Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass

Larch Valley and the Ten Peaks

7 miles round trip, 2400 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate
Access: Paved road to trailhead, Canadian National Parks pass required; parking extremely limited

Larch Valley, just uphill from Moraine Lake and nestled below the Ten Peaks in Alberta's Banff National Park, puts on one of the finest displays of fall color on the planet each September; the trail to Sentinel Pass brings hikers into a harsh alpine landscape at the highest trail-accessible point in the Canadian Rockies. This hike has an extremely special place in my heart: at age 10, my parents dragged me up this trail to Larch Valley on what, looking back, I consider to be my first true hike. While I had hiked trails earlier in my life and had just earlier that day hiked the flat trail out to Lower Consolation Lake, my journey up to Larch Valley was the first time that I came to associate the discomfort and misery of hiking with its rich rewards. Since that June day when a young Chuhern complained incessantly of being tired and out of breath and muttered that the switchbacks would surely kill me, I've covered a distance and elevation gain sufficient to cover the entire Pacific Crest Trail and hiking has become one of the most important aspects of my life and my identity. Revisiting Larch Valley, I found the area to be even more beautiful than I remembered, helping me understand how this one place ended up being the hike that launched a thousand hikes.

A note: the Lake Louise/Moraine Lake area frequently has grizzly bear problems, so Parcs Canada often issues requirements that hikers in the area must travel in groups of four or more. I was lucky enough to visit when grizzly activity was low and it was both legal and reasonably safe for me to hike alone. I'd still recommend that you carry and know how to use bear spray when hiking here.

Visitation to Banff National Park has exploded in the past two decades. During my first two visits to Moraine Lake, my family was able to drive directly to the trailhead and park there and explore; for my latest visit, I discovered that a shuttle bus system had been implemented and that parking at both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake were limited to the few visitors who arrived early in the morning before the parking lots filled. The Moraine Lake parking lot, I was infomed, filled by 7 AM every day; to deal with this, I woke up at 5 AM and drove up to the lake from Lake Louise Village to ensure that I would snag a parking spot. I napped briefly in the car as I waited for it to get light out on that overcast day. Even a weekday visit (I came on a Monday) warranted such measures.

At sunrise, I decided to first check out Moraine Lake before heading up to Larch Valley. Moraine Lake is rightly famous: the Wenkchemna Peaks (or the Ten Peaks), a multi-summited rock wall, rises above the most extraordinary turquoise waters. Even upon seeing the lake for the third time in my life from the Rockpile Trail, I could not help but stare agape at one of the truly wonderous natural gems of our Earth.

Moraine Lake

Returning to the parking area, I headed out on the hike to Larch Valley. From the lodge next to the parking lot, I began following the Moraine Lakeshore trail south along the lake. Within meters of leaving the parking area, I came to the junction with the Larch Valley/Eiffel Lake Trail. I took the right fork here and began to follow this broad, well-built trail uphill.

The trail embarked on a series of switchbacks as it climbed up the western side of the valley holding Moraine Lake. These ten or so switchbacks are reasonably graded and the trail has an excellent tread, which made the ascent quite easy for me now; at age 10, these same switchbacks were tortuous on my first hike, faced with my first extended uphill climb. The younger me, tired and out of breath, doubted it was humanly possible to reach such a place as Larch Valley. There was a certain sense of satisfaction gained when I made quick work of the switchbacks and arrived at the junction with the trail to Eiffel Lake, 1.5 miles from the trailhead, in just over half an hour, having stopped during the journey up only to admire the partial views of Moraine Lake below.

Moraine Lake along the climb

At the trail junction with the Eiffel Lake Trail, I took the right fork towards Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass. Almost immediately, the trail left the spruce fir forest of the ascent and entered a golden larch forest. The trail climbed slightly more before leveling out as it entered the lower part of the valley. Mountain slopes coated in golden larches were visible to the north along the slopes of Mount Temple.

