Cutthroat Pass / Methow Pass / Upper Snowy Lake

 August 15 - 16, 2020

Seven years ago Andy proposed to me during a backpacking trip through Cutthroat Pass. We decided to take a break from house work this summer to revisit and finish this hike. We took this trip seven years ago with a couple friends and it ended up being incredibly frightening for everyone (except for me (I've always wanted to be a storm chaser)) because there was a really bad/spectacular thunderstorm at night which ended up washing out trails and roads. Luckily we made it out safely, but had to take a 4.5 hour driving detour to get home due to mudslides covering the roadways. Because of the weather and other circumstances we ended up having to set up camp early at Granite Pass on that trip. The original plan was to camp at Upper Snowy Lake.

Which we did this time around!

Considering all the cars at the trailhead and on the shoulder of the highway I expected the trail to be crowded, but to our delight it was not at all. I think many people use the Cutthroat Pass trailhead as overflow parking for another hike directly across the highway. At 9:30 am we were able to find parking easily. The two toilets at the trailhead were open and clean. 

The gradual hike up to the Pass is for the most part shaded. There were several easy stream crossings. It had been a dry summer week so I had to stay a ways back from Andy otherwise I would literally be eating his dust.

We took a quick lunch break at Cutthroat Pass before moving on.

Cheesin'

After Cutthroat Pass the remainder of the hike was along the ridge which meant very little to no shade from the hot height of afternoon sun. I loved it. You can't beat the clear blue skies, differing terrain, and 360° views. You can't beat having the trail to yourself and getting glimpses of a chipmunk here and a pika there. 

Rocks on rocks on rocks

This hike reminded us of the importance of planning and having a good map. We're usually good at reading the trip reports, but this time we only skimmed a couple reports. We usually have a green trails map, but this time had a low-res print out which was pretty much useless. So, we paid the price and ended up hiking all the freaking way past Methow Pass. Luckily we ran into a couple who informed us that they, too, had missed the turn to Snowy Lakes and were backtracking. We turned back and let them know it was probably back another 30-45 minutes but they decided to do it their way. Not sure if they ended up making it because we didn't see them at the lake later that evening.

 

Hiked another 10 minutes past this sign until we realized we had overshot our destination

Andy had an idea where we may have missed the turn-off so we backtracked and he was right! Earlier we must have been distracted by the views and  people who had set up camp in a meadow. We must have been looking left the whole time and missed the unmarked bootpath to the right. Easy to miss.

After making the blazing hot climb to Methow Pass and then having to back track we weren't super stoked to have to make another climb up to Snowy Lakes, but we were happy to be on the right track. I remember the climb up was slooooow. Our legs were exhausted and we were hot and hungry. It's always a great feeling getting to the top, though. I love backpacking and its challenges.

Almost....there.....

Relieved that we made it. That's lower Snowy Lake behind me. 

There was one tent at lower Snowy Lake. I'd say there were about 8 tents at upper Snowy Lake where we ended up camping. We set up camp with a sweet view of Golden Horn and made our way to the lake to cool off and filter some water.

Andy's "Golden Horn"

We saw a marmot sunbathing on a hot rock and it reminded us of Mario. Too cute. 

There was still a lot of daylight left after setting up camp. We were exhausted but our tent was boiling hot and again, there was very little shade. Andy sucked it up and took a short nap in the tent. I hid behind the shadow of the tent and rested a bit. With my bug net and bug spray I was mostly protected from the annoying biting bugs. 

Still too bright and hot to sleep. We were exhausted and could barely keep our eyes open.

It's been a while since I've seen the night sky without any light pollution. We were able to keep our vestibules open all night so I found myself waking up a lot to look outside hoping to catch the tail end of the Perseid meteor shower. 

We hiked out with the sunrise illuminating the mountaintops and "just the tip" of Golden Horn.

Pine Lake

March 15, 2020

Really glad we decided to go on a hike as this weekend was just before the stay home order was issued. Feeling lazy, we didn't leave the house until 11am which ended up being a good thing because it seemed like most people got an early start and had left or were on their way out when we arrived at noon. We probably saw a dozen or so fellow hikers who were heading down and a bunch of well-behaved doggos off leash. This was a pretty standard in and out hike through the woods to a quiet lake. There's a great system of trails here but because we didn't prepare snacks and wanted something quick and easy, we only hiked to Pine Lake and saved Cedar Lake for another day.

Wide and well maintained trail

Toby's boots with the fur. He eventually figured out how to walk on the boardwalk to get to the lake.

Would be a great place to set up a hammock

Pine Lake

Stay safe and healthy out there!

