I was based for 25 years at the AT&T facility in Columbus, Ohio, later the spinoff Lucent Technologies, built in 1958 and expanded in the 1970s. In 2003, the nearby Mount Carmel Hospital purchased it for office space, and then moved out in 2022. The building has since been vacant, and is now being torn down. The extensive former AT&T/Lucent property behind the building already hosts multifamily residential buildings, which are now creeping forward to replace the last vestiges of my former workplace. Here's a photo from across the street.
The new is being built up simultaneously with tearing down the old.
On July 29th, Joan and I took our final hike of this visit, to Helen Lake, a popular spot. The trailhead isn't far from the Lodge at Bow Lake. (Click on any image to enlarge.)
We pulled off at the Bow Lake Viewpoint, and this was the view looking back at the lodge.
Zooming in.
Parking for Helen Lake was nearby, on the other side of the Icefields Parkway. The trail takes off through the woods, crossing small creeks and requiring attention to roots, rocks, and erosion. After a while, the Crowfoot Glacier peeks out.
Bald patches began to appear. This one offers a view of the Bow River.
A few minutes later, we spotted this grouse.
Joan and I aren't the fastest hikers. After about two hours, we reached the bend into the eastern flank of the ridge. Just ahead of us were the manager of the lodge, Bruce Millar, and his wife Alison. They have been mentioned in this blog from the years when they ran the Lake O'Hara lodge.
Looking to the south, we could see we'd indeed come up a ways.
The flowers were enjoying the sun.
After strolling through creek crossings, roots, and stone steps, we approached the lake's outflow and noticed the braided trails ahead, worn by heavy foot traffic.
Helen Lake lies at the foot of a ridgeline.
We paused at the shore for a snack, sharing the view with other hikers (and the many dogs they had brought along). Then we continued, ready to tackle the climb to the ridgeline. This photo is a look back at Helen.
One highlight of this area is the marmot population. Today, several youngsters were out between the lake and the ridge.
The truly hardy hikers would tackle not the ridge, but ascend Cirque Peak (2,993m / 9,819'). (Click on the image to enlarge!)
Some were already at the top! They must have been up early, or very fast, or both.
Joan and I walked out to the end of the ridge above the lake.
From the ridgetop, this panorama shows Helen Lake peeking out from a bump in the land.
Katherine Lake lies on the other side of our ridge.
Looking at an angle at the ridge and Dolomite Peak.
From near the saddle, we looked down at Katherine Lake. It's not far, but we needed to conserve our energy for the return journey.
However, we'd heard that there was a stromatolite bed nearby, and with a little wandering we found it. (Stromatolites are layered sedimentary formations created by microorganisms such as cyanobacteria. They produce adhesive compounds that cement sand and other rocky materials into mineral mats that build gradually, adding layer by layer over geological time.
The layering is clear when you get close.
Then it was time to begin our return, with more marmot encounters on our way back to the lake.
Once back into the trees, this Clark's nutcracker studied us as we passed beneath. It was a long day, and by the end I had to slow down to feel secure navigating roots and rocks. Joan pulled ahead, but waited for me at the end. Helen Lake: highly recommended, especially if you continue to the ridgeline beyond.
This was the last hike of our 2025 visit. The next day, we made our usual stops on the way to the Calgary airport: buy chocolates at Le Chocolatier in Canmore, return our bear spray to the Barrier Lake Visitor Center, and lunch at the Nepali restaurant Amma in Cochrane (great food!). The next morning we flew back to Columbus.
The new is being built up simultaneously with tearing down the old.
A closer look.
Destruction can be dusty work.
Sic transit gloria Lucent.
