33. Sherbrooke Lake/Niles Meadow

Distance: 19.6 km
Elevation gain: 717 m

It's Larch season but I didn't want to repeat a hike so we found a new one and hoped for colour. To avoid crowds and have great weather, we went on Friday. Tena and Harry joined us for this premier hike in Yoho National Park. Harry left his bearbell in the car and tapped his poles like a grasshopper instead. We saw no bears or wildlife other than a few birds and butterflies but the trail and views were stupendous
To start off, the walk through the woods was bordered by the biggest, juiciest bunchberries we had ever seen or tasted.

After a few kilometres, we reached Sherbrooke Lake, a pretty, blue, mountain lake. All of a sudden, we noticed  the amazingly clear, large reflection of the surrounding mountains. The image seemed to go as deep as the mountains were tall. This particular picture has Mount Niles in the background. Many snapshots later we continued the hike along the lake.

The trail led along Sherbrooke Creek and featured several cascades which easily drowned out our grasshopper and even Herm's whistling.

Then we arrived at the book's "spacious meadow" but thought it was the amphitheatre and that it was recommended to eat our lunch. So we found a big rock and ate since we were hungry.

After some more hiking and creek crossing we entered the real amphitheatre. Beautiful! And looking up, we saw the meadow we had to reach yet to get the full marvel of this trail.

We continued slowly up the trail and sat thankfully in the meadow to finish our lunch, pose for a picture and admire the valley stretching out in front of us.

From Nile Meadow, we saw Mt. Temple from another direction, still recognizable by its size and snow cover.

We walked to the shoulder of the meadow and looked down on the amphitheatre.

As expected there were more mushrooms than flowers at this time of year. It was joyful to see the variety of shapes, colours and arrangements.

Another fall treat on this trail were the bountiful,(in one spot) ripe, unwormy gooseberries. They were delicious but we left some for the bears.

On the way back, the sun had mostly gone behind the mountains so we were surprised but very pleased to see the lake still mirrored beautiful reflections.

32. Fairview Mountain, (b)

Distance: 10.6 km
Elevation Gain: 1014 m

September 9th, a bright Monday ( better than the rainy Saturday before) we climbed Fairview Mountain for the first time, with assurances from others that it was quite easy. It was a glorious hike, one of our better ones.
 We drove to Lake Louise and started hiking through beautiful, mossy green forest on a trail wide enough for us to walk side by side

Herm found some delicious blueberries but alas there were not very many.

 

 The trail soon opened up on one side and we could see across the valley, ski slope, village and the Bow River.

Soon we got up to the Saddleback and enjoyed the larches which were just starting to turn yellow as well as the surrounding mountains and glaciers.  Mount Temple, with its snow cover, stood taller than the others.

To the north was Fairview, a steep climb but clear trail.

The steep climb forced Herm to sit periodically to give his heart a chance to return to normal. It also prompted both of us to take more time to look around.

We made it to the top and posed at the cairn. We chatted with Germans, Japanese and Canadians over lunch. It was not a place for solitude.

We looked over the side to see iconically green Lake Louise far below.

It was interesting to see the Plain of Six Glaciers from a totally new perspective.

Looking south, we considered going back to the Saddleback and running up Saddle Mountain.

But when we got down and looked at the mountain close up, our knees clearly said,"not today".

We continued on down the comfortably wide trail and took a last look at Fairview Mountain from the trailhead at the Lake Louise canoe rental shop.

Mount Fairview B
August 24, 2016 my sisters and I climbed Mt. Fairview. Doreen had been training in Ottawa and we all made it up without difficulty. This was still August and I found many, many blueberries but they were not ripe yet. The plant attraction was a large variety of mushrooms all through the woods.

31. Rummel Lake/Pass

Distance: 16 km return
Elevation gain: 530 m

August 27, the day after Old Goat Glacier, we hiked to Rummel Pass, an easy hike according to the books.
The first part of the hike through the woods was already colourful with red fireweed.

 

Finding small, wild blueberries all over beside the trail also sweetened the walk through the cutblock before the mature forest.

Once again our trail disappeared due to flood damage but my orienteering partner bushwhacked us to join another fork across a creek. Good for him, I would have backtracked. Soon we came to the lake from which we could see Rummel Pass, our next destination..

A climb through the woods soon brought us to a beautiful sub alpine meadow,

The pass stretched before us, at least another 1/2 kilometre of walking over talus rock. First, a tarn, now dried up.

Then another lakelet, this one still with water.

Another dip and rise and more rock.

And finally, the peak of the pass and we could look over and see Lost Lake and a trail which leads to Lillian Lake and Galatea Trail.

Since we had eaten our lunch at the lake, we had to be content with apples and satisfaction at reaching our goal.

30. Old Goat Glacier

Distance: 8 k return
Elevation gain: 643 m

August 26, a cloudy day in Kananaskis we hiked to Old Goat Glacier. It was great to get a decently early start even though we got up late since all we had to do was cross the road from our lovely campsite on Spray Lake.

We started off through the trees as usual to our destination, a canyon with a small glacier back in the mountains we could see in front of us.

Soon the regular trail ran out and we followed trees marked with red flags across several gravel slides. This was 2013, the year of the massive flood which damaged and destroyed many trails from Waterton to Lake Louise.

Most good trails feature a waterfall and this one didn't disappoint us.

As we climbed higher and further into the mountains we could see Spray Lake behind us.

 On a cliff opposite our trail, my travel guide spotted 2 white specks, too white to be rocks. Upon closer inspection with his binoculars, he proclaimed them to be the mountain goats after which the mountain and glacier were named. You be the judge.

And the cropped version.

After a steep climb, we entered the canyon and marveled at the huge gravel moraine stretching out in front of us. Of course, we would walk to the end. The most unusual thing for me was the way a shout echoed off the straight mountain walls. It would reverberate many times always more distant.

Herm was there too posing in front of all that is left of the mighty glacier that carved the canyon and left the gravel as it receded..

 What's a hike without a good lunch and photo op at the end?

29. Yamnuska

Distance: 11 k return
Elevation gain: 900 m

August 17, during our church campout at Bow Valley Provincial Park, Herm, a friend and I hiked Yamnuska for the third time. There are so many variations of this scramble that except for the chain, I took a different route every time.
On the way up to the ridge there are beautiful views of the valley to the south.

Soon we could see the front side of Yam and wonder how we would climb it. Of course, we scrambled up the back.

The first "exciting" step of the scramble is coming through this chimney.

Followed by many other scrambling opportunities.

As we looked back, we saw the many trails we could have taken; some clearer, some higher with less change in elevation and the one we had chosen.

The Yam is well known for the chain which helps hikers negotiate a very narrow ledge, much easier than going over the top or flying.

As usual, we enjoyed our lunch on top.

We chose a different descent this time to enjoy more scree slides than ever.

After the exhilerating scramble, walking through this peaceful woods on the way back to the parking lot was just what the surgeon friend ordered.

We frequently drive down Hwy 1 past Yamnuska and always notice it and remember our strenuous scrambles over and around it.