A hiking friend of mine had suggested we do the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park a couple of months ago after our Floe Lake hike. Because our schedules were out of sync we weren't able to make our attempt until yesterday. We decided to give it a try, very aware of the fact that the snow conditions may not allow us to complete the 21 km loop. It was worth a shot...
We got to the winter gate (which had only closed two day prior 😡) at about 8:30 and started the 10 km ride up to the trail head at Whiskey Jack Hostel. If the scenery along the road was any indication we were in for an epic day. The road was a little icy and snowy, and mostly uphill so it took us the better part of an hour. After locking our bikes in the trees we headed up the mountain along an initially clear trail. Shortly after gaining a little elevation the trail was covered in a couple of inches of snow. By the time we passed the tree line and the turnoff to the Highline Trail the snow depth was about six inches, and once we got a little further it varied between a half foot and knee depth. After taking my turn breaking trail, I realized this might be a very long day.
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| Looking Across Yoho Valley To Takakkaw Falls |
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| Looking South Along Mount Ogden Towards Cathedral Mountain |
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| Lots Of Snow Looking Up Towards Emerald Glacier |
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| Looking East Towards Mount Niles And The Wapituk Ice Field |
Around 2.5 hours into the hike we decided to take a quick break for lunch and to do a re-assessment. After some discussion we determined we had done about 5 km in over two hours, and it was likely that our pace wouldn't improve until we got back into the trees in another 10 km or so. Some rough calculations told us that we would probably be biking back to the car in the dark. The other factor we considered is that there was some questionable weather around us and we weren't too sure if we would get socked in or not. With the amount of snow we were already dealing with this made staying on the trail even more uncertain. After a good discussion, we both agreed it would be safer to head back down the way we came, and save this adventure for better conditions. As I have said on here before these trails and mountains aren't going anywhere, and living to try it another day is always the wisest decision.
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| Descent Shot |
The descent was uneventful, and with a little extra time to spare we decided to bike over to Takakkaw Falls for a snack and a little rest before the bike out. It was unbelievable to have the falls to ourselves, as it is a very popular summer destination, and is usually overrun with people. We enjoyed some banana bread and tea, grabbed a few photos and hit the road again.
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| Takakkaw Falls (381 m Drop Hard To Capture In A Photo) |
The bike back to the car was very quick, with a surprising amount of downhill 😁. We loaded the bikes up and I got home just in time for dinner. I am looking forward to a second attempt next year in better conditions, and am relieved we made a good mid-hike decision this time.
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