Mountain Hut Trips:
Yoho National Park

Little Yoho Valley: 4 days
Stanley Mitchell Hut

ITINERARY:

Pre-trip

An evening orientation meeting to introduce all group members, and to discuss trail options, check gear and to issue packs. rain gear, etc.

Day 1

Our trip begins in the morning when we leave Canmore to travel to the trailhead in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Our tour begins at the foot of Takakkaw Falls, the fourth highest waterfall in Canada. The trail will take us up the delightful Waterfall Valley, aptly named due to the number of waterfalls plunging from the hanging valleys above. We will then hike up the headwall to one of these hanging valleys where our cozy log hut awaits on the fringe of the tree line. The hut is located in an alpine meadow with great views of the glaciated President and Vice-president. We will be spending the next three nights in this idyllic setting.

Distance 9.5 km (6 miles)
Maximum Elevation 2072 m (6800 feet)

Day 2

After waking up amidst spectacular scenery and enjoying a hearty breakfast, we will leave the hut with light daypacks to explore the area. After retracing our steps to the Whaleback Junction, we will follow the trail’s several switchbacks to a viewpoint on a ridge that allows us 270 degrees of spectacular scenery. The vista here will allow us to view the entire Yoho drainage, all the way from its glacier to its confluence with the Kicking Horse River. The glaciated peaks in view here will no doubt keep our cameras busy! We descend to the top of Twin Falls, which is one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies but from this angle we watch the water catapult over the edge of the precipice. A short hike down one side, and we will be at the Twin Falls Chalet at the base of the falls. We will enjoy an almost too-good-to-be-true rest stop here, with tea and freshly baked scones with jam and, of course the spectacular waterfall as a backdrop. The Highline Trail will then return us to the Little Yoho Valley and the Stanley Mitchell Hut. This will have been a full and rewarding day. Those of us who do not fall immediately into bed after dinner, might wander out in front of the cabin to contemplate the stars and reflect on the profound silence around us.

Distance 17km (11 miles)
Maximum Elevation 2210 m (7250 feet)

Day 3

This will be a day of relative "rest" with a short but rewarding hike to Kiwetinok Pass and Lake, the highest named lake in the Canadian Rockies at 2550 m (8380 feet). The views of the President and Vice-President peaks are outstanding. Along the way, you will see some remarkable geologic formations and the distinctive Inukshuk (cairns) which dot the alpine meadows. One of our guides had an amazing wolverine sighting in this pass which he loves to recount. After lunch, in the hut, our group will head towards Isolation Col or the toe of MacArthur Glacier. Both hikes are steep climbs but are short and the feeling of wonder you gain from these lofty heights will be remembered most fondly when you are back in your regular routine.

Distance 8 - 12 km (5 - 8 miles)
Maximum Elevation 2575 m (8450 feet)

Day 4

After our final night in the hut, we will enjoy our last breakfast, pack up and begin the trek out. This day will once again offer us breathtaking vistas as we return to Takakkaw Falls along the Ice Line Trail. From here we climb again and begin to contour along the base of a glacier for 5 km where we can obtain close-up views of the glacier and learn about its formation and evolution. We will then descend to Takakkaw Falls to complete our loop hike. Our transportation will return us to Banff/Canmore.

Distance 11 km (7 miles)
Maximum Elevation 2400 m (7878 feet)

Please Note:

Changes in this itinerary may be necessary due to snow or weather conditions, trail safety or closures.

2005 TRIP DATES & PRICES

* Applies to all inclusive package only

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