Entering Larch Valley

My early start had paid off: there were only a handful hikers on the trail when I entered Larch Valley. The scenery here is at once majestic and idyllic: the Ten Peaks tower over forests of small larches and meadows dotted with scattered rocks. A log bridge spanned the creek in Larch Valley; in September, the creek had dried completely. This bridge was quite memorable for me: at 10, I sat on the bridge at the end of the hike, exhausted, and watched the clear June waters of the stream burbling through the meadows. At the time I was tired, hungry, and a little miserable, but something about the scene around me ignited a flame, a love for the outdoors, an insatiable wanderlust and a yearning for the mountaintop that has yet to be extinguished or even dimmed. The half hour I spent admiring the Ten Peaks here years earlier had set into motion the development of the current me.

Log bridge in Larch Valley- a location of pivotal significance in my childhood

Larch Valley

The trail continued wandering through the relatively flat valley, passing through meadows lined with larches. The Ten Peaks formed a commanding backdrop and the sun poked through the clouds at intervals.

Larches backed by the Ten Peaks

The half of mile trail threading through the golden colors of Larch Valley is among the most glorious stretches of trail anywhere. A gentle ascent with falling streams, fiery colors, and snowcapped mountains- what more could one ask for?

Larch Valley

The larches thinned out as the trail began to emerge above the treeline. Here, the larches faded to alpine meadows; the Ten Peaks rose to the south and the great bulwarks of the Grand Sentinel and Mount Temple rose ahead of the trail. I was lucky to arrive early enough in the morning to enjoy this scenery without too much company; by the afternoon, the scene was a little less idyllic with scores of hikers, many carelessly tromping on the meadows or blasting music from speakers.

Larch Valley

Larch Valley

The Pinnacle and the Grand Sentinel

Above the treeline, the trail traversed through barren landscape of meadow and rock, passing the lower of the Minnestimma Lakes before coming to the cold, stony main Minnestimma Lake. Sentinel Pass rose directly ahead, a forbidding saddle between two great, cloud-ensconed mountain thrones rising on either side of the lake. The trail followed the northern edge of the briefly before branching off to begin the final stretch, which climbed about 700 feet in less than a mile.

Mount Temple rises above Minnestimma Lake

Leaving Minnestimma Lake, the vegetation thinned as I entered a realm of snow and rock. The trail ascended through scree slopes as it approached the formidable rocky slopes of the pass.

Climbing towards Sentinel Pass above Minnestimma Lake

The trail ended up being not as bad as it looked: a pair of switchbacks through the final scree slope brought me to the pass itself. I scrambled up a small rocky prominence just north of the low point of the pass to survey the surroundings.

The barren, harsh route to Sentinel Pass

The far side of the pass was a wild world of harsh rock spires and snow. Paradise Valley lay far below, with a handful of golden larches visible above the green, conifer-coated valley floor. The Grand Sentinel and Mount Temple, both massive towers of well-ordered sedimentary rock, rose to either side of the pass.

Looking down into Paradise Valley from Sentinel Pass

Looking back from where I came, the Ten Peaks formed a solid wall of rock, snowy peaks above Larch Valley and the Minnestimma Lakes. The gentler delights of Larch Valley seemed so far away in the harsh landscape of Sentinel Pass. This is the highest trail-accessible point in the national parks of the Canadian Rockies; while the trail isn't easy, this is a reasonably straightforward way to enter an alpine world usually denied to day hikers and casual tourists.

Minnestimma Lakes and Larch Valley below the Ten Peaks

I met and shared my Larch Valley story with a number of hikers who I shared the trail with that day, including a photographer, Rick, who had recently moved to Okotoks (a Calgary suburb) and Revanth, a student from Halifax who was taking an ambitious trip with a relative through the Canadian Rockies. All in all, I took my time and enjoyed this overwhelmingly nostalgic spot, spending over 7 hours on the trail. I descended just in time, returning to Moraine Lake as a sudden snowstorm moved in. The waters of Moraine Lake, placid that morning, had turned to whitecaps, with canoers struggling to return to shore in the rough wind and waves. As I drove down, hail and snow fell heavily; by the time the clouds broke briefly when I was down in Lake Louise Village, the slopes of Mount Temple were covered in a frosting of fresh snow.

