CR2016: Tryst Lake and an Avian Revival

On Saturday, August 6th, the forecast was for a 90% chance of rain after 1 pm. Joan and I decided to hike to Tryst Lake, a journey shorter than most, and one we'd done in wet weather before. We took a while to get organized but we still had driven the very short distance to the trailhead by 10 am. It was drizzling already.

The beginning of the route is an old logging road which, if pursued to the end, will take a hiker into the valley of Commonwealth Creek. The Tryst Lake trail is a steep, narrow one that departs from the road at a spot marked by cairns and/or flagging tape, about half an hour of brisk walking from the parking area.

We met two groups of young hikers who were looking for Tent Ridge and weren't sure where they were. They had no maps, but each group had a GoPro camera. You can reach Tent Ridge from Tryst Lake, but it involves uphill bushwhacking (no trail). They weren't keen on that, so Joan and I directed them to the Mount Shark trailhead for Tent Ridge.

The climb, which we had last hiked in 2011, revealed damage from the 2013 floods and recently fallen trees from the very wet July. Short detours through dripping foliage were common. The upper reaches included pocket alpine meadows with gorgeous flowers, much like Purcell.

By the time we reached Tryst Lake it was raining steadily, and we decided to return to the Lodge rather than consume our bagged lunches in these dismal conditions. (Despite the wet July the level of the lake was surprisingly low.) Armed with our poles and a high degree of caution we began our descent, and nobody fell down. We met a friendly couple from Canmore headed up and compared notes for a few minutes.

Back at the lodge we had to hang up every wet thing, including the contents of the day packs and the day packs themselves; even with covers on the outer surfaces they were not 100% waterproof through several hours of substantial rain. Then we enjoyed our lunch in the comfort of the lodge's dining room, with hot tea to boot.

Towards the end of lunch we heard the smack of a bird strike against one of the windows. Joan took off her socks and slippers -- the lodge frowns on outdoor shoes inside -- and investigated. She found a small bird, later identified as a female pine siskin, lying on the deck. It fluttered some. Joan knew that if it hadn't broken a bone or fractured its skull the siskin would probably recover -- if given shelter from the cold, the wet, and any possible predators. She held it using both hands, keeping it warm and dry and giving it time to recover from its concussion/shock. At first it couldn't stand in her hand, then it managed an unsteady, wobbly stance, and finally it could balance even when she tilted her hand.

  It also pooped twice, a good sign.

Eventually the siskin started to blink and do some preening, but turning its head only to the right. Joan's bare feet were getting cold!

After forty minutes of protection the siskin suddenly flew away. During the recovery period Joan had spotted a northern harrier, for which the siskin would have been a helpless morsel.

Mr. Moose paid us an unexpected daytime visit, too, perhaps encouraged by the overcast and damp.

Tomorrow would bring better weather and a big hike.

CR2011: A Damp Interlude; or, Tryst Lake, Whyte Museum, and Lake O'Hara

The next day began cloudy with a forecast of rain. Joan and I decided to hike to Tryst Lake, a shorter hike that we might finish before the rains came. Or at least we wouldn't be out in the rain as long.

The parking area is very close to Mount Engadine Lodge. You could walk to it. We drove, along with another couple, and began the walk down the fire road. (Another uninteresting approach.) In this case the trail up to Tryst Lake leaves the fire road, heading west and up. It follows and occasionally crosses a modest watercourse, steeply at times, until you arrive at the lake. This picture was taken looking back down the trail, at a not-so-steep point.

We arrived at the lake without having encountered any rain, but the clouds were low.

As we were finishing our lunch there was a tremendous thunderclap. It was time to put on our rain gear and head back as promptly as the steep trail would allow. I was in such a rush that I put my rain pants on backwards the first time, another example of "haste makes waste." Fortunately, there were only sprinkles and brief showers while we walked back to the car and returned to the lodge, for an afternoon of taking it easy and enjoying the scrumptious afternoon tea.

The next day was wet. It was also a transfer day, when we departed from Mount Engadine Lodge and took the late afternoon bus to Lake O'Hara. This is less than a day's drive, but the conditions were poor for hiking, so we paused in both Canmore and Banff.

Our first stop was the Canmore Museum and GeoScience Center. We focused on the permanent exhibits about the history of coal mining in the area, and the geology. Modern industry was bootstrapped by coal, and the coal miners had a hard life. Ultimately, we owe them a lot. A short walk took us to the Canmore Public Library and Art Gallery, which required less time than the Museum.

In Banff we visited the Whyte Museum, which is always interesting. The highlight of this visit was a guided tour of two of the original houses, now on the grounds of the museum. Our first stop was in the home of Philip and Pearl (Brewster) Moore, followed by that of Peter and Catharine (Robb) Whyte.

Pearl was reportedly the first white child born in Banff, in 1889. One of the founding families in the Banff area, the Brewster's name is found on many travel-oriented businesses. Here are three pictures from the interior of the Moore house.

The story of Peter and Catharine Whyte is a fascinating one. Follow this link for all the details, but in a nutshell, I'll say that Peter was born in Banff in the 1905, and Catharine was born into an affluent family in Massachusetts. During summer vacations she dated John D. Rockefeller III for a while. Peter and Catharine met at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1925. They married in 1930 and moved to Banff (a long, long way from the life of a socialite in Boston). These are my three pictures of the interior of their house.

Then it was time to head to the Lake O'Hara parking area, next to the Trans-Canada highway just over the border in British Columbia. We unpacked in our cabin, had a great dinner, and hoped that tomorrow would be better.

It started foggy, but with promise.

We arrived at the lodge a few minutes before breakfast, to warm by the fire and sip coffee. This picture captures much of the central social area; there are many tables behind and to the right. Lodge rooms are on the second floor.

Breakfast can be deceptive to the newcomer. It starts with a buffet that features juices, coffee, muffins, cereals (hot and cold), yogurt, and fruit (especially berries, just ask Joan). You might think this is breakfast, which is true, but it's not all of breakfast. If you eat too much from the buffet, you may be dismayed when the wait staff asks which hot breakfast you want. Alison or Bruce will ask which of three sandwiches you want, if you will be out on the trail at lunchtime. Towards the end of breakfast, the buffet is cleared to make way for lunch fixings. Stacks of sandwiches in plastic tubs, cheese, veggies such as carrot and pepper strips, trail mix ingredients (nuts, dried fruit, and such), and cookies. Oh, the cookies. Ask Joan about the cookies. Lake O'Hara could teach a PhD-level course in cookies, brownies, and bars. Finally, if you prefer, lemonade to drink on the trail.

By the end of breakfast the fog had largely evaporated. It might be a good hiking day after all.