CR2015: From Mistaya Lodge to Mt Engadine Lodge

Today was a transit day; Joan and I are flying out of Mistaya Lodge and driving to Mount Engadine Lodge. Our pigs, Knuckles and Pierre, were ready to go first thing in the morning. They like helicopter rides.

It promised to be another sunny day.

There's a hummingbird feeder on the south side of the lodge that is much less fought over than the east side feeder.

After carrying departing guests' gear out to the helipad, David and Sandra struck a well-practiced pose for the camera.

Our chariot arrives.

Joan and I, on the first group out, will be dropped off at a back-country landing point, and then driven the rest of the way back to Golden. The chopper will also drop off garbage and pick up supplies and incoming guests at the landing point. Only the last group in the changeover will fly all the way to Golden.

The latter half of the flight follows a valley with a braided glacial river.

Today I had the privilege of sitting in the jump seat, up front next to the pilot. Here's what the instrument panel looks like.

This video clip covers the first 90 seconds of our flight, and the last 90 seconds.

As you can see, the whirlybird kicks up a lot of dust. As a confirmed eyeglasses wearer and a camera-pointer, I hate dust, especially gritty outdoor chaff. While the others huddled behind an SUV while the heli took off, I hightailed it across the road.

The Mistaya Lodge folks drove us back to the heliport in Golden, where we retrieved our rental car. The remainder of the day would be spent driving to Mount Engadine Lodge. We could pick up some new road, and road we hadn't driven on in several years, by driving down to Radium and then back up Highway 93. It would be longer, but also avoids a chunk of driving on the Trans-Canada at the end of a holiday weekend.

The drive down to Radium had little traffic. The sharp northward jog on Highway 93 after leaving Radium hosts a viewpoint that looks up and down the Kootenay Valley. The haze in this photo was generated mostly by forest fires elsewhere.

While at this overlook we saw bicycle riders obviously participating in some event; there were support vehicles parked across the road from the viewpoint, they had numbers on their jerseys, and so forth. We chatted with one of the organizers, a guy originally from Chicago, and discovered that this ride was one of the ongoing activities of Sea-to-Sea, an anti-poverty organization.

On arriving at Mount Engadine Lodge we were told that the Moose suite, our favorite, was not available, even though we had reserved it nine months before. As we unpacked in the Elk suite, Joan and I discovered that two light bulbs were burned out. They were quickly replaced by the staff, but we knew the Lodge had changed ownership and management since last year, and this was not an auspicious start. That night's dinner was still excellent, however, and the major question seemed to be tomorrow's weather.

CR2015: Three Lakes Hike at Mistaya

I put my camera into burst mode and tried to get some hummingbird pictures before we left on today's hike. The feeder on the east side of the lodge is visited by swarms of rufous hummingbirds, who will buzz each other and contest each other's presence at the feeder. We were told that when the birds are very young, they tolerate each other well, because they are typically raised more than one to a nest. Then suddenly they are territorial and there are waves of frantic, buzzing "dogfights" followed by brief truces at the feeder.

Another photo.

It was another handsome day, making four in a row since we left Lake O'Hara. Today most of the lodge guests are taking the guided Three Lakes Hike, vigorous but not as strenuous as yesterday's climb of West Peyto Peak. This map shows the key locations of this wide loop (click to enlarge).

We started climbing straightaway after leaving the lodge.

Our first major stop, not visible in the above map, is the Karst Hole, where the water leaving Stonebird Lake (bottom right corner of the map) disappears into the porous terrain.

It was a good spot to stop and switch from huff-and-puff to a moment of contemplation. Stonebird Lake is beyond the near horizon.

Over the rocks and up a draw we hiked.

Stonebird Lake hove into view below the peaks that define the continental divide and the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia.

We continued around the lake to the left; in the grassy slopes fireweed was blooming.

We climbed further, past the lake,

and here Sandra, our guide, pointed out the namesake bird image in the cliff face. It took me a few moments, but I finally spotted it. The degree of difficulty recognizing it varies with the lighting and the amount of water cascading down the cliff. This photo zooms in on the rocky avian, smack in the center and filling most of the space from top to bottom.

We quickly came up to Longshadow Lake, and decided it was a good place for first lunch.