Wilcox Ridge

The Athabasca Glacier spills out from the Columbia Icefield

6.5 miles round trip, 1450 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate
Access: Paved road to trailhead, Canadian National Parks pass required

The Columbia Icefield is the greatest body of ice in the Canadian Rockies and is surely among the more accessible icefields of its size. Wilcox Ridge vies with nearby Parker Ridge for the trail-accessible spot with the best view of the Columbia Icefield; I've hiked both and I'm more particular towards Wilcox Ridge. From the viewpoint at the end of the trail on the shoulder of Wilcox Peak, there is a sweeping viewshed that encompasses the Athabasca and Dome Glaciers flowing off the Columbia Icefield, the barren tundra scenery beyond Wilcox Pass, and the stately peaks that border the Saskatchewan River Valley. This is a relatively easy hike considering the incredible scenic rewards and should be at the top of the list of any hiker traveling the Icefields Parkway through Alberta's Jasper National Park.

I did this hike on the first day of a four day trip to the Canadian Rockies. With four days to visit four parks, I decided to pick a single highlight hike in each park for my September trip; for Jasper, I chose to hike Wilcox Ridge. I drove to the trailhead directly that morning from the Calgary Airport; after following Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) west past Banff and Lake Louise, I took the exit for Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway, to drive north to Jasper National Park. The Wilcox Ridge hike is at the very southern reaches of Jasper National Park; I came to the trailhead shortly after entering the park at Sunwapta Pass. The trailhead was at the entrance of the Wilcox Creek Campground, which is on the east side of the Icefields Parkway (on the right if you're heading north).

Trailhead parking was pretty crowded: this is a popular hike! Leaving the trailhead, the trail began an immediate ascent through the forest. The trail ascended steadily along the well-maintained trail through a forest coated with a recent dusting of snow.

Wilcox Pass Trail in the forest

After just under a mile of hiking through the forest, the trail emerged into a small clearing for its first views. To the north, the lip of the Columbia Icefield was visible just above the ridges of Snow Dome and Mount Kitchener and the Dome Glacier poured off the largest icefield of the Canadian Rockies. Below, the Icefields Parkway ran through the meadows of Sunwapta Pass.

Dome Glacier pouring off the Columbia Icefield

The trail briefly reentered the trees before emerging again into open meadows. This time, the Athabasca Glacier came into view as well, spilling off the Columbia Icefield and filling a broad valley.

Athabasca and Dome Glaciers and the Icefield Centre

The trail passed a set of red Adirondack chairs. These chairs are a recent addition to the Canadian national parks: after debuting the red chairs a couple of years ago to popular acclaim in Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park, Parks Canada has expanded the program and installed chairs throughout the park system. For many hikers, these chairs, a mile from the trailhead with a good view of the Athabasca Glacier and its icefalls and moraines, is a sufficient turnaround point. From here, I could spot the road used by Brewster Snocoaches to take tourists out onto the Athabasca Glacier. As perhaps the most accessible glacier in North America, the Athabasca Glacier is a rare spot where tourists can ride buses onto a glacier and walk around.

Athabasca Glacier, Snocoach visible

While many hikers hung out near the chairs, satisfied with the scenery at this point, I chose to continue on to Wilcox Pass and Wilcox Ridge. The trail continued climbing past the chairs, albeit at a gentler grade, and the open views of Mount Athabasca and Mount Andromeda across the valley made the ascent feel much easier.

Mount Athabasca

Soon, the trees thinned out entirely and the trail was traversing an open alpine landscape. Views were stark and beautiful with fresh snow capping the surrounding peaks. As the trail began to parallel a small ravine, the Athabasca Glacier disappeared behind a nearby ridge, but views to the south past Sunwapta Pass into the Saskatchewan River Valley became increasingly impressive. The patterns in the fresh snow accentuated the sedimentary layers forming the Rocky Mountains.

Mount Athabasca, Mount Andromeda, and the Athabasca Glacier

View towards the Saskatchewan River Valley

A mile and a half of ascent through the open meadows brought me to Wilcox Pass. Through this uphill stretch, the rocky summit of Wilcox Peak filled the view in front of the trail.

