I was surprised to see only a handful of vehicles at the Helen Lake parking lot when we arrived around 8 a.m. The Cirque Peak hike is very popular and judging from the photos I have seen online, I understand why.
The pictures compelled me to get up earlier than usual and drive more than two hours along the Icefields Parkway. Karen was along for the hike so the ride didn’t feel long.
A sign at the trailhead offered distances to Helen Lake, Katherine Lake, Dolomite Pass, Isabella Lake and the Dolomite-Siffleur junction. There were plenty of options to extend the hike. Since I had company, the plan was to do the simple out and back to Cirque Peak – roughly 16 kilometres.
It was a relatively easy climb through the trees and to the alpine meadows where the views of the mountains opened up. The forecast promised rain later in the afternoon but the clouds were saying another thing.
We hoped to reach the top before the weather turned.
Meanwhile we took our time taking photos and marvelling at the spectacular Dolomite Peak.
This is one area I really have to explore more. I was dumbfounded by the impressive Dolomite Peak. It’s such an interesting formation. I have to do some research on this one. I absolutely loved it. Truly I am just amazed at all the treasures that I have been so blessed to witness this year.
Stopping at Helen Lake is an option for many people because it is truly beautiful and you would not be disappointed. However, the higher you can get, the better the views.
From Helen Lake, we began climbing the narrow rocky switchbacks. The wind was picking up slightly. We kept moving because there was a definite chill in the air.
As we got higher we could finally see others in the distance. At this point we did not see or hear another soul – save for a marmot or two – along the trail.
The views were already outstanding and we still had lots of elevation ahead of us. The colours were definitely popping while the darkening skies added a little more drama to our photos.
After we successfully navigated the rocky bit, we came to an open area where Cirque Peak clearly in sight. There were a few cairns peppered along the way that gave us some direction.
Instead of moving over the cliff band, we scrambled along a narrow ledge, which forced us to climb up and over some big boulders. I realized we took the harder scramble when I noticed two hikers behind us coming from another direction. I was glad that we saw them on the trail because it would later give us an easier route down.
Once we were on solid ground, we began the scree slope to Cirque Peak. I am always the person in the back taking pictures so Karen forged ahead. The wind began to pick up even more. A light sprinkling of snow began to fall. The wind wasn’t as bad as it was on Glasgow but it was strong.
We were only about one kilometre away when Karen turned around because she wasn’t comfortable going any further. Besides there were no views to be seen anymore. I climbed up a few more metres (just to get in some more vert) before I ran down to join her.
I chatted with the two hikers who were determined to push to the peak. The storm seemed like it would eventually pass but I wasn’t going to stand on the summit waiting for that to happen.
Fortunately we were able to still see evidence of snowcapped mountains, and glaciers in the distance. While I was chatting with the two hikers, the sky cleared up enough for the three of us to spot a tarn (glacier lake) in the distance. That was pretty awesome.
The rain – which actually turned out to be snow – continued as we quickly made our way down over the slippery rocks and scree. We could see more and more people heading up to the peak and along other trails.
We chatted with a few people with dogs before reaching Helen Lake. It didn’t look like it was going to clear up anytime soon. We ran quickly down because we were both wet and chilled.
I was surprised at the number of the people starting their hike in the pouring/rain. Sure they had the gear for it but I wasn’t convinced the weather would improve. But I was definitely wrong because when we reached the parking lot the skies were blue.
I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you begin a hike or run in the rain and hope for it to clear up?