Abraham Lake

We had a great time driving the 212 miles from Revelstoke to Abraham Lake because of the views and wildlife. Less smoke from the nights rain definitely helped. We saw big horn sheep, our 7th black bear (didn’t get a great photo) and A GRIZZLY. It was a young grizz but the situation was perfect since we could observe it from the safety of the truck. The dogs didn’t know what to think of it but definitely gruffled. We also were able to stop at Bow Lake, another glacier fed turquoise lake. When the sun broke through the clouds a few times the color was spectacular! Some say the icefield parkway (which includes Bow lake and several other amazing spots is the most beautiful drive in the world. Every bend you see more majestic mountains and glaciers or ice fields. We learned that glaciers move like a slow river, and ice fields are stationary like a pond. Always learning! We also drove through Yoho and Banff national parks (our 3rd and 4th Canadian NPs) on our way to Abraham Lake. Along the way we learned that “Yoho” is a First Nations word that loosely translates to “wow!”

Our first full day we went for the hardest hike on our list while here. We knew Vision Quest was rated as a scramble but didn’t know that meant the entire way (usually it’s just the last little bit on most hikes rated this). We made it a little over halfway but the 33%+ grade on loose, unstable rock made it very slow going and once it became super loose rock/skreet we called it and turned back. The way down was much more dangerous and overall I’m glad we turned back. The views of Abraham Lake which glowed turquoise were worth it, especially with a few breaks in the clouds for the sun to hit.

Then we headed out to the ice fields parkway again and stopped at Waterfowl lakes on the way to Peyto lake. Peyto lake is known as the brightest lake in this area and even without the sun shining it truly was the brightest lake we’ve seen. The short hike up includes mostly paved trails with a short jaunt on some dirt paths with multiple overlooks. Our original plan was to stay for sunset (which isn’t until 9:45pm here) but the clouds looked unrelenting instead of breaking at 8pm as predicted. It was so nice to have an area to ourselves that normally is one of the busiest on the parkway.

The next day the smoke started to come in a little, so we decided to do some shorter hikes. We started with Siffleur falls, a fairly flat and beautiful hike. It was 4.5 miles but only 480 ft of elevation change which felt so nice compared to the steep ones we’ve done recently. Unfortunately there were so many people not following safety rules in bear country and around the waterfall so we headed back after enjoying the views for a bit. At the suspension bridge and only a quarter mile from the parking lot, people stopped us due to a grizzly being spotted in the trees on the other side of the bridge. We stopped for a bit then as a group made it through to the other side. Once in the truck we drove towards our next hike and saw the grizzly again in a safe environment. It might be the same one from the other day, but the ranger said there are a couple around the same age.

We drove back to the icefield parkway and hiked Mistaya canyon. A short jaunt at 0.9 miles that features a sturdy bridge and a close up of the canyon carved by the raging waters.

After playing with the pups for awhile we headed to dinner at the next lodge over. While the entrance was a bit confusing (it was like going into a family’s house with kids shoes to step over, the vacuum out, etc) we were led to a beautiful back deck with a great view. The staff and menu were superb and everything was delicious. One of the best meals we’ve had and definitely surprising in this rural of an area. After dinner we walked down to the cove overlook and saw an osprey catch a fish, then fly right overhead. Overall another amazing day.

We planned to start the next day at sunrise but then decided to sleep in a bit instead which ended up being a good thing because our timing with seeing a black bear (our 8th) along the road was perfect. We originally planned on hiking Glacier Lakes but a park ranger recommended Bow Glacier Falls instead. We’re really glad she did since it was a perfect hike. It was 6.3 miles and only 1000 ft of elevation gain which was a really nice change of pace for us. You’re along the beautiful turquoise Bow Lake the first ⅔ of the hike, and then hike up to a large waterfall. Bow Glacier falls is the start of the Bow River which feeds one of the largest watersheds in the country.

We left the falls area since there were some people acting irresponsible. There were quite a few people traversing wet rock without sure footing, and a guy who somehow came up the opposite side of the ridge and scrambled down. How he managed the skreet and sheer slopes is mind boggling, but regardless was a huge risk when this area needs no rescues at this time. First responders and helicopters are busy with the several wildfires, and the parks system specifically asked people to be extra safe so they don’t have to take time away from the fires to come to the aid of visitors.

Our last full day turned into a bit more adventure than we planned. The first hike to Crescent falls was supposed to be a 0.5 mile round trip but was about 1.25 due to the lower parking lot being not a parking lot at all. Overall still an amazing hike with beautiful platforms and stairs leading down to a few spots to enjoy the double falls. The uphill back to the parking lot wasn’t too bad since it was short and a cooler day.

Next we headed to Whitegoat falls. This was close to our campground and only 2 miles, what could go wrong? A landslide had ruined part of the trail so someone made makeshift ropes to help you descend the sheer cliff with loose dirt and rock to the base of the falls. What looked like one rope section turned into 3. Maybe a bit more adventure than we planned, but once done the rest of the trail felt like a breeze. The falls were beautiful and cut through the rock nicely.

After spending lots of time with the pups and doing chores we heard there was a chance of a geomagnetic storm! We had a good spot picked on the edge of the campground but it was a low chance of seeing them due to clouds, smoke, and the fact it only stays dark here for about 5 hours. We didn’t really sleep and headed to the spot around 1am. We were able to see the aurora borealis a bit between the clouds and smoke, and an extra bonus of seeing 6 meteors! After two hours in the cold, smoke, and high winds whipping around us, we decided to call it a night. This area was so peaceful and beautiful, another great stop on this trip!Read more