Wilcox Peak

Wilcox Pass is an extremely broad, flat mountain pass; maps show that a lake fills part of the wide, flat pass, but I didn't end up spotting any significant body of water. Wilcox Peak rose to the northwest of the pass, while an alpine tundrascape of snowcapped peaks rose to the northeast. I crossed a stream at the pass that was meandering through the flat meadows, with views back towards Hilda Peak, Mount Athabasca, Mount Andromeda, and the Andromeda Glacier. The Athabasca Glacier itself was not visible at the pass. While the pass makes a nice destination and the views to the north are quite unique, if you've made it this far you might as well go all the way to the end of the trail at Wilcox Ridge.

Wilcox Pass

At the pass, a sign indicated the Wilcox Ridge trail breaking off to the west. I followed this trail, which was narrower and less well defined than the Wilcox Pass Trail. Cairns marked the route towards the ridge. The trail began to climb up from the pass towards the top of the ridge emanating southeast from the summit of Wilcox Peak. As I climbed out of the pass, views to the north improved; there was something hauntingly beautiful about the tundra-like landscape to the north defined by the blue of the sky, the yellow of the meadows, the white of fresh snow, and the gray of rocky peaks.

Alpine landscape of Wilcox Pass

The trail was at turns muddy and rocky as it made its way towards the ridge. After an initial ascent, I realized that the ridge was not a single layer, but rather a series of parallel ridges defined by layers of sedimentary rock. The viewpoint of the Athabasca Glacier was on the southwesternmost of the parallel ridges; I followed the cairns across the alpine landscape up and down each of the parallel ridges. The views in this landscape were spectacular: even though the Athabasca Glacier was still not fully in view, the panorama along the trail encompassed Nigel Peak to the east, the Sunwapta River Valley to the south, Hilda Peak, Mount Athabasca, and Mount Andromeda to the southwest and Wilcox Peak to the northwest.

Nigel Peak and the view south down the Saskatchewan Valley

About three-quarters of a mile from Wilcox Pass, I reached the end of the trail, at a viewpoint high above the valley holding the headwaters of the Athabasca River. The mighty Athabasca Glacier flowed out from the Columbia Icefield directly across from where I stood.

Athabasca and Dome Glaciers pouring off the Columbia Icefield, viewed from Wilcox Ridge

The Columbia Icefield is the largest body of ice in the Canadian Rockies. Astride a triple divide, the Columbia Icefield feeds rivers that flow into the Pacific, the Arctic, and the Hudson Bay. It is the headwaters of the great river of the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia. The Saskatchewan River just to the south near Parker Ridge is the headwaters of the Saskatchewan River, which itself is the primary inflow of Lake Winnipeg and thus the main source of the Nelson River, which flows into the Hudson Bay. The Athabasca Glacier is the source of the Athabasca Glacier, which feeds into Lake Athabasca and is part of the larger Mackenzie River watershed, the second largest watershed in North America that drains much of northern Canada into the Arctic Ocean.

Athabasca Glacier and Mount Andromeda

The large parking lot of the Icefield Centre and the Icefield Chalet lay directly below the ridge. Across the Icefields Parkway, the green waters of Sunwapta Lake sparkled in the sunlight. I first visited the Athabasca Glacier in 2001 on a trip with my family; we did many of the touristy activities at the glacier on that visit. I returned, briefly, in 2011, before this most recent visit. Through the three visits, the glacier had visibly retreated. At the start of the 20th century, the Athabasca Glacier flowed all the way to the foot of Wilcox Ridge. It has since retreated a mile up the valley, thinning out as winter snows continuously failed to replenish the existing ice. The impact of a changing climate was obvious here; it was sad to see such a mighty river of ice beat such a constant retreat over time.

Looking south across Sunwapta Pass along the Icefields Parkway

The views at Wilcox Ridge were stunning and required only a moderate effot to reach, making this an excellent hike even though the trail doesn't wander too far from the Icefields Parkway and the civilization of the Icefield Centre. I highly recommend this hike as a way to experience the Canadian Rockies' most famous river of ice, the ultra-touristy but still dazzling Athabasca Glacier.

