LakeO’HaraAlpineCircuitFullCircuit:WiwaxyGap–HuberLedges–YuknessLedges–AllSouls’Prospect–GrandviewProspectTheAlpineCircuitatLakeO’HaraisboastedbymanytobethemostimpressivedayhikeintheCanadianRockies.ThebeautyoftheAlpineCircuitistheopportunityitoffersforhikerstocompleteitinsmallsections,linkingasfeworasmanylegsastheirheartandlungsdesire.Althoughthecircuitcanbehikedineitherdirection,hereitisdescribedclockwise.

Warning:Thealpineroutes,whilespectacular,arealsomuchmorechallenginganddifficultthanthelowertrails,andarerecommendedforexperiencedhikersonly.Theroutescrossrockyterrain,haveperiodic

exposuretoheights,andaresometimeshardtofollow.Somescramblinginvolvinghandsmayberequired.Hikingthesetrailsduringinclementconditionssuchasrain,snow,andsleetwillsignificantlyincreaseanychallenges.Blueandyellowpaintedtrailmarkersmarkthesetrails.

ExposureandsnowyconditionsonWiwaxyGap/HuberLedgesTrail.

WiwaxyGap

Hikingtime:1.5to2hoursLength:1.5kmElevationGain:495mThesteepgrindtoWiwaxy(wi-WAX-ee)Gapmayleaveyourheartpumping,butitwillalsoleaveyoureyespoppingatthestunningviews.Don’tforgettotaketheoccasionalmomenttoturnaroundandadmirethesights.Bekindtoyourkneesandhikeupthisroute,notdownit.ToaccessWiwaxyGapAlpineRoute,startattheWarden’sCabinontheLakeshoreTrail,andheadtotheleft(north)asyouarefacingthelake.Turnleft(northeast)atthetrailjunction0.2kmaftercrossingthebridgeovertheoutletstream.Aseriesofswitchbacksfindsyouquicklygainingelevationbeforetraversingthroughthetreesunderasmallcliff.Onceabovethecliff,youcomeacrossahugetree,whichisaperfectreststop.Theroutethenclimbsuptheslope,crossingacoupleofstreambedsbeforeeventuallybreakingoutontoaheather-andscree-coveredslopejustbelowthegap.Acouplemoreswitchbacksandyouwillarriveatyourdestination,withwonderfulviewsinalldirections.

HuberLedgesHikingtime:WiwaxyGaptoLakeOesa–50min.Length:1.7kmElevationLoss:260mThehikefromWiwaxyGaptoLakeOesaviaHuberLedgesAlpineRouteprovidesmoreastoundingviewsoftheincomparableLakeO’Haralandscape.Allfouralpinelakesinthehangingvalleyliebeneathyou.Mountaingoatscanoftenbespottedlazingonthegrass-coveredpatchesthatpeppertheslopesofMt.Huber.

AsyougazedownatLakeO’HarafromWiwaxyGap,headtotheleft(east)andfollowthesometimes-indistinctrouteasitslopesgraduallydowntowardLakeOesa.Keepyoureyespeeledforthealpineroutemarkersthatwillguideyou.Shortlybeforereachingthelake,youcometoajunction.Turnright(south)here,andabout100metreslater,youwilljointhetrailcomingupfromLakeO’Hara.Left(southeast)willtakeyoutotheshoreofLakeOesa.

AlpineRouteMarkers(orangeandredareold,blueandyellowarenew)

YuknessLedges

Hikingtime:LakeOesatoHungabeeLakeonOpabinPlateau:1.25to1.5hoursLength:2.2kmVerticalelevationgain:50mThisisarelativelyflatroute,gainingonly50verticalmetresaboveLakeOesabeforedescendingtoHungabeeLakeviaYukness(YUKE-ness)Ledges.However,don’tbelulledintoafalsesenseofsecurity,astheroutehasafairamountofexposureonceyoupasstheVictoriaLakeCut-off.Thereafter,YuknessLedgesofferspellbindinganduninterruptedviewsacrosstoMountOdarayandbeyondDuchesnayBasin.FromLakeOesa,followthetrailtotheright(south),acrosstheopenslabsthatformtheshorelineofLakeOesauntilyougettothelake’soutletstream.Walktotheright(west)ontheledgeabovethestreamforashortdistancebeforedescendingtothestreamandcrossingit.YuknessLedgesAlpineRoutebeginshere.TherouteheadsstraightacrossthelowerscreeslopesofYuknessPeakandcontinuesacrossaseriesoflargeslabsbeforeenteringalandscapepunctuatedbybrokenboulders.Besuretofollowtherouteasittakesaquickright(north)anddescendsforashortdistance.Manypeoplehavegottenofftrackhere,mistakenlygoingstraightand

