Back to Canada: Stanley Glacier Hike

On July 22nd, Joan and I drove across the continental divide (just a few  miles away!) to join the guided Stanley Glacier Hike. The trail is open to the public, but by joining this hike we benefited from commentary and interpretation. The Parks Canada website warns,

 

From the Stanley Glacier parking, the first 4 km of the trail are gently graded on well maintained, packed dirt trails. The final section of the trail includes 800 m of rough trail and 200 m of walking on rough and loose rocks. This hike is not advised for people with recurring knee, back, or ankle injuries. 

 

As you can see from this image, the hike starts with switchbacks. Your definition of "gently graded" may vary from that of Parks Canada, but it's not extreme.

Some early sections were consumed by forest fires in 1968 and 2003, and the lodgepole pines, willows, and other trees are slowly growing back. In this photo, the brownish band halfway up the prominence (click on the image to enlarge) hosts some of the fossils for which the area is famous, along with the Burgess Shale and Mt. Stephen.

On the way up, our guide called a couple of stops, for a breather and some information about the critters of the Cambrian Period.

After we climbed up to the lip of the hanging valley, the trees were taller and the brown band more prominent.

Our group paused for another break before crossing the exit stream. One of our band of hikers ... not Joan! The photos of us didn't turn out well.

The route began to rise on one side of the valley. Here's a peek looking back. The footing was getting rocky.

Across the way, the summer melt running off the glacier formed a waterfall.

At lunchtime, we left the path and settled down next to a large boulder. We had time to spread out and look for fossils, primarily trilobites.

The sky began to cloud over. Our guide decided it was time to start our return, and we kept our rain gear handy. A few moderate showers passed through as we walked down the valley, but thankfully, no thunderstorms erupted.

Joan and I arrived at the parking area worn out but happy.

Kootenay National Park and Stanley Glacier Hike

After leaving Lake O'Hara we drove to Kootenay National Park, a long and skinny park. It derives from the first motor road to cross the Canadian Rockies, finished in 1920. Originally to be built by the province of British Columbia as the Banff-Windermere Highway, the road was built by the federal government after BC ran out of funds due to World War I. In exchange, BC granted the federal government the land five miles to either side of the road for a national park.

Our first day's hike was Stanley Glacier, a popular destination (and it was a Saturday). We got a chance to chat with lots of hikers, from locals to Japanese tour groups. The hike starts up from the road to reach the lip of a hanging valley and passes through terrain that's been burned by forest fires three times in recent history: 1967, 2001, and 2003.

After reaching the mouth you continue on up the valley, gaining altitude as the vegetation thins out and then disappears. Here is a view looking back towards the road, with the classic glacial valley U-shape:

Along the way, there are waterfalls on the steep southern wall:

Going on past the terminus of the official route, the dominant feature at the head of the valley is an island in the sky. Walking there, the landscape is nothing but scree with a beaten footpath or two, and you must watch your footing and cease walking to do your gawking. Ahead, there's an outcrop of harder rock, the top of which forms a micro-plateau nourished and cloven by glacial meltwater.

Up close, the "island in the sky" is a lush respite from the rocks. We had lunch there and were well content; we didn't climb on up to the glacier (seen in the photo above) but began our return trip, and I took the picture looking back. Our outbound route was on the southern side of the valley, return was on the northern side, which had a more trodden path. (The two routes reunite at the marker for the official trail.)