Hiking Canada 2023: Eiffel Lake

 On July 22nd, 2023, Joan and I spent our first day at Moraine Lake hiking to Eiffel Lake. We had done this the year before but wanted to go further towards the lake this time. Plus, the conditions were much better than the snow-clogged 2018 attempt.

The hike began on a shared path with the route to Larch Valley. Once past the split, the early part of the Eiffel trail is wooded and thins as you proceed out and up. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Here, other hikers are ahead of us.

A ground squirrel was keeping watch.

I took no pictures as we proceeded up the valley, but took this photo at our lunch stop/turnaround point. (To descend to Eiffel Lake requires a circuitous route down to the far side.) Our quest for a better view was satisfied.

An inquisitive pika investigated us continually as we sat there.

The beginning of the return was through mostly open terrain. We spotted a lazy marmot sunning off the trail.

As we passed, it turned to present only its rear end to us.

Joan and I continued hiking and re-entered the wooded section. The slope on either side of the path remained steep. Then, steady but unhurried, a mama grizzly and her yearling cub appeared on the path ahead. Coming towards us. Joan and I stepped off the path on the uphill side, and I pulled out my bear spray just in case. Mama came closer, glanced at us, and stepped off the path to the downhill side. She continued her rhythmic pace, but the youngster was curious. He looked at us. He took one step towards us. Joan wondered what mom would do if we had to spray her cub?

 

But mom had trained him well, and he joined her on the other side of the path. The duo passed behind some boulders across from us. The irrepressible youngster popped up again from behind the rocks, wishing he could check us out closer, but mom simply continued her stroll. Once well behind us, she crossed the path and began climbing up the slope, junior in tow. I holstered my bear spray.

Back at the lodge, we reported our adventure. "Oh," the guy at the desk said, "that's bear #142. She's well known around here." (In fact, she was spotted near Moraine Lake itself the next day.) Moraine Lake has so many visitors, we realized, that any bear who prefers this high valley must be accustomed to humans. It's up to us to not panic and do something stupid.

Back to Canada: More from Moraine Lake

On July 26th, 2022, Joan and I explored several areas at Moraine Lake, starting with the Highline trail, which goes for many miles down to the Paradise Valley trailhead, roughly paralleling but separate from the access road. It's the green dashed line in the map below. (Click on the image to enlarge).

We had the shared bike/hike trail to ourselves. Early on, these swirled, feathery branches caught my eye.

Although we were in the woods, we could hear traffic on the access road below, and occasional viewpoints bade us pause.

We had good views of the Tower of Babel, with our perspective changing as we proceeded along the Highline.

There is no trail up the Tower, but those willing to tackle scree and gullies, plus loose rocks large and small, can make it to the top. One description of the infamous route is here, but note that private parking no longer exists at Moraine Lake; you must register for a shuttle. Through our binoculars we could see successful scramblers enjoying the view from the Tower. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

I took a picture of this butterfly but didn't notice, until I was touching up the photo, that someone had lost a ring here; enlarge the image and look at the tip of the right wing.

This bird refused to face me.

After going for a few miles on the Highline, Joan and I decided to return to Moraine Lake and check out the attractions favored by the throngs. First, a view of the Rockpile at the lake's mouth.

A trail, composed of steps, takes you to the top and its scenes. Here's looking up the lake.

Down to the lodge, canoe livery, and the logpile, dead timber that can't squeeze through the outlet creek.

There were various plaques and monuments up here, including this one to Don Gardner, whom we had met on a Lake O'Hara trail in 2018, when he was in his early 70s. What a wild man he was in his youth!

We descended from the Rockpile. I paused, waiting for a break in the crowds, to take this photo of visitors taking photos.

Joan and I hiked along the lakeshore trail as far as it went. Here, paddlers face the spectators atop the Rockpile.

A flotilla of rented canoes beneath the peaks.

Reaching the stream that feeds Moraine Lake.

Looking back down the lake, we noticed submerged rocks in the clean, glacially tinted waters.

The trail ends here.

On the way back to our cabin, I photographed the scene around the canoe livery.

This was a day of gentler exploration. For the next day, July 27th, Joan and I planned to tackle the Paradise Valley trail, which had been a snowy slog in 2018. We hoped to get further this time in the excellent weather.

Back to Canada: Eiffel Lake

We chose the hike from Moraine Lake Lodge to Eiffel Lake (and back) for July 25th. It was a much sunnier day than our snow-plagued visit in September 2018.

As you can see in the above map, there was a steep climb via relentless switchbacks until Joan and I reached the junction where the Eiffel Lake and Larch Valley trails separate. On the way a gray jay inspected us,

and after it flew up into a tree, we checked it out with camera and binoculars.

Half an hour later, we came across a golden-mantled ground squirrel.

Now we were on the Eiffel Lake trail. The ramparts and glaciers on the other side of the valley began to emerge from the trees as we ascended.

Ants were busily boring a new home in this tree trunk.

With the late spring, flowers were still in bloom, including this coiled lousewort,

and some western columbine.

The path went ever on and on ...

The thinning of the trees revealed the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Joan and I began to encounter patches of snow on the trail, deeper when it dipped in and out of ravines. With our boots on, these patches were walkable if we were careful.

Of course, we weren't the only hikers on the trail. In this image, Eiffel Lake is visible below Wenkchemna Pass.

The trail does not dip down to the lake, but loops past it on the way to the pass. Snowbanks became more frequent.

Joan and I decided to snack and then begin our return trip. Because we were facing east, the various peaks and glaciers were visible for a long while.

The upper reach of Moraine Lake put in an appearance, dressed in glacial blue.

The Larch Valley trail rejoined us, and we began our descent on the switchbacks. This spruce grouse (male) surprised us partway down. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

At the lakeside, we rejoined the throngs at Moraine Lake and made our way back to our cabin, well-satisfied with our day.