Iceline-Little Yoho Loop

The President and Vice President rise over the Emerald Glacier

12 miles loop, 2800 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate-strenuous
Access: Paved road to trailhead (no trailers/RVs), Canadian National Parks pass required

With a name like "Iceline," it's no surprise that this hike delivers an intimate look at the glaciers of Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies. This loop hike, a popular excursion in the Canadian Rockies, offers sweeping views of the Waputik and Wapta Icefields, a close up look at the Emerald Glacier, and a chance to see two of the many wonderous waterfalls of Yoho Valley. The early part of the loop visits the barren alpine terrain high up in the President Range while the later part of the loop descends through idyllic Little Yoho Valley and past the roaring waters of Laughing Falls. While the Iceline, in my opinion, doesn't measure up to the scenery at nearby Lake O'Hara, it still makes an excellent hike and a good way to experience this compact but extremely beautiful national park.

I hiked the loop during a weekend trip to the Canadian Rockies in which I spent a day in each of the four main parks; the Iceline-Little Yoho Loop was my hike of choice for Yoho National Park. I spent some time deciding whether to hike the Iceline Trail or to revisit the Lake O'Hara area, which I had visited about 8 years earlier; while Lake O'Hara's larches seemed enticing, I ultimately chose the Iceline Trail to spend some more time with the glaciers in the Rockies before climate change shrinks them any further.

To reach the trailhead from Banff, I took Highway 1 (the Transcanada Highway) west from Banff, following it past Lake Louise and across Kicking Horse Pass into Yoho National Park and British Columbia. Once in Yoho, I turned right at the junction with the Yoho Valley Road and followed that road to its end at the Takakkaw Falls trailhead. The Yoho Valley Road has a few extremely sharp switchbacks, which makes the road inappropriate for RVs or cars with trailers. While the Iceline Trail starts at the Whiskey Jack Hostel, there is limited parking at the hostel and thus it is better to park at Takakkaw Falls.

From the trailhead, I followed the paved trail south along the Yoho River towards Takakkaw Falls. The falls- which, at 300 meters tall (about 1000 feet), are one of the taller waterfalls in Canada- are a magnificent sight, especially in spring and summer when the flow of the waterfall is heavy. Here, free-falling water appears to momentarily enter a state of suspended animation, hanging in the air briefly before gracefully diving to the earth. The falls were visible from the trailhead, although views improved as I hiked along the river. Soon, the trail towards Whiskey Jack broke off from the main Takakkaw Falls Trail, which crossed a bridge over the Yoho River to continue towards the base of the falls.

Takakkaw Falls

I followed the path towards the Whiskey Jack Hostel. This trail followed the flat bottom of the valley a little further before crossing a bridge over a small creek and coming to the Yoho Valley Road. Across the road, the trail came to the Whiskey Jack Hostel, where I found the trailhead for the Iceline Trail.

Yoho Valley near Whiskey Jack Hostel

There was a maze of trails emanating out from Whiskey Jack Hostel: paths headed out towards Hidden Lake, Yoho Lake, and the Iceline. At the frequent trail junctions early in the hike, I would bear right each time to stay on the track towards the Iceline Trail. The trail made a stiff ascent through the forest, initially with very few views, but after about two kilometers of hiking uphill, the trail began to emerge into the alpine. Views of Yoho Valley were impressive, with the peaks of the Continental Divide coming into view behind the high cliffs at Takakkaw Falls.

Takakkaw Falls drops into the Yoho Valley

Looking to the south, views were a bit hazy due to ongoing forest fires in the Rockies, but I could still make out the forms of Cathedral Mountain and Mt. Stephen across the Kicking Horse Valley.

Morning light on the Iceline Trail

Once in the alpine, the trail continued to ascend steadily, although wide views made this stretch of the ascent much more bearable. The trail climbed towards progressively higher and higher ledges until, a little over two miles from the trailhead, it finally broke out onto a broad bench 2000 feet above the valley floor that held the icy tentacles of the Emerald Glacier. The commanding east face of the President Range rose directly from the glacier.

Emerald Glacier and the President

The next two miles of trail were spectacular. The Emerald Glacier served as a constant companion to the west as the trail navigated through the rough, rocky landscape, ascending and descending knolls and moraines and passing a number of small tarns. Hints of fresh snow clung to the high ledges of the President Range.

Two lobes of the Emerald Glacier

The view away from the ridge was equally as impressive. To the north, the Yoho Glacier flowed out from the Wapta Icefield, feeding the Yoho River. To the east, the Daly Glacier flowed down from the Waputik Icefield, with meltwater from that glacier then plunging into Yoho Valley in the form of Takakkaw Falls. Mt. Balfour, Mont des Poilus, and Mount Daly were notable peaks along the horizon.

