Our Lake O’Hara Hike
It’s a cold clear morning when we meet in the parking lot to start our Lake O’Hara hike. We are part of the lucky 42 people permitted to ride the bus up the 11 km gravel road to this hiking oasis. 25 mountain lakes can be reached within a 5 kilometer radius of Lake O’Hara making it a world class hiking destination.
Peter Whyte: Lake O'Hara
We will be hiking in Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) who guided the earlier explorers to this area.
We arrive to breath taking views of beautiful mountain reflections in the crystal clear water of the lake as look up at the towering peaks of Mt Wiwaxi (Stoney for Windy) and Yuckness Mountain (Stoney for Sharp like a Knife). We soon come to understand why the artists like J.E.H. MacDonald and Lauren Harris of the Group of 7, Carl Rungus, Peter Whyte and Catherine Robb and others came here year after year to paint this magnificent scenery.
As we make our way to Lake Oesa, (Stoney for the lake that is always frozen), we find ourselves hiking on the famous trails built in the early 1900s by Lawrence Grassi, a gentle powerful man of Italian descent who loved mountains, and Tommy Link, a plant pathologist from the University of Chicago. The incredible stone steps we hiked up near Seven Veils Falls replaced the sturdy ladders the Swiss Guides had constructed. J.E.H. MacDonald managed the ladders with his backpack strapped on along with his paint box and portable easel.
Fireweed: Lake Oesa
We enjoy a rest at Lake Oesa, gazing up at the same peaks that form the impressive backdrop for Lake Louise—the Great Divide summits of Mounts Lefroy and Victoria. From where we sit, we gaze up to a steep moraine that rises high above us. It reminds us of how thick the glacial ice once was a mere 120 years ago. We trace the trail that weaves through the scree that leads to Abbot’s Pass where the historic Abbot’s Hut was built of stone in 1922 to serve as a base for mountaineers. At 2926 m (9,598 ft) it was one of the highest permanent structures in Canada.
From Lake Oesa we will follow the Yuckness Ledges to the Opabin Plateau. Along the way, we spot a mountain goat resting right above the trail. We reach our lunch spot at Opabin Lake (Opabin is Stoney for rocky) in one and half hours. Although it’s been a warm sunny day, the wind cools us down. We nestle ourselves in close to a rock wall which overlooks Opabin Lake and pass under the towering Mt Biddle. We are comfortable here as we pull out our deluxe lunch our guide gave us. Life is good as we look out from our scenic perch. Some of us fall asleep for a quick nap while others take a dip in the cold mountain lake.
The joy of hiking in Lake O’Hara is about finding those perfect meadows to relax and enjoy the complete stillness one finds deep in the mountains. As we bounce back down the road on our return bus, we are satisfied, as we know we’ve been somewhere special.
Golden larches at Lake O’Hara