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travel / great places / cg recommends / yoho
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Hiking in Yoho National Park
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Jasper poses by Yoho's Lake O'Hara. Rustic cabin accomodations lie in the tiny clearing above the lake. |
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Two cozy log cabins in the middle of a mountain meadow were our base
camp during a visit to Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park last summer.
The cabins
are part of a network of shelters operated by the Alpine Club of Canada
and used by hikers. You pack the food and a sleeping bag and, for a
modest fee, they provide bunks, a stove, water and fuel.
Trailing my son, Jasper, who believes he is part of the natural fauna
of the Rockies, I spent three days hiking up scree slopes, skirting
glaciers, hugging cliffwalls and even plunging into a turquoise-coloured
lake. We ventured as high as the lake visible on page 97 of the March/April
1999 issue of Canadian Geographic (Final frame). From there,
we gazed up toward the Continental Divide, which forms the boundary
between Alberta and British Columbia. Mindful of the time and the long
slog back to our bunks, we reluctantly turned back. We decided to save
that stretch for another visit.
Lake O'Hara's hiking trails are spectacular beyond words. Leaving,
I felt we were descending from the clouds. If you go, book well in advance.
You can call Yoho National Park for more information.
Canadian Geographic Editor, Rick Boychuk
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