Yoho Glacier

The Daly Glacier flows from the Waputik Icefield, feeding the high drop of Takakkaw Falls

The effects of climate change were quite obvious along the Iceline Trail. The trail is a fairly new addition to the trail system of Yoho National Park, replacing earlier Highline and Skyline Trails by following an even higher route opened up by the retreat of the Emerald Glacier. The most spectacular stretch of the hike traverses terrain and moraines only accessible due to the loss of glacial ice in Yoho Park.

Emerald Glacier

The Iceline climbed steadily but continuously as it traced the flanks of the President Range. It was a delightful experience to hike for an extended time in such open terrain with consistent sweeping views. Short spur trails leading to the local summits of moraines provided even better vantage points of the Emerald Glacier and the Yoho Valley.

Iceline views over Yoho Valley

As the trail ascended further, Takakkaw Falls gradually disappeared from view, although the Waputik and Wapta Icefields remained visible in their high perches along the Continental Divide.

Daly Glacier and Takakkaw Falls

I came to a junction with the Celeste Lake Trail at a pretty, emerald-colored tarn. Here, the Celeste Lake Trail broke off to the right, descending past Celeste Lake to meet the Little Yoho Valley Trail. This offered an option to cut short the hike by a few kilometers, but I chose to continue along the Iceline Trail towards the Iceline summit.

I passed a second, larger tarn and soon found myself hiking parallel to a cleanly deposited terminal moraine of the Emerald Glacier. The tarns were a stark contrast to the barren landscape only recently relinquished by the ice.

Two tarns along the Iceline Trail

Past the tarns, I made a final push uphill to reach the Iceline summit at four miles from the trailhead. From the saddle high point on the main trail, I took a spur trail to the right that led to the top of a small knoll, where I had a sweeping view of multiple lobes of the Emerald Glacier and of Yoho Valley. From here, it was easy to spot a distinctive recent moraine left behind by the retreating Emerald Glacier. I took a long lunch break here to appreciate the panoramic views.

Emerald Glacier with a clearly defined terminal moraine

Leaving the Iceline Summit, I followed the trail as it began to descend. As the trail wrapped towards the northwest around the President Range, an additional lobe of the Emerald Glacier appeared, nestled at the foot of the President and Vice President. Below the glacier was a tarn, the largest of the many along the Iceline. Smaller tarns were visible close to the treeline downslope of the trail.

Iceline Trail

The trail cut through land that was likely covered by the Emerald Glacier until the past few decades. Views of the glacier and of the President Glacier here were excellent and persisted until the trail rounded a moraine and began tracking towards the west.

President, Vice President, and the Emerald Glacier

After rounding the moraine, the most spectacular stretch of the Iceline concluded. Here, the trail descended back into meadows and open forests. The moraine lay to the left (south) of the trail, blocking out most views of the President Range. Remnant seedpods of western anemone dotted the meadows along the trail.

Iceline Trail through the meadows above Little Yoho Valley

The four kilometer stretch of trail between the Iceline Summit and Little Yoho Valley was mainly pleasant descent. Once the Iceline Trail was back in the forest, the views diminished but didn't go away entirely: at points, I was able to see across Little Yoho Valley to nearby glaciated peaks. The trail descended around a large rockpile that was perhaps the result of some mass wasting event before arriving at the bottom of the valley.

Massive rockpile on the descent into Little Yoho Valley

As the trail descended gently, the form of the ACC Hut in Little Yoho Valley appeared through the trees. Upon finally reaching the valley, the trail crossed the broad riverside meadows, using a series of small bridges to cross the Little Yoho River. The view of the Little Yoho River meandering through the valley beneath Rocky Mountain peaks was extremely idyllic.

Little Yoho Valley

An Alpine Club of Canada Hut and a warden cabin marked the junction between the Little Yoho Valley Trail and the Iceline Trail. The trail to the left (west) led towards alpine Kiwetinok Pass; the trail to the right led east back towards Yoho Valley. I ate a second lunch on the large picnic table outside the ACC Stanley Mitchell Hut, enjoying views of the President Range and chatting a bit with a couple who were visiting from Switzerland.

