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Calgary, AB
52 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 7:42 PM
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July 6 & 7, 2012
A bit of a delayed trip report, but I thought I’d like to share this anyway:
When I first started visiting the Lake O’Hara area a few years ago and telling my family about what I had seen, I could tell that it was one of those places that will always be very special to my Dad, even though he hadn’t been back there since before I was born. For those of you who don’t know me well enough to do the real math, let’s just take advantage of Internet anonymity and assume that I’m 18 for the purposes of this trip report!
Anyway, after hearing that there were some cancellations at the Elizabeth Parker Hut in July, I pitched the idea of us making the trip as a Father’s Day gift.
This trip was extra special for both of us, since my Dad is still recovering from his first heart attack last September. Thankfully, even though he was relatively fit and healthy before the heart attack, he has done his best to embrace the diet and exercise changes his doctors recommended, which allowed him to start skiing this season even though his doctors told him he probably wouldn’t be able to do so.
Although we both would have loved to stay much longer, we decided that a 2 day/1 night stay would give us a nice taste of the area without pushing things too much.
More pics & hi-res at my Flickr site, but here’s a small selection (mix of mine and my Dad’s):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powrider_kevsauer/sets/72157630633819930/
Day 1:
I’ve only done day trips up to the area before, hiking the road each time after being unable to get a last minute spot on the bus, so the bus ride in was pure luxury (I already knew that the $10 I’d spent each time to take the bus back out was the best money I’d ever spent).
We dropped our gear at the hut, and then headed toward Lake Oesa.
    
Amazingly, this was the least crowded I’ve ever seen Lake Oesa. As we found out the next day, the crowds were headed to the still-frozen Lake McArthur.
          
Although he may have been a little frustrated at times with the slow pace I set for us, he
did really well on both days, and we quickly settled into a rhythm that worked for us, taking numerous photo breaks along the way as you always do around Lake O’Hara. Until then, he never quite believed me that I could take 6 hours to hike 12 km along the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit, but now he understood.
            
After returning along the Lake Oesa trail, we decided to continue along the Lake O’Hara shoreline trail, which neither of us had done before.
               
I even tried to reproduce my favorite photo that I took a couple years ago (far right):
  
Eventually, we wandered back to the hut, where I made dinner – the sight of me cooking dinner for him must have seemed rarer than a snow leopard sighting, so I think he had to have some photographic evidence to convince himself that such an event occurred.
  
After dinner, I made my way to a nearby pond to take some reflection shots at dusk, while Dad relaxed in the hut.
      
Day 2:
After a good night’s sleep, we had breakfast and packed up before heading out on the trails again.
Today’s destination was going to be Lake McArthur, a short hike above the hut. There was much more snow on this trail than the one to Oesa, especially above Schaffer Lake, but the trail was well beaten and the snow was supportive.
    
My Dad had been to Lake McArthur before, but it was my first time. Apparently the highline trail to Lake McArthur either didn’t exist back then, or my Dad just didn’t remember it, but as I coaxed him along the ledge system it follows for a short while, he protested that “we definitely did NOT go this way last time!”
A few years ago, my Dad had to psych himself up for weeks to get up to Crypt Lake in Waterton and he did quite well on that occasion, so I told him, “repeat after me: if I can do Crypt, I can do anything.” Far from offering him encouragement, he became incredibly suspicious of me, with a look of “What on Earth are you getting me into now?” written all over his face.
That was about the only time he complained during the entire trip and I think it was more to distract himself from the mild exposure, but he got through it, and soon enough we were at the lake.
We soaked up the sun, mused about hiking in April in July (all the snow), and enjoyed the lack of mosquitoes as we had a snack by the lake.
   
Eventually we returned the way we came, and the only comment he offered about the ledges was “why did I make such a big deal about this on the way up?”
For variety, I led him back down the Big Larches trail, rather than straight down to the hut. I purposely didn’t tell him what he’d see, choosing to let him discover it himself instead. Even though the larches weren’t in their golden fall colors, he marvelled at their size, often several times larger than those he’d seen in Larch Valley and elsewhere in the Rockies.
 
Finally, we returned to the hut and continued to soak in the views as we ate our lunches on the picnic tables outside.
He gave the best review of the trip I could have hoped for when he said, “I don’t want to leave,” with all the sad innocence of a young child having to leave Disney Land.
In the end, our visit was short and sweet, having barely scratched the surface of what the area has to offer. We’ll be back! |
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 Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13440 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 8:19 PM
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Sauerboarder..
My appreciation for your care and consideration for your father, want a wonderful treat for you to arrange this and get him there. The area is incredibly beautiful as what I can see from your fine photos; a real treat for the eye's..... so many beautiful and interesting sights.
K |
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155 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 8:33 PM
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| Amazing photos! Lake O`hara is one of the most beautiful places in the Rockies. I can`t believe MacArthur Lake is still frozen. |
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bandana wearin', pole huckin', view lovin', dog herdin', 4x4 navigatin', lake huntin', butt-slidin' bridge crosser, who enjoys postholing with an overnighter pack
Surrey, BC
Canada
4646 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 9:18 PM
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Awwwe - that's so nice. What a great trip for great memories to last a lifetime  . Awesome and glad to hear he's on the mend  |
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Powell River, bc
Canada
2527 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 10:52 PM
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Beautiful,lucky you to share the most fabulous place with your dad!!!! SO jealous of that :(
Last Sept was my first time,and I hope to go yearly until I leave this earth :)
Thanks for sharing :) |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
600 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 11:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by no quitting
Beautiful,lucky you to share the most fabulous place with your dad!!!! SO jealous of that :(
Last Sept was my first time,and I hope to go yearly until I leave this earth :)
Thanks for sharing :)
Don't forget to say "OMG" (several times)
O'Hara is indeed fab area & one of my favorites as well. Specially on a late September day when larches turn golden, and air is crisp and clean |
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Powell River, bc
Canada
2527 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2012 : 9:11 PM
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Your right,I forgot..............OMG!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome pictures :) :)
I agree about Sept.,but going to try August 2/3 this year,hope to go in the winter one time too :) |
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Unity, Saskatchewan
Canada
144 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2012 : 10:36 AM
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Thanks for the trip-report. I'm going there Aug 20-thru-23 (to the campground) with my brother and we're both bringing 2 of our kids. So there'll be 6 of us in all, with kids aged about 8 thru 13.
Does anybody have any insider-info type of tips for me? Sodbuster just got back from there and emailed me some great little helpful tidbits about what the various facilities are like around the campground-area.
Very excited for this trip - it should be the highlight of my summer for sure! (I'm keeping the destination a secret still - hope those kids are impressed!) |
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Lake O’Hara – Father’s Day in July
