GROUP 3
Updated February 28, 2020
Departure: Sunday, September 20 early - 6:00 am appx.)
Bus Number: TBA
Return: Friday, September 25 (after dinner)
Departure: Sunday, September 20 early - 6:00 am appx.)
Bus Number: TBA
Return: Friday, September 25 (after dinner)
LAKE O'HARA PLANNING ITINERARY: SUBJECT TO CHANGES - YOUR CHAPERONE WILL CONFIRM ALL ROUTES
Lake O’hara/Takakkaw Falls - Group 3
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 be first dropping off Groups 1 & 2 there. Unfortunately this means you will be back tracking back to Takakkaw Falls after you drop them off. Travel to the Takakkaw Falls Campground with Group 4. On the Takakkaw Falls road the falls are in view and just before the campground parking lot. Your support vehicle will be a short distance from your campsite, there may be wheelbarrows available to transport gear to your site. After setting up your camp, take a leisurely walk to the falls and explore the surroundings. When you get back to camp, you will need to organize your gear for tomorrow's hike. You will staying in the Little Yoho Campground so you will need tents, clothing, sleeping bags/mats, meals and kitchen gear for the next two days.
Day 2 - Monday: Today you will hike into the Little Yoho Campground via the Little Yoho and Twin Falls Trail - appx. 10.2 km/545 m elevation gain. This is a big hike, so start early! Begin hiking on the Little Yoho Valley and Twin Falls trail (signed). You will pass the campground almost immediately. The trail is mostly level for about the first 4 km, and begins gaining elevation after passing Laughing Falls. At Laughing Falls you will come to a trail junction which leads to Twin Falls to the right, and the Little Yoho Valley to the left; keep left here, and hike up the switchbacks. There is another trail junction for Marpole Lake about half a kilometre before reaching the top of the Laughing Falls hill. Stay left on the trail which continues to climb the hill. Half a kilometre further, and pretty much at the top of the elevation gain, you will come to another junction indicating the Whaleback trail to your right, and the Little Yoho Valley to the left; go left here, and then to the right at the next junction which is less than 100 m further. In approximately another 3 km you will come to an open meadow and the Stanley Mitchell Hut and the Little Yoho Campground is just a short walk past the hut.
Day 3 - Tuesday: Today you will hike back down to Takakkaw Falls via the Iceline trail - appx. 10.2 km. This trail provides spectacular views of Takakkaw Falls and the glaciers beyond. This trail is more commonly used descending from the hut, making a great loop trail. Set up camp at Takakkaw Falls campground and have your things organized for the morning as you will need to depart early to the Lake O'Hara Parking lot.
Day 4 - Wednesday: Be up and packed early. 7:00 am (Alberta Time) Bus #2 will be waiting at Takakkaw Falls parking lot to transport Groups 3&4 to the Lake O’hara bus rendezvous. You are scheduled to be on the 8:30 bus up to Lake O’hara. Remember you must arrive at the parking lot in time to get organized as the Lake O'Hara Bus waits for nobody. When you board the bus, you will get a token for your return trip. Chaperones will collect and keep these tokens until you need them. Go to the Lake O' Hara campground and set up camp. Do this as quickly as you can so you can enjoy a hike today. Pack your lunch and hike up to McArthur Lake via Schaffer Lake - 8 km circuit/310 m elevation gail. The trail starts on the north side of the Le Relais shelter and you will pass the Elizabeth Parker Hut after a flat kilometer. You will then begin to climb to Schaffer Lake, then on to McArthur Lake. To change up the scenery on your return trip, you can take the Big Larch trail just after the Schaffer Creek bridge back to Le Relais.
Day 5 - Thursday: 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 6 - Friday: Get up early and catch the early bus 9:30 A.M., down to the Parking Lot. A school district bus will be waiting for you in the parking lot with groups 1 & 2 already on board. Pack your support vehicles, load your students.
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 3
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 be first dropping off Groups 1 & 2 there. Unfortunately this means you will be back tracking back to Takakkaw Falls after you drop them off. Travel to the Takakkaw Falls Campground with Group 4. On the Takakkaw Falls road the falls are in view and just before the campground parking lot. Your support vehicle will be a short distance from your campsite, there may be wheelbarrows available to transport gear to your site. After setting up your camp, take a leisurely walk to the falls and explore the surroundings. When you get back to camp, you will need to organize your gear for tomorrow's hike. You will staying in the Little Yoho Campground so you will need tents, clothing, sleeping bags/mats, meals and kitchen gear for the next two days.
Day 2 - Monday: Today you will hike into the Little Yoho Campground via the Little Yoho and Twin Falls Trail - appx. 10.2 km/545 m elevation gain. This is a big hike, so start early! Begin hiking on the Little Yoho Valley and Twin Falls trail (signed). You will pass the campground almost immediately. The trail is mostly level for about the first 4 km, and begins gaining elevation after passing Laughing Falls. At Laughing Falls you will come to a trail junction which leads to Twin Falls to the right, and the Little Yoho Valley to the left; keep left here, and hike up the switchbacks. There is another trail junction for Marpole Lake about half a kilometre before reaching the top of the Laughing Falls hill. Stay left on the trail which continues to climb the hill. Half a kilometre further, and pretty much at the top of the elevation gain, you will come to another junction indicating the Whaleback trail to your right, and the Little Yoho Valley to the left; go left here, and then to the right at the next junction which is less than 100 m further. In approximately another 3 km you will come to an open meadow and the Stanley Mitchell Hut and the Little Yoho Campground is just a short walk past the hut.
Day 3 - Tuesday: Today you will hike back down to Takakkaw Falls via the Iceline trail - appx. 10.2 km. This trail provides spectacular views of Takakkaw Falls and the glaciers beyond. This trail is more commonly used descending from the hut, making a great loop trail. Set up camp at Takakkaw Falls campground and have your things organized for the morning as you will need to depart early to the Lake O'Hara Parking lot.
Day 4 - Wednesday: Be up and packed early. 7:00 am (Alberta Time) Bus #2 will be waiting at Takakkaw Falls parking lot to transport Groups 3&4 to the Lake O’hara bus rendezvous. You are scheduled to be on the 8:30 bus up to Lake O’hara. Remember you must arrive at the parking lot in time to get organized as the Lake O'Hara Bus waits for nobody. When you board the bus, you will get a token for your return trip. Chaperones will collect and keep these tokens until you need them. Go to the Lake O' Hara campground and set up camp. Do this as quickly as you can so you can enjoy a hike today. Pack your lunch and hike up to McArthur Lake via Schaffer Lake - 8 km circuit/310 m elevation gail. The trail starts on the north side of the Le Relais shelter and you will pass the Elizabeth Parker Hut after a flat kilometer. You will then begin to climb to Schaffer Lake, then on to McArthur Lake. To change up the scenery on your return trip, you can take the Big Larch trail just after the Schaffer Creek bridge back to Le Relais.
Day 5 - Thursday: 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 6 - Friday: Get up early and catch the early bus 9:30 A.M., down to the Parking Lot. A school district bus will be waiting for you in the parking lot with groups 1 & 2 already on board. Pack your support vehicles, load your students.
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).