ACC Hut and Warden Cabin in Little Yoho Valley

As it was getting late in the day and I was only slightly over halfway through the hike, I decided to pick up the pace for the rest of the hike. I made a quick pace along the three kilometers of trail from the Stanley Mitchell Hut down to the junction of the Celeste Lake Trail. Occasional nice views of the President Range popped up to the south, especially early in the descent while the trail stayed close to the Little Yoho River in Little Yoho Valley. After the trail began descending out of the valley, views evaporated and the forest closed in.

The President and the Emerald Glacier above Yoho Valley

At the junction with the Celeste Lake Trail, instead of continuing directly onwards down the Little Yoho Valley Trail to Laughing Falls, I took a brief downhill detour to a bridge on the Celeste Lake Trail that spanned the Little Yoho River. From this bridge, there was a pretty view looking upstream to the President and Vice President rising over the Little Yoho River. After enjoying the view, I returned to the Little Yoho Valley Trail to continue the descent.

The Presidential Range rises over the Little Yoho River

After passing the junction with the Celeste Lake Trail, the trail began to descend in earnest. Cutting downhill through the forest via switchbacks, the trail passed another junction with the Marpole Lake Trail about a half mile after the Celeste Lake Trail junction; here, I once again stayed on the Little Yoho Valley Trail to head towards Laughing Falls and the Takakkaw Falls Trailhead. A final mile of descent down switchbacks brought me to the bottom of the Yoho Valley. At the junction of the Little Yoho Valley Trail with the main Yoho Valley/Twin Falls Trail, the roar of Laughing Falls was audible. After turning right and heading south on the Twin Falls Trail, Laughing Falls itself came into sight. While Laughing Falls is not the tallest waterfall in the park, it is still an extremely beautiful one: here, the Little Yoho River explodes down a cliff face, plunging out of a narrow canyon above for its final drop before meeting the Yoho River.

Laughing Falls on the Little Yoho River

Nearby Laughing Falls Campground was located next to the Yoho River itself. I wandered into the campground down to the river and took a break from walking by enjoying views of the distant Yoho Glacier and skipping rocks in the milky waters of the river.

Yoho River with Yoho Glacier in the distance

Leaving the campground, I began to follow the Yoho Valley Trail for the final 4 kilometers back towards the trailhead at Takakkaw Falls. The trail crossed a bridge over the Little Yoho River and then delved into the forest, keeping the Yoho River in earshot and occasionally in sight. This section of trail was fairly uneventful with the exception of a few spots where the river cut narrow, rocky gorges. About a half mile out from Laughing Falls, I passed a spur trail leading to Lake Duchesnay, which I skipped.

Yoho River

The trail descended a bit to reach the bottom of the valley, where two side trails branched off to Angel's Staircase Falls and Point Lace Falls. I took both of the side trails and found both waterfalls to be a bit underwhelming, but I came late in the season so it's possible that at peak flow the falls might be more impressive. From this junction onward, the last two kilometers of the trail were broad and flat, making for very easy hiking.

Just a few hundred yards before reaching the trailhead, the trail entered a wide clearing- perhaps a former avalanche chute- with some final views of the nearby peaks. Mount Stephen and Cathedral Peak rose ahead to the south, while the Yoho Glacier was still visible to the north.

Yoho Valley

Takakkaw Falls also came into view, indicating that the hike was almost over. After 20 kilometers of hiking, the sound of the falls and the knowledge that my car was nearby was music to my ears. After passing the clearing, the trail meandered through the Takakkaw Falls campground and then arrived back at the trailhead.

Takakkaw Falls at the end of the loop

The Iceline is a good hike, though I'm not sure I would place it at the top of the list of hiking destinations in the Canadian Rockies. On this particular trip, in which I hiked Floe Lake, Wilcox Ridge, Larch Valley, and the Iceline, I found the Iceline to be the least exciting of those trails. Visitors who are limited on time will find better hikes; in Yoho National Park, I found the Lake O'Hara region to be a prefereable hiking destination to the Iceline. That said, the waterfalls and glacier views of the trail are excellent and will surely make an enjoyable experience for any hiker.