Today we got up at 7.00am so that we could start our hike as early as possible. The hike is estimated to take approximately 8 hours so we needed to get our skates on!
We got dressed and went for breakfast at the Lodge (about 60 seconds up the hill). We both opted for the buffet breakfast and filled our plates with as much food as we could eat - we would need energy today!
After breakfast we collected the packed lunches that we’d ordered the night before. We inspected them back in our room and they were good! We had a custom sandwich each (tuna and cucumber for Laura, ham salad for me), a banana, cereal bar, trail mix, juice and a water. Somehow we found room in our packs for everything (apart from the apple juice which we left in the room).
Laura remembered to take the walking poles as we had a feeling this walk might need them (we weren’t wrong!)
The drive to the trailhead required us to drive back down to Kicking Horse pass, then around the mountain range and up the Yoho valley. After a series of switchbacks we got our first glimpse of Takakkaw Falls and it was a real “Wow!” moment. It’s so tall (284m) and after the first 100m or so it hits a ledge and erupts water outwards in a very satisfying way.
We found the parking lot, had last minute wee’s and then started the hike. The hike is the Iceline Trail: a 21km circular route that climbs from the valley floor at 1,500m, through dense woodland, up to the alpine zone at 2,000m and follows along the side of the mountain with spectacular views of 10 different glaciers, some just above you. It’s been on my to do list since my mum and dad did it years ago.
The first half a km was easy going as we walked along the valley to the ‘proper’ start – i.e. where all the switchbacks would start!
We found a pair of red chairs (part of a campaign by Yoho National Park) and stopped for all of about 15 seconds to take a picture.
We found the proper start of the trail and began climbing through dense woodland. The valley floor was at 1,500m and very quickly we began to gain height. After 20 minutes or so it was pretty tough
going and we started taking 30 second breathers every now and again to catch our breath and have some water.
We overtook a few other hikers and after a while we reached a junction that would allow us to take a 400m side trail to Hidden Lakes. We thought, why not! So we made the detour.
On the way, the path narrowed and at one point we had to climb under a fallen tree. When we reached the lakes we found them to be really hidden, so hidden in fact that they had no water in them. They were bone dry! Not one to miss an opportunity for a wee, Laura made use of the relative privacy and had wild wee by a log. Luckily, nobody else came down our side trail so privacy was ensured. Hurrah!
The switchbacks continued for a while and it was really tough going. Both of us were huffing and puffing but the trail continued upwards more and more.
The terrain changed a bit and was more rocky. We ate a banana and had a five minute break. The views all around us were simply amazing. At one point a group of 6 or 7 RUNNERS overtook us, chatting casually as they zoomed uphill!? Nuts.
The terrain changed a bit and was more rocky. We ate a banana and had a five minute break. The views all around us were simply amazing. At one point a group of 6 or 7 RUNNERS overtook us, chatting casually as they zoomed uphill!? Nuts.
At about 2,100m the trail started to level out a bit, but every tiny bit of up at this altitude was hard work.
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| See this bog rock...? |
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| ...the big rock is just right of centre in this photo |
The weather so far had been almost constant sunshine and we were both very hot. It seemed daft that we were so high, yet so hot. So much for needing all the layers we’d packed. Laura even stripped down to shorts it was that warm.
We played trail leapfrog with a British couple we nicknamed Annette and Jim, exchanging pleasantries every time we passed each other.
At one point, a big rock pile (moraine probably) allowed us to make a short detour and look like we were on top of the world. It was steep on all sides and a bit scary. Definitely not the place to lose your footing!
Just after midday we came across a lake where the trail diverges and a shorter loop goes back down the valley. At this point we decided to stop and eat our lunch. A few other hikers were doing the same, so we found our own rocks to perch on and ate lunch with a view of the glacier to our right and the mountains ahead of us and the valley below. Spectacular.
Both our sandwiches were delicious. We didn’t hang around too long and got going again. The break had made Laura cold so she layered up. After a while we reached the Iceline Summit and I climbed up the short hill to the summit. Yay me! We also saw another glacial meltwater pond (which I rememebred from my mum and dad's trip in 2007).
After that point we said goodbye to the glaciers that were near us and the trail started to descend. We walked through patches of snow (!) and after rounding a bend we found the landscape totally different. Suddenly we were back in the land of trees and flowers. I should probably mention that alpine flowers had been present all the way along this hike, with lovely yellow, purple, red and orange flowers. So pretty.
Laura needed yet another wee, so she darted off the trail to some nearby trees and did her stuff. At this point a couple of hikers appeared from nowhere and I did my best <cough> Laura <cough> warning. Laura heard (although she reckons she didn’t) and had to move, spider like and hide behind a tree. I don’t think they saw, but I’m sure they would have been amused.
We descended through the trees and eventually made it to the Stanley Mitchell Hut which sits in a pretty meadow at 2,060m – we were still so high!
We stopped and ate a cereal bar and had some more water. We’d just filled the bottle with water from a glacial stream, deciding that it was probably safe to drink. We had our Life Straw that would filter the water, but it was so clear that we decided it didn't need to be filtered.
We still had another 9km left at this point (only just over half way?!) so we carried on. We got talking to a Danish couple after we left and ended up walking the rest of the trail with them. We talked about all sorts of things, travelling, jobs, politics, the highest point in Denmark (not very high) and the most dangerous thing in Denmark (a tiny bug). They were travelling around for 3 months and after Canada they planned to get bikes from Vancouver and cycle all the way to San Francisco. Crikey!
Talking to them made the last 9km pass very quickly (probably helped by the fact that they walked quickly too!)
4km before the end of the hike we came to Laughing Falls (yet another waterfall) and it was very pretty. The path back to the car passed quickly and before long we had to say goodbye to our new Danish friends and we shook hands and wished them luck.
It was 5.15pm and we’d done the hike in 7 hours 15 minutes (including stops). We were very pleased with this. After a wee, we took our shoes off and drove back. We were both tired and Laura was in pain.
I’d already decided that I’d jump into Emerald Lake when we got back, so we ditched our things in the room and walked back down to the lake. It was busy with bus loads of tourists, some jumping off the bridge. Our shuttle bus drive Chris had said that he wouldn’t jump in near the bridge as there were poles sticking up under the water. Hmmmm. So after some pondering, I decided my jump would be more of a wade into the lake and then a flop/dive. And that’s exactly what I did. It was freezing (apparently it’s actually 9 degrees) but it felt so good. Laura waded in up to her thighs. We told ourselves this was good for muscle recovery!
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| I do have a video of me in the lake. But this is just a picture of the lake (and a canoe) |
We got changed and went for some dinner at the lodge. By now we were both ready for bed, but we managed to eat food and dessert and tell anyone we could that we’d just done a 21km hike.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant xxx
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