Day 16, August 28

Day 16, August 28

Locations: Bugaboos; Emerald Lake; Yoho National Park

Miles driven: 184

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Due to the long day yesterday, it was surprising that I woke up as early as 9:00. I started exploring the roads to see what kind of views they offered of the Bugaboo spires and the other nearby peaks in the Purcell Mountains. Houndstooth and Snowpatch Spires are the only visible spires and the rest are hidden from view, and while the view from down below doesn’t even begin to look like the aerial display or the impressive climbing ones you will find when searching online, it was nonetheless very cool to be in this special place. I finished exploring the roads at 11:05. Challis Creek had the best view towards Houndstooth, and there were a couple of roads that didn’t afford any views to speak of. Not only were the Bugaboos the birthplace of heli-skiing in 1965, but heli-hiking is also very popular here during the summer. The helicopter was making continuous passes back and forth over the area as the pilot would drop off and pick hikers up. I went back up to the trailhead to check it out in the daylight, and there I saw a number of available piles of fencing and wood. A few climbers had returned while I was there and I headed out around 12:15. A sign indicated it is 39k to Highway 95. I came out at Brisco, just south of Spillimacheen where I had come in. I believe Brisco is the main access point, which is not what my various maps indicate.

I passed through Golden at 2:33 and headed east along Trans-Canada Highway 1 and was planning for a sunset shoot at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. I first stopped at the Natural Bridge which lies virtually at the start of the Emerald Lake Road. I walked right over the footbridge where a number of other tourists were taking in the scene, and walked through the forest a bit down the river just to check out the river gorge. I walked back up and took my only picture of the trip of Natural Bridge which is just a snapshot that I have displayed below, and as happens all too frequently, I get a snapshot I’m pretty happy with and I kick myself later for not capturing the scene on one of my other cameras. Oh well! I then headed up to Emerald Lake for sunset.

Emerald Lake was really glowing when I arrived at least an hour before sunset, and thankfully, the tourist count had thinned considerably, and a number of others were on their way out. This is another very popular place during the day and the parking lot always overfills and parking is relegated to the sides of the road leading into it.This made for a rather pleasant and casual evening not running into all kinds of people on the bridge at the lake. Who knows, I may not of gotten out if there were still bus loads of people still there. A wonderful aroma of the evening’s fine meals permeated the air originating from within the Emerald Lake Lodge that sits right there at the end of the bridge. A number of people were sitting at the outside tables. My bologna sandwiches and plain tortellini meals that I’ve been living off of just weren’t on the same level! I felt like I was homeless and living off scraps, and I wondered if they’d even let me in the doors as I was wearing shorts and t-shirt. The scent was killing me! I set up the camera on the shore just below the bridge looking over the lake, then as the light was getting sweet, I set up on the bridge looking the other way to Mt. Burgess with the small bay next to the lodge in front of me. It was really lit up with some great warm light. While shooting at the bridge, a number of people that were eating at the outside tables glanced over quite a bit. The 4x5 was yet again an attention getter. A few people walking by behind me had asked about it, and I let one gentleman look through it.

After the light faded, I headed out and I stopped at the large parking lot at the information center in Field and made some tortellini. I then headed back over to the Overflow Campground south of Lake Louise for another night and arrived there at 10:30. The skies were clear of clouds, so I figured I’d aim for Lake Louise in the morning, and save any cloudy or more dramatic sunrises for Moraine and Peyto. I didn’t mind if I ended up with a plain, clear sky sunrise at Lake Louise as I don’t find it nearly as attractive as the other two.

8:15 AM — Camp spot somewhere in the Bugaboos