Canada (2019) Part Four -- Views and Surprises

Sept. 12th began with cloudy skies. Today's goal was Lake McArthur, and having already done the Big Larches trail and its stone steps, we took the more utilitarian Schaeffer Lake trail via the Parker Hut.

The trail was enhanced by autumnal wildflowers.

A closeup of a paintbrush.

When we reached the meadow next to Schaeffer Lake we could see mountain goats over on Odaray mountain. This was an auspicious start! (Click on the image to enlarge.)

Out of curiosity we stopped at the sign-in kiosk for the Odaray Highline. From this point a trail to the left heads towards McArthur, and to the right a trail crosses the gap to the Highline. That section is restricted due to the pass's being a wildlife corridor, especially for bears. From August 15th to September 15th only two groups per day should cross to the Highline. Amazingly, although Joan and I aren't the swiftest hikers nobody had signed in yet, even though it was after 10:30. This was an opportunity not to miss. We waited to see if anyone else would show up, to form a single group for the crossing. No one did. We advanced as clouds and fog rolled into the pass.

There was a creature ahead, sitting atop a boulder.

That little bump on the right midway up.

We inched closer and I used my zoom to get a better look.

In fact, we spotted four marmots of the year. Not having seen any marmots this visit, and knowing that the odds of seeing one in September were lower, Joan and I were thrilled.

Not to be outdone, a pika showed up.

The Odaray Highline trail emerged from the rock piles and became a pleasant, gently rising stroll. The Lake O'Hara basin was often visible below; the mists had departed but it was overcast and breezy. Dress warmly.

The Highline ends at a bend in the mountain's profile. Long ago, in the 1970s, it continued on to the Odaray Prospect, but after a bear incident (they are fond of hunting goats there) the area became off-limits to hikers.

Here we adjusted our layers for a body-warming clamber up to the Grandview. The trail turned sharply left and began a steep climb, and soon we met three women coming down who hadn't signed into the kiosk. We later discovered that they'd signed in for the wrong day!

The path narrowed and clung to the face of the mountain, and during the final third a few places begged for my hands to grab something to ensure my equilibrium. But it was worth it. 

When we broke out onto the height there was a choice, to proceed left and continue a gentle scree-littered ascent, or straight ahead a short distance for another view. We went straight.

Linda Lake below center, O'Hara valley and access road far right.

After gawking here we continued up the slope to one of the favored spots for a stunning panorama in the other direction. Small cairns and a rock windscreen erected by previous hikers were scattered about.

Left to right: Lakes O'Hara, Schaeffer, and, up high, McArthur. Alpine routes visible in binos.

We drank it in and took photos, including the stratified glacier even higher up.

The wind was brutally cold up here on the flanks of the mountain, forcing us to reluctantly descend before having lunch. Just before reaching the Highline Joan and I happily sat on some rocks and munched.

We retraced the Highline and caught up with a group of five admiring a fearless young marmot; they had gone as far as the closed zone sign and then turned around. 

When Joan and I reached the pass we decided to continue past the sign-in kiosk and join the Lake McArthur route briefly for our return to Schaeffer Lake. The choice was a gift as we were treated to multiple pikas,

and a full-grown marmot.

I'm ready for my close-up.

 Today's wildlife was a highlight of this O'Hara visit.

Schaeffer Lake came into view.

Just beyond the shores of the lake the switchback descent to O'Hara would begin.

 Soon we were back at our cabin. After dinner we began the task of organizing all that had exploded out of our duffels over the last five days, for tomorrow afternoon we must say goodbye and take the bus 11 kilometers down to our car.

CR2016: Odaray Grandview

On July 27th Joan and I made one of our earliest starts ever at Lake O'Hara, 9:20. If that doesn't seem early, you must realize that there's a sequence to breakfast at the lodge. First on offer are serve-yourself items such as hot oatmeal, granola, yogurt, and berries. Then your order is taken for a fabulous main breakfast, and for your preferred lunch sandwich. After breakfast is consumed you join the line to assemble your lunch sack, using your sandwich choice and the other goodies available, especially three varieties of exquisite Lake O'Hara cookies. Today we did not linger to chat with our table-mates.

