Tag: wilderness

Canada Hikes

Icefields Parkway, Banff and Jasper National Parks

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The Icefields Parkway winds through the Canadian Rockies, connecting Banff and Jasper National Parks. We stopped at many viewpoints and did several short hikes off this scenic road when we visited in September.

At Bow Summit we hiked up a trail about 15 minutes to get an excellent view of Peyto Lake.

Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake

Looking in the opposite direction from that same viewpoint, Peyto Creek beautifully squiggled across an alluvial fan before reaching the lake.

Peyto Lake inlet
Peyto Lake inlet

A group from a tour bus arrived at the Peyto Lake viewpoint shortly after us. They wasted no time taking hundreds of selfies. Five minutes later they were gone. It was pretty comical actually.

Our next short hike took us to Mistaya Canyon. Here the Mistaya River transitions from flowing through a valley into a deep gorge.

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Wyoming Hikes

Teton Crest Trail Day 5

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North Fork Cascade Canyon to String Lake Trailhead (11 miles)

We scrambled up onto a large boulder overlooking our campsite and ate breakfast. We packed the remaining food into our now almost empty bear can, just enough for our final day in this awesome backcountry.

Campsite in North Fork Cascade Canyon

Chris’s altitude headaches and fatigue from previous days were completely gone. He was thankful to be back to normal.

A storm loomed in the forecast, so we packed up a little earlier than usual. We wanted to make sure to cross Paintbrush Divide, our high point for the day, before the storm broke loose. Marmots basked in the sunlight as we set off.

Marmot

Lake Solitude, though early in our day’s walk, was so nice that we opted to stop and and enjoy the view for a while. The water was clear enough to watch fish moving in its depths.

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Wyoming Hikes

Teton Crest Trail Day 3

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Death Canyon Shelf to Sunset Lake (4 miles)

The sun hit our tent. We quickly woke and crawled out, eager to see the light pour into the canyon below us.

Chris stretching on Death Canyon Shelf

It’s not every day you wake up on the edge of a canyon. We drank in the view, then went back in the tent and enjoyed our honeymoon suite.

Campsite on Death Canyon Shelf
Campsite on Death Canyon Shelf

It was a hard campsite to leave, but we did have a few miles to cover. We ate breakfast, packed up, and started walking.

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