GROUP 1
Updated February 28, 2020
Departure: TBA
Bus Number: TBA
Return: TBA
Departure: TBA
Bus Number: TBA
Return: TBA
LAKE O'HARA PLANNING ITINERARY: SUBJECT TO CHANGES - YOUR CHAPERONE WILL CONFIRM ALL ROUTES
Lake O’hara/Takakkaw Falls - Group 1
Day 1 - Sunday: Meet your group in the OKM parking lot bright and early to board your assigned bus. Gear will be stored in chaperone support vehicles and you will only need your jacket and bagged lunch on the bus. First stop will be a bathroom break in Sicamous. From there we will travel to the Roger’s Pass Visitor Information Center for a safety presentation. From here it is approximately 4 hours to the Lake O'Hara parking area and you will need to be there to catch a 4:30 pm bus (BC Time / 5:30 Alberta Time). Remember you must arrive at the parking lot in time to get organized as the Lake O'Hara Bus waits for nobody. There is also a 3:30 bus that you can try to sneak onto if you are there early and there is room! You will get a return token for your bus ride home, chaperones should collect and keep these until they are needed. Go to the Lake O' Hara campground and set up camp. You can explore Lake O'hara that night. Walk around the Lake and familiarize yourself with the campground and rules.
Day 2 - Monday: Hike the 'circuit' to Opabin Plateau and Opabin Lake via Mary Lake Loop and then to west Opabin. From Opabin Lake hike to Lake Oesa via Yukness Ledges if there's no snow and conditions are safe. From Oesa hike the Huber Ledges to Wiwaxy Gap and descend to Lake O'Hara and return to the Lake O'Hara Campground. This is a fairly long day; each person should have a day pack with lunch, water (water filter), snacks and clothing for weather changes. Be aware that there is another group from OKM staying in the campground, be respectful of other users of the area -- do not allow groups to congregate.
Day 3 - Tuesday: Pack a lunch and go for a day hike to McArthur Lake via Schaffer Lake. The Odaray Highline trail to Odaray Grandview may be open [look for signage], or ask at the Le Relais Day Use Shelter, (by the Warden's cabin on the O'Hara access road), if you are considering using this trail. Please remember the small group size rule in the O'Hara area and avoid mixing with the other group in the area.
Day 4 - Wednesday: Up early enough to have breakfast, clean up the campground and meet the 9:30 a.m. bus down to the parking lot. You will need the tokens given to you on day 1 when you first got on the bus. You will have a quick rendez-vous with groups 3 & 4. You will load up your support vehicle and students will get on the school district bus to Takakkaw Falls for departures up the Yoho Valley. Organize your packs for the next couple days, take only what you will need, the rest can stay in your support vehicle. From Takakkaw Falls Campground you hike to Lower Twin Falls Campground, approximately 6.7 km/250 m elevation gain and 2.5 - 3hrs.
Day 5 - Thursday: Hike to Little Yoho Campground via the Whaleback Trail and the Little Yoho Valley trail - appx. 10.9 km/550 m elevation gain. The bridge at Twin Falls is normally still in at this time in September, you could check to make sure it is at the Yoho visitor center in Field before you come up. If the bridge is out, go well up stream to a safe spot to ford the creek. After you meet the Little Yoho trail, turn right and ascend to the Little Yoho Campground. You will be camping here for the night.
Day 6 - Friday: Hike out to meet your bus at Takkakaw, via the Ice-Line trail which leads across the valley from the Stanley Mitchell Hut and the Little Yoho Campground. This will be a fairly long day, but provides some spectacular views. The Iceline is a long route, appx. 10.2 km, so get going early so you can make your bus time! You will be meeting your bus at Takakkaw Falls campground.
We will rendezvous at Roger’s Pass Monument (Time TBA) with all the other groups. A group picture will be taken here. Then we will proceed to Revelstoke for a lunch break at the fast food strip on the left-hand side of the highway at the main intersection.
Let your parents know once you have an idea when you will be home so they can arrange for you to be picked up (usually around dinner time).
Lake O’hara/Takakkaw Falls - Group 1
Day 1 - Sunday: Meet your group in the OKM parking lot bright and early to board your assigned bus. Gear will be stored in chaperone support vehicles and you will only need your jacket and bagged lunch on the bus. First stop will be a bathroom break in Sicamous. From there we will travel to the Roger’s Pass Visitor Information Center for a safety presentation. From here it is approximately 4 hours to the Lake O'Hara parking area and you will need to be there to catch a 4:30 pm bus (BC Time / 5:30 Alberta Time). Remember you must arrive at the parking lot in time to get organized as the Lake O'Hara Bus waits for nobody. There is also a 3:30 bus that you can try to sneak onto if you are there early and there is room! You will get a return token for your bus ride home, chaperones should collect and keep these until they are needed. Go to the Lake O' Hara campground and set up camp. You can explore Lake O'hara that night. Walk around the Lake and familiarize yourself with the campground and rules.
Day 2 - Monday: Hike the 'circuit' to Opabin Plateau and Opabin Lake via Mary Lake Loop and then to west Opabin. From Opabin Lake hike to Lake Oesa via Yukness Ledges if there's no snow and conditions are safe. From Oesa hike the Huber Ledges to Wiwaxy Gap and descend to Lake O'Hara and return to the Lake O'Hara Campground. This is a fairly long day; each person should have a day pack with lunch, water (water filter), snacks and clothing for weather changes. Be aware that there is another group from OKM staying in the campground, be respectful of other users of the area -- do not allow groups to congregate.
Day 3 - Tuesday: Pack a lunch and go for a day hike to McArthur Lake via Schaffer Lake. The Odaray Highline trail to Odaray Grandview may be open [look for signage], or ask at the Le Relais Day Use Shelter, (by the Warden's cabin on the O'Hara access road), if you are considering using this trail. Please remember the small group size rule in the O'Hara area and avoid mixing with the other group in the area.
Day 4 - Wednesday: Up early enough to have breakfast, clean up the campground and meet the 9:30 a.m. bus down to the parking lot. You will need the tokens given to you on day 1 when you first got on the bus. You will have a quick rendez-vous with groups 3 & 4. You will load up your support vehicle and students will get on the school district bus to Takakkaw Falls for departures up the Yoho Valley. Organize your packs for the next couple days, take only what you will need, the rest can stay in your support vehicle. From Takakkaw Falls Campground you hike to Lower Twin Falls Campground, approximately 6.7 km/250 m elevation gain and 2.5 - 3hrs.
Day 5 - Thursday: Hike to Little Yoho Campground via the Whaleback Trail and the Little Yoho Valley trail - appx. 10.9 km/550 m elevation gain. The bridge at Twin Falls is normally still in at this time in September, you could check to make sure it is at the Yoho visitor center in Field before you come up. If the bridge is out, go well up stream to a safe spot to ford the creek. After you meet the Little Yoho trail, turn right and ascend to the Little Yoho Campground. You will be camping here for the night.
Day 6 - Friday: Hike out to meet your bus at Takkakaw, via the Ice-Line trail which leads across the valley from the Stanley Mitchell Hut and the Little Yoho Campground. This will be a fairly long day, but provides some spectacular views. The Iceline is a long route, appx. 10.2 km, so get going early so you can make your bus time! You will be meeting your bus at Takakkaw Falls campground.
We will rendezvous at Roger’s Pass Monument (Time TBA) with all the other groups. A group picture will be taken here. Then we will proceed to Revelstoke for a lunch break at the fast food strip on the left-hand side of the highway at the main intersection.
Let your parents know once you have an idea when you will be home so they can arrange for you to be picked up (usually around dinner time).