With every new adventure that a weekend living close to Canadian Rockies brings, I am at a loss of words to describe the beauty of the landscapes.
Beautiful and scenic just do not cut it. Some places you just have to see it to truly appreciate nature’s work. That’s why this week, I will share mostly photos and a couple of videos.
This past weekend, I ventured to Yoho National Park near Field, B.C. to explore the spectacular Iceline Trail in a loop, which encompassed Celeste Lake.
I haven’t been to this area since last year when I camped at Lake O’Hara. I have to make exploring this area a priority. It’s well worth the extra time in the Qashqai.
The drive to the Iceline Trail in Yoho from Calgary takes about two hours and 30 minutes. It felt much longer as I had to navigate the sketchy switchbacks on the Yoho Valley Road and several construction zones.
The parking lot was relatively empty when I arrived around 8 a.m. It’s always, always, always smart to get an early start on these uber popular trails.
Takakkaw Falls
Off the parking lot is a less than one kilometre trail that leads to the famous Takakkaw Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in Canada at 373 metres or 1,224 feet tall. Takakkaw means “it is magnificent” in Cree.
The roar of the falls can be heard from the parking lot. I met a Calgary runner and her dog at the lot for the hike. We strolled over to the falls for a quick look before we tackled the loop. A handful of people were there taking photos and video.
Iceline Trail to Celeste Lake
We followed the well-marked trail (signs everywhere!) to the Iceline Trail. We climbed through the woods, and took a side trip to Hidden Lake after chatting with a few hikers from Lethbridge.
Once on the trail you are exposed to a rocky alpine tundra walk. Think jaw-dropping and expansive views in every direction. Amazing.
As the Iceline Trail is very popular, others quickly appeared along the trail. Throughout the day we saw both runners and hikers from Calgary. The trail is a 14K out and back with options to extend it with stops at several waterfalls including Laughing Falls. I have learned that you can also do a loop that includes the Stanley Mitchell Hike. A handful of backcountry campsites are also scattered throughout the park.
We stuck to the loop that includes Celeste Lake for a total of about 19 kilometres and roughly 800 metres in elevation. Chill but fun day.
Have you hiked the Iceline Trail? Have you ever been to Yoho National Park? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.