Dam Mountain to Thunderbird Ridge at Grouse Mountain - Vancouver, BC

January 11, 2020

Andy surprised me with a birthday snowshoe trip up in Vancouver this year! It was the perfect combination of forest and city fun. Since we only had the weekend, instead of camping we stayed in a hotel with a very nice location and view.

Sweet view

Grouse Mountain was only a 20 minute drive from our hotel. The lots were packed by the time we arrived at 9 am on Saturday but there was still plenty of parking. It was a late start for us, but the gondola doesn't start for non-pass holders until just before 9 am so we took our time getting up there.

The staff at Grouse Mountain are very good at packing the gondola tight with people. It's a 5 minute ride up and they try to fit as many people as possible which made the line move relatively quickly. It felt like we got on after a 45 minute wait, but I wasn't timing.

Sardines

On our way up, Andy and I thought we heard the operator mention the snowshoe routes were closed. Indeed, when we asked the info people at the top they let us know the routes were closed because they did not pass avalanche testing. With not much else to do at the top of the mountain we headed back down to try to get a refund. Instead, we got good news that the routes had opened so we were issued new tickets to go back up (this time there was no line!).

Most of the people going up Grouse Mountain were skiers so we basically had the snowshoe routes all to ourselves. We ran in to a handful of people but most of the time we were alone in the quiet forest.

The day was dry and cloudy. Blue skies were peeking out here and there.

We chatted with a couple that had already made it to the top of Dam Mountain. The clouds didn't look like they were going to give us a glimpse of the city so they headed back down. Andy and I stayed at the top anyways which paid off because the clouds rolled away enough for us to see the city and some of the sound!

Me be 33. You can kind of see the city and sound behind me.

Instead of heading out the way we came up, we decided to continue on the path forward which made a small loop. We came to a fork in the trail and got a tip that it led to Thunderbird Ridge. I love my ridge hikes so we took a left and continued towards the ridge to the top.

Path up to the ridge. Do you see Andy?

I think the views would have also been spectacular here, but the clouds weren't budging. We took a few pictures, had a quick snack, and headed back down.

Thunderbird Ridge

Going down was the fun part. The snow was packed in some areas and powdery in others. It's a blast sliding down on snowshoes. Of course we fell a few times.

Whee!!

It was a good time up on the mountain and we ended with apres beers at the lodge!

Lake Louise / Plain of Six Glaciers / Lake Agnes - Banff, AB

September 25, 2019

When Andy told me we were hiking up to potentially two teahouses in the mountains I was, at first, skeptical. I suspected we'd probably see a whole bunch of people because it sounded like a cute little spot near two lakes that are hugely popular on social media. I was also worried that it wouldn't be a very challenging hike because of it's popularity and I really wanted to burn a bunch of calories so I could earn my fondue dinner at The Grizzly House in town that night.

At the ranger station where we paid for our park pass after getting a parking ticket, the ranger recommended we get to the lake early to secure a parking spot. She told us the Lake Moraine parking lot typically fills up by 6am every day. Since Lake Louise is just down a ways from that lot, we were paranoid and arrived at the Lake Louise parking lot by 6am. There was still quite a bit of parking when we arrived. Sign boards for Lake Moraine indicated the upper lot was already full. We'll have to visit that lake another time and would probably take the shuttle.

The Lake Louise parking lot is paved and has a nice building with restrooms open to the public. Armed with our headlamps and bear spray, we found our way to the lake. It's a super short walk from the parking lot and I think a lot of people just go to take photos of the lake then leave, but what a shame to miss the incredible hikes past the lake! I bet it was beautiful during sunrise, but we didn't have time to wait for light if we wanted to be the first on the trail (hence the bear spray) and first to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse.

Just before sunrise at the lake. Attempted picture with phone in low light, which turned out alright!

The trails are straightforward and good leg burners. Plenty of signs to lead every which way. We were headed straight to the top, but kept looking back at the beautiful view. With the sun rising and with each gain in elevation, Lake Louise became smaller and more turquoise in color. A couple early hikers were catching up with us, so we picked up the pace.

Looking back on the way up

After a few switchbacks we made it to a rest area with a couple picnic tables and an info board with an image labeling glaciers and points of interest as seen from the courtyard. From the courtyard there were several paths - one to the toilets, a path to continue to the Plain of Six Glaciers Lookout, and a path to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. We made good time and since the teahouse didn't open until 9am, we hung out in the courtyard until then.

At 8:45am we walked up the path to the teahouse and seated ourselves on the ground floor.

Eagerly awaiting hot bev and scone.