We launched into imperative #1 for the day, hustling past the Elizabeth Parker hut and dashing (for us) up the utilitarian trail to Schäffer Lake, to arrive at the McArthur Pass kiosk in time to be or to join one of the four parties per day allowed to sign in for the Odaray Highline/Grandview. This is a voluntary program to limit the disturbances at McArthur Pass because it's a major transit corridor for grizzlies and other wildlife. In past years it's been difficult for us to reach the kiosk early enough, but this year the challenge of qualifying for an Alpine Circuit pin from the lodge seems to have siphoned off some of the traffic. Fine with us!

The first leg of the route. You can see that a large area on the flank of Odaray Mountain has been closed to hikers, due to a grizzly bear incident in the 1970s.

Here's a photo of one of the cabins that constitute the Elizabeth Parker "hut."

This is looking back at the hut as we head on.

Two young women passed Joan and me, reaching the kiosk before us. When we got there, another couple was waiting to see if anyone else would show up, which is a great trail courtesy in this situation. The six of us formed one group, the third party of the day. Theoretically there were two additional members of our new group five minutes ahead of us on the trail, but Joan and I never saw them. Here is a photo taken later, from the heights, that includes the sign-in kiosk, the bright spot about one-third in from the right, and two-fifths down from the top. Click on the image to enlarge.

Now it was time for imperative #2, keeping up with the other four in our group. It's difficult and dangerous to keep up a clipper pace without keeping your eyes on the rocky, rooty and twisty trail at all times. Joan and I like to stop to scan for marmots, pikas, or weasels, take photos, and check out interesting flowers.

For a while there was a gentle stretch along the Highline, and I took this photo.

Even from this intermediate height there are good views back to Lake O'Hara.

On reaching the closed area the Highline trail ended and the trek up to the Grandview began.

At this point our group had clearly split into three fast and three not-so-fast hikers, and the fast folks graciously slowed down.

It's not a quick trail, unless you're half mountain goat.

Up and up.

We all reached the Grandview, a wide bench partway up Odaray Mountain. Puffy clouds were starting to appear.

Joan took in the view from a nice flat rock, and we both had a light snack.

Here's a panoramic view centered on Lake O'Hara.

With binoculars or the camera on full zoom there's a lot to see, such as this closeup of hikers atop All Souls Prospect.

Over to Lake McArthur.

Another group arrived, and half of that group plus the other four in our group continued on, aiming for the "Little O," or Walter Feuz peak (2962 m/9719 ft).

We were growing suspicious of the weather's direction, and opted to return sooner rather than later, but with a brief side trip. Not until two years before had we learned that if we picked our way over to the northwest corner of Grandview we could see into the Duchesnay Basin. We did so again. Look at that funny dark cloud snagged on Cathedral Mountain.

A closeup of the Odaray Prospect, once a destination hike but no longer reachable because of the closed area.

Consider the clarity of the pond at the foot of Odaray.

Joan and I began our return, and I photographed this old red trail blaze, embellished by some hiker with two eye stones. One hiker dubbed it "Daphne Duck."

We began to descend the Grandview trail, and before the steep portion ended we met a one-man, one-woman trail maintenance crew working uphill. It began to sprinkle lightly, off and on, but we had time to notice dwarf alpine hawk weed, a weasel, which hunts smaller mammals such as pikas, and were buzzed by a hummingbird, either a calliope or a juvenile rufous.

There was one spot on the Highline where Mount Goodsir (11,703 ft/3,567 m) was visible to the west.

By the time we reached the sign-in kiosk Joan and I heard rumbles of thunder. We abandoned all thought of stopping for lunch, and secured our hiking pigs inside our day packs. Then we snapped waterproof covers over the packs, but it was so warm we chose not to put on our rain jackets.

Imperative #3 was to march straight back to our cabin. Just beyond Schäffer Lake it began to rain steadily. We were wet but not soaked by the time we reached our cabin; however, the air had turned cold. We hung our gear up to dry and ate our late lunch on the porch of the cabin, complete with a glass of wine each from small bottles given us by Lindsay and Andrew, the newlyweds we had met at Canadian Artisans B&B in Canmore.

Even if the hiking day was cut short we had a great time and good luck with Odaray Grandview.