findingthemselvesperchedonaledgehighabovetheroute,tryingtofigureouthowtorejoinit.YousoonreachthejunctionwithVictoriaLakeCut-off.YuknessLedgesrouteturnsleft(west)here.Continuingstraight(north)offersashortcutbacktoVictoriaLakeanddowntoLakeO’Hara.TheroutemeandersalongarockybenchoverlookingYuknessLakebeforetraversingashortscreeslope.Youthendescendforashortdistancebeforeregainingelevationandroundingacornertoheadsouth.TheroutecontinuesintheshadowofalargecliffbeforeenteringatalusslopeandfinallydescendingtoHungabeeLakeonOpabinPlateau.TocontinueontheAlpineCircuit,crossOpabinPlateautoWestOpabinTrail,thencontinueonAllSouls’ProspectAlpineRoute.

AllSoul’sProspectHikingtime:WestOpabinTrailtoAllSoul’sProspect–45minutesto1hour,AllSouls’ProspecttoSchafferLake–30to60minutesLength:2kmfromWestOpabinTrailtoSchafferLakeElevationgain:245m

AllSoul’sProspectAlpineRoutestartsataclearlymarkedjunctionwithWestOpabinTrail,crossingasmallstreambeforeclimbingthroughaseriesoflargerocksandsmallcliffs.Afterlevelingoff,theroutemeandersbesideaseriesoflargerockslabscriss-crossedbytheflowingwaterofanearbystream.TommyLink,anearlyvisitortotheareawhohelpedconstructmanyofthetrails,calledthisplacethe“HangingGardensofBabylon”forthelittleoutcroppingsofplantsandmossthatgrowbesidethestream.TheroutethenrisesontothelowerscreeslopesofMountSchaffer,continuingtowhatseemslikethetopoftheworld-AllSouls’Prospect.TodescendfromAllSouls’toSchafferLake,youmustheadnorthwesterlyofftheprospect:asyoufaceLakeO’Hara,theroutedescendsslightlytotheleft.Donotheaddownthegully,whichisfarthertoyourleft.Theroutebecomesobviousonceyoubegintodescend.WhenyoureachthejunctionwithBigLarchesTrail,thecircuitcontinuestotheleft(southwest)towardSchafferLakeandLakeMcArthur.(Thetrailtotheright(northeast)leadsdownBigLarchesTrailtotheDayShelter.)

OdarayHighlinetoOdarayGrandviewProspect

Hikingtime:McArthurPasstoOdarayGrandviewProspect:1to1.25hoursLength:2.5kmfromMcArthurPassElevationgain:315mfromMcArthurPassTogettoMcArthurPass,seetraildescriptionunderLakeMcArthurviaSchafferLake.

InordertolimitdisturbancetothewildlifethatusetheMcArthurPassareaasamovementcorridor,ParksCanadarestrictsthenumberofhikingpartiesthattraveltheOdarayHighlineAlpineRoute.Checkthesign-inbookatMcArthurPasstoassesswhetheryourgroupshouldcontinueornot.Pleaserespecttheserestrictionssothatfuturevisitorscanusethisarea.

AlthoughtheobjectiveofthistripisusuallyGrandviewProspect,thehikealongOdarayHighlinehasitsownspectacularrewards.Slopescarpetedwithmountainheatherandalpineflowersmakethistriptrulyunique.OdarayHighlineAlpineRouteleavesthekioskatMcArthurPassandmeandersalongsideanalpinemeadowbeforebrieflyenteringtheforestandemergingintoadrawatthebaseofMountOdaray.

ContinuealongOdarayHighlineuntilyoureachitsterminus,indicatedbythetrailclosuresigns.Turnleft(west)upthehillontoOdarayGrandviewProspectroute.Youwillsoonreachthebaseofacliff.Continuetoascendbesidethecliff,whereyouworkyourwaythroughaseriesofrockstepsbeforeemergingontoabroadplateau.Fromhere,the270-degreeviewtakesinalmostallofLakeO’Hara’snumerouslakes.