We realized the balcony was open, so we re-seated ourselves upstairs for an even nicer view. The teahouse is cash only with a simple but sufficient menu. As we were one of the three couples on the balcony, service was quick and friendly. Andy and I had tea (cream of earl grey and truffle hazelnut from Banff Ave Tea Co.) and tender house-made scones served with butter and jam. Everything is made in the cabin or trekked up by the women who work there. They work 5 day rotations and all materials and trash are backpacked in/out.

"I am Bea. I drink tea. Won't you dance around with me?"

With our bellies full of hot tea, we left the teahouse and continued our hike to the top of the Plain of Six Glaciers.

It was very windy and cold the farther up we went

Of course my photo photos will not do this place justice. We were but tiny humans and a lot higher up than it appears in these pictures which makes the area look flat. From here it was also evident how much of the glaciers had receded over time :(

That deep gorge between Mt. Victoria and Mt. Lefroy is known as "The Deathtrap"

At 9598', Abbott Pass Hut is the 2nd highest permanent structure in all of Canada (just below red arrow).

We headed back down the trail after taking pictures and getting smacked around by the wind. Doing good on time we decided to make it a longer hike and took a detour to the second more popular teahouse at Lake Agnes. From Lake Louise it's a quicker and easier hike than making the trek to Plain of Six Glaciers, but it's not nearly as quaint and it was very crowded when we arrived. However, there is a lot of seating both indoors and out. We did not stop for more tea but enjoyed some time at the lake.

Andy is a good model. Here, we are close to the bottom flight of stairs to Lake Agnes Teahouse.

Lake Agnes Teahouse

Lake Agnes and larches. Windy day and choppy water.

The hike back down was easy breezy. We took a different route through the forest. It was cool to see the turquoise water through the trees.

Lake Louise peaking through the trees.

On the way down we passed by a small lake or pond and a few people on horseback. Back at Lake Louise the area was swarming with people relaxing, taking pictures, or taking a stroll. What a pretty place.

Lake Bourgeau - Banff, AB

September 24, 2019

There's really no better way to celebrate the end of Summer and the first week of Autumn than a week camping in Banff. I'd never been - only seen pictures and heard stories of this magical place.

But boy, was this the week to be there. The weather was perfect (warm days in town with snow at higher elevations and cold nights in our toasty tent) and there were few crowds, if any. We were only one of maybe five tent campers at Tunnel Mountain Campground II which, by the way, is like a car camping hotel. Free warm showers, flushing toilets, sinks for washing dishes, and clean. Soooo clean.

With only two days planned for hiking, it was difficult to choose which two to do! We decided our first hike would be to Lake Bourgeau (~11mi RT) with the possibility of climbing up to Harvey Pass depending on weather. Conveniently Lake Bourgeau trailhead is just off Hwy 1 about 20 minutes from camp. We were the first to arrive at the trailhead, about 20 minutes before sunrise. There are two toilets and a small lot to park which should be paved now.

If you're familiar with Banff National Park there are fences, tunnels, and overpasses along the Trans-Canada Hwy to help animals cross the roads safely. Because Lake Bourgeau trailhead is just off the hwy, we had to enter the trail through a gate in to the Raptor Cage as Andy would say.

It was dark, so we waited for actual sunrise before heading in

I assume this trail is quite popular in the summer. It's very wide and well maintained. You really start gaining elevation towards the last half of the hike, but I enjoy the climb. There are a few stream crossings with the help of nicely built bridges, gabions, or by good old fashioned rock and log hopping.

 

In my opinion, Fall is the best time of year to hike. It's cooler out, less bugs, less people, and the colors are breathtaking.

#larchlover

Stepping stones on the path as Andy approaches the lake 

I packed several jackets for this hike - rain/wind jacket, insulated vest, fleece jacket, insulated jacket. I hiked up in my vest and fleece and peeled them off as needed. Once we arrived at the lake and stopped for lunch it got breezy and started snowing so I put on my insulated and rain jackets to stay toasty while we huddled between the rocks to eat and shelter us from the wind.

 

Brrr! Bundling up at the lake

Because of the clouds the color of the lake water was not as vibrant as it could've been. We had the whole place to ourselves, though.


Too windy to eat on the rock

Lake Bourgeau

Looking up, we could see that Harvey Pass was freshly dusted with snow. Not wanting to be the first to forge ahead on the slippery Pass, we decided to frolic around the lake a while longer before heading back down.

It was a while before we saw any one else on the trail. We ran into a dozen or so people while we hiked down. To me, it's always worth it to get up early and be the first to the top. It's a peacefulness that can be rare nowadays.