The next photo looks back as we left the lake, post-dining.

Twenty minutes later we encountered young hoary marmot, full of curiosity about us.

We continued up to the top of the "Mista-Vista" knob, 8,300 ft. altitude, and stared at the panorama.

I walked over to the southern edge, and spotted the third of our three lakes, Leprechaun Lake, below. This lake has no visible outflow.

Our group came down from Mista Vista and walked along Heather Ridge, where we stopped for a snack, or, if you budgeted your food carefully, your second lunch. We learned from Sandra that fir trees have cones that point up, while spruce bear cones that point down. ("Fir fingers; spruce sag.") Descending from the ridge we entered the woods again, and saw some flowers that had recently boomed, including butterwort.

We arrived back at the lodge and settled our pigs back in the window.

Dinner was early tonight, to give everybody time to pack for tomorrow's departure. Afterwards, Joan and I visited the helipad to check out the evening sun,

and one of the best images was looking south towards the Sceptre Spire.

Joan and I also took a few minutes to visit the greenhouse close by the lodge. Much of the lettuce, spinach, and other greens used by the lodge come from the greenhouse.

Then it was time to turn in, our last night at Mistaya Lodge.

CR2015: Climbing West Peyto Peak

August 1st was another gorgeous, sunny day at Mistaya Lodge. Some of us were up early enough to enjoy a cup of coffee and peruse the reference materials before breakfast.

Joan and I had to decide whether to join the group hiking to West Peyto Peak, or one taking a less strenuous hike. The guides Sandra and David were weeding out those who overestimate their capabilities, a common guide practice, by pointing out the 12 kilometer (7½ mile) West Peyto hike had elevation gain of 2900+ feet, to an altitude of 9,600 feet, and that the route would be "all rocks" most of the way. On the other hand, the pace would be moderate, with breaks. Chantal, who, with her husband Wood, were staying at the lodge for a week, had attempted West Peyto with another group a couple of days before. The climb started wet and ended a few hundred meters short of the peak in blinding, horizontal snow. Today was different, as this picture shows. Chantal was going.

Joan and I felt we ought to give it a try, and joined the West Peyto hikers. Our group headed overland, staying out of the creek valley, and headed across a rocky slope,

then along a glacial moraine, until we reached Boulder Meadows.

There are no bushes here to hide behind during a pit stop, but there are boulders.

Plenty of them.

Although we weren't headed in that direction, I took a picture of this rock face with exposed strata like phyllo dough.

David turned our group up towards the pass to the east, still far away.

Shortly thereafter we came across a seasonal pond, now mostly dry.

The route was a steady climb, and soon the meadow/pond receded below us. I believe this was a water-refill stop.

Life grows even on the big blocks.

We climbed steadily higher, with a break for "first lunch" or at least a cookie break.

One of those far peaks still had snow atop it, as well as a glacier.

In this picture, we've finally reached the pass and have started climbing the last 600 feet. The nearer rise is Nicor Ridge, and the mountain in back is Mistaya Mountain, 10,100'. It's further away than it looks! Our goal, West Peyto Peak, is behind me as I took the photo.

West Peyto peak has a rounded top, not a sharp point. Very friendly for hikers.

Our instructions, as David assisted the last hikers, were to proceed to the cairn, which Chantal decided was a good viewpoint.

We sat on the east side of the peak and slightly below the top to shelter from a vigorous and chilling wind. The panorama was stunning.

That's Cauldron Lake in the center. Over the shoulder beyond Cauldron gleams the tip of well-known Peyto Lake, which we had visited a few days before. A closer view, click to enlarge:

Joan and I posed for a we-were-here photo.

After second lunch David took us to a western extension of the peak before descending. This positioned us for a dramatic panorama to the west.

Down in that green patch left of center, clearly visible with binoculars or camera zoom, Mistaya Lodge glinted in the sun.

It was time to return. After working through rocks for hours, the flat "seasonal pond" never looked better.

On the way back, I repeated the picture of the folded rock strata, this time with the sun clearly highlighting the folds.

The lodge was a welcome sight for the footsore.

Joan and I were tired but exhilarated. West Peyto Peak had been well worth the effort.