CR2014: Big Larches and Odaray Grandview

On July 23rd Joan and I decided to hike to Lake McArthur by our favorite route, the Big Larches Trail. We find this trail more scenic than the eroded, switchbacked trail that leaves from the Elizabeth Parker Hut. To help you follow today's meanderings, here is a map courtesy of Parks Canada (click to enlarge).

The Big Larches trail emerges from the woods surrounding Lake O'Hara and Mary Lake and skirts the edge of a vast rockfall, where it begins to climb.

Eventually it turns to the right and dives deeper into the larches for which the trail is named.

We passed the trail to All Souls Prospect on our left, then soon, at the outlet from Schäffer Lake, merged with the trail arriving from the Elizabeth Parker Hut. From here, Joan and I took the route to Lake McArthur that passes near the sign-in for the Odaray Highline Trail, established for the benefit of wildlife passing through the choke point of McArthur Pass. To quote Parks Canada,

Adjacent to McArthur Valley and contributing to the corridor is the Odaray Plateau. Habitat here is used seasonally by several species, including grizzly bears and mountain goats. The plateau is closed in summer to protect habitat and to limit disturbance in the wildlife corridor.

The Odaray Highline Trail cuts across the pass, skirting the closed zone. There is a voluntary program to limit the number of groups that use this trail; when we were there, the check-in station requested no more than four groups per day until August 15th, and no more than two after that. This makes grabbing an Odaray Grandview slot difficult, because hikers in the campground can get started earlier then hikers from the lodge. Note: this Parks Canada web page, updated September 2nd, 2014, now requests only two groups until August 15th, and zero after that.

Because the program is only voluntary, we've seen lots of people violating it, but we do not. The bears were here first. This means that we haven't been able to visit Odaray Grandview for several years. (Many wonder at the efficacy of a voluntary program: how much does it really accomplish?)

This year we were lucky. After passing the guard marmot

we checked the sign-in book, and there was an open slot for us! Lake McArthur could wait for another day.

Wanting to do the right thing, we waited to see if any other hikers wishing to take the Highline would show up. We could form a single group, you see, and all could go. And not long afterwards, a group of two moms and four kids arrived.

They decided they would join us. The Highline, after crossing the pass, makes a right turn, wanders through some rocks, and then begins a gentle climb on the lower slopes of Odaray. The view begins to open up.

Then the trail arrives at the point where the Odaray Plateau is closed. The only way to go is up, to the Grandview, on a steep trail that occasionally demands a handhold. However, it's not exceptionally long, and the view at the top is rewarding. Joan and I pulled ahead of the family group, but for some reason I didn't take any photos until we got to the top.

There, the view is a jaw-dropper.

The valley on the left holds the fire road down to the TransCanada Highway. In the middle is Lake O'Hara, surrounded by peaks. A bit further right is Schäffer Lake and a meadow. Visible at far right, in its bowl, is Lake McArthur. Zooming in, my camera can even pick out hikers atop All Souls Prospect!

There are plenty of loose stones of all sizes on the Grandview's bench. Rock piles created by hikers and climbers have gone far beyond simple cairns in the last decade.

Joan provides scale for this stone windbreak, useful for staying warm and keeping sandwiches in hand when winds come howling up the pass.

We ate our lunch up here, and never saw the family group. On our way back along the bench, before the trail starts seriously descending, we saw them arriving at the descent point from the other direction along the bench. Hmm. We had never been over to the other side. Perhaps something was there?

Yes indeed, a spectacular look into the Duchesnay Basin. How could we have overlooked this?!

In the foreground, there's the best view of the Morning Glory Lakes that I've ever had. Beyond a rise, you can see much of Linda Lakes. On the far side of the basin rises Cathedral Mountain, and below it the mixed rock faces and trees of the Cathedral Prospect, which we've hiked before.

On our return descent we caught up to the family group, and we all stopped for a snack. Then we spotted ptarmigans, at least one parent,

and one chick.

We continued retracing our steps to our cabin, and enjoyed another fine dinner at the lodge. On an evening lakeside stroll, I took several photos of the Sufi Bench,

which I've discussed in detail at the end of this post. My photos of the bench allow Bob to keep an eye on its condition.