I was out camping in Yoho National Park with a good friend a couple of weeks ago. Early June can always be a bit of a gamble on weather in the mountains but we managed to luck out. Our campsite stayed relatively clear while the hike we had planned was mostly accessible without the need for snowshoes or to navigate deep/melting snow on the trail. It did approach freezing overnight but nothing that an extra blanket and a cozy fire couldn’t solve.
We decided to hike up to Lake O’Hara, a real gem of a spot. The approach to the first lake is 11 KM up a gravel road and inaccessible to all save for the pre-scheduled shuttle & hikers (no biking or driving up yourself).
Each year, there is a lottery in January to secure a spot on the shuttle to significantly cut down on the distance you need to travel in a day and give you a chance to explore more of the lakes up there. There are some lodges available to stay overnight and enjoy the area that way too but it can get rather costly compared to the style of tent camping that we usually set out to do. Well, another year has passed without a shuttle ride secured under my name but I wouldn’t let a few hours of walking deter me.
Much of our day looked like the above, a pleasant walk through a forested gravel road with great signage. The first handful of KMs are straightforward with lines of trees to stare at on either side but after about halfway, the trail opens up to some nice views of snowy peaks.
We had a really lucky day in terms of wildlife sightings. For context, any day that I spot something on the trail is one I consider lucky. We managed to peep some ducks, a porcupine munching on snacks on the side of the road (below, left), and a grouse perched in a little tree. (below, right)
About 1 KM from the lake, we started to see a lot more snow. Reaching the lake itself from the road took a short trek through the snow but any additional excursions would have seen us walking over deep snow and running the risk of post-holing.
I had to fit in some push-ups to help me reach my total for the challenge I started earlier in June.
Finally, the end of the road. Even covered in snow, the lake is quite a sight to behold and always worth the walk. In total, we travelled 26 KM on foot before we headed back to the campsite for the evening.
I’ll throw in some bonus photos of the campsite itself because Yoho is always stunning.
And here’s a couple from Banff, where we stopped for lunch on the way home and took a quick walk around town & to Bow Falls.
In all, it was a fantastic trip to kick off the season, even with many hikes still having snow right now due to the amount of late-season precipitation we’ve been receiving. I’m already looking forward to the next adventure. Thanks for reading!