches). Then we turned towards a low shoulder on Crystal Ridge. This photo looks back towards Bow Lake.

At this elevation and latitude, spring flowers were in abundance. They especially pop out at old burn sites, where there's plenty of sunlight.

Sometimes there were open spots while in the woods ...

The woods began to thin, and the switchbacks proliferated.

The next range of mountains hove into view as we swung around the shoulder.

Soon we saw a foraging Clark's nutcracker, one of a flock in this spot.

Occasional streams trickled down from the heights to the west. Sometimes we walked through one without breaking our stride, but a few careful steps were needed when the path resumed at an offset to the left or right.

The trees began to peter out, and a gushing stream promised a lake ahead. Unfortunately, generations of hikers have braided and widened the beaten path.

Finally, Helen Lake appeared, with Cirque Peak (altitude 9,819') looming in the background.

People had already reached the lake, of course. I avoided including them in photos whenever I could. We found a festive atmosphere, a dog show, with at least five dogs now and more coming up. Taking a canine along seems almost de rigueur these days -- and of course, no marmot dared appear, even though all the dogs were on a leash.

After a snack, Joan and I continued east on the trail and then ascended switchbacks on a rocky, narrower path. In this photo, we're partway up and looking back at Helen.

The extra climb was worth it. Katherine Lake lies on the other side.

Joan and I walked to the far point of our petite ridge and looked down.

Even up here, flowers can bloom.

This was the view back to Cirque Peak. Rather barren looking!

Two hardy souls were slowly making their way up to the peak. My camera zoom couldn't resolve them,

but through our binoculars we saw tiny figures slowly making their way up that 45° slope. (They did succeed.)

It was now time for our return hike. At first it was easy enough, wandering past hikers and dogs, but after rounding the corner it became a slog, in the very heat of the day. The folks heading up were red in the face; some asked us, "How much further?" A late start makes the hike ten times harder.

 

We were relieved to finally reach the parking area. After dinner at the lodge, Joan and I took an evening stroll around the grounds that were so clogged with humanity during the day. It had been a great hike, and we were glad to have ascended the ridge above Helen Lake this time. Hmm. Could we make it to Katherine Lake in cooler weather ...

Canada 2024: Paget Lookout and Whyte Museum

Our goal on July 16th was to climb to Paget Lookout, which Joan and I had only visited once before -- in 2012! The first part of the trail serves two destinations: Paget Lookout and Sherbrooke Lake. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Across from the parking area and Wapta Lake runs the Canadian Pacific railroad.

The trail climbed steadily, with flowers along the way.

On reaching the intersection, we took the right-hand path,

and the flowers continued -- for a while.

The trail grew steadily steeper and narrower, and the foliage began to change; after all, the lookout is 2,000' above the parking lot. Here are some flourishing pine cones.

The view began to unfold as we huffed, puffed, sweated, and pushed on our hiking poles. We could see Kicking Horse Pass and, beyond it, the flatter lands around the town of Field and its Canadian Pacific train yard.

On the far-side slopes above Sherbrooke Lake, the geological stresses of the past are evident.

The trees thinned and the sun grew hotter. This was real work! Then the old lookout hove into view.

Below the hut lay a bench composed of three aging slalom boards. Here's a panoramic photo looking outward; the two segments composing it were taken from slightly different positions, so you may notice a few discontinuities. 😎

Other hikers came up. We had some good chats, particularly with two young women who have been working in Golden, about twenty miles southwest of Field, for five years. One was Dutch, and the other Quebecois.

 

Some continued on to scale Paget's peak. There is no trail, just route finding amongst loose rocks, and that did not appeal to us. The view to the east revealed a hazy sky; this image also includes the tan stones that form the upper reaches of Paget.

After consuming water and snacks, we descended to the Sherbrooke Lake intersection and headed for the water. Along the way we saw this spruce grouse. She was continually cheeping to lead her four chicks off the trail.

We had visited the lake several times in the last dozen years, most recently in 2022. I didn't take any photos this time, even though the route was lush in flowers, including orchids and insect-eaters. As usual, the prime lakeside spots were already taken, so Joan and I beat up the trail to find a decent spot to sit, and encountered our Dutch & Quebecois ladies again! We eventually found a suitable spot, ate another snack, and then began our return. The weather threatened and sprinkled a bit, but it didn't really count as rain.

The next day, the 17th, was entirely different. We began with the visitor center in Field, adjacent to the Kicking Horse River.

The river was high today, with various braided channels in the stream bed merging into a vigorous stream.

Joan and I arrived a few minutes before the visitor center opened, and we were treated to the passage of a train.

 

Inside the visitor center, I took a photo of the double spiral tunnels that the railroad takes to halve the steepness of Kicking Horse Pass. These double tunnels, modeled after those in Switzerland, were finished in 1909 after twenty-five years of runaway trains, the need for extra pushers to overcome uphill gradients, and other problems.

Then we drove up the pass and on to Banff, solely to take in the MacDonald exhibit at the Whyte Museum, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the artist's first visit to Lake O'Hara.

The geologists Patricia Cucman and the late Stanley Munn worked for 18 years to identify the spots from which MacDonald made his paintings. They also found evidence, such as paint scrapings and teacup shards, in those locations. Being Lake O'Hara devotees, Joan and I tried to identify as many of the painted views as we could. We had a great time at the museum.

 

Otherwise, there is little to recommend Banff anymore. Visitor cars must be parked at an extensive lot on the edge of town. In town, the swarms of tourists are subjected to a beehive of gift shops, art galleries, restaurants, and other methods of diverting you from the mountains and draining your purse, with quality ranging from high to, say, modest. The day was hot, and we bought some ice cream. One park had a vendor fair that we perused, but it was so hot that we saw one soft drink can, left in the sun, explode. I will confess that we did enjoy some of the veteran art galleries in town. But be aware that walking around the Banff core in high season is like trying to part the waters.

Then it was time to drive on to our next base of operations, the Lodge at Bow Lake. First opened in 1922, it has been refurbished and reopened, with ongoing work of expansion and infrastructure updates. (We got the 4th floor suite and loved it!)

Bow Lake itself is a magnet, situated just off the Icefields Parkway, that attracts walkers, hikers heading up to Bow Falls or Bow Hut, watercraft renters, wedding parties, and gawkers. There is a reserved parking area for lodge guests a short distance from the lodge, which provides transit services for guests via golf cart. Here's a photo of one portion of Bow Lake in the late evening calm.

Our goal for tomorrow is Helen Lake, an extensive hike we had done only once before, long ago.