O Canada! Lake O'Hara/Yoho National Park, 8.6.19 - 8.9.19, Part 3 of 8
As we came down the Huber Ledges, Sandy had hiked up to meet us and soon we were all together again at lovely Lake Oesa. This lake was a real gem. It had a beautiful deep blue/green color and was surrounded by towering peaks. On the end of the lake where we sat for lunch the gentle hillside was covered in slabby rock and little grassy patches filled with alpine wildflowers. We could see a trail that headed way way up above the lake to a high pass called Abbot Pass and a climbers hut but that was not in the plan for this day.
Bridgit lakeside
Lake Oesa with Mt. Lefroy (11,230’) and Glacier Peak (10,771’)
Lake Oesa. Most of the peaks are in the 11,000’ range
After lunch we continued our adventure together. We climbed up over a little hill and then dropped onto a long ledge system called the Yukness Ledges. This ledge system wound around the front of Yukness Mountain and along the way put us high over Lake O’Hara.
Lovely tarn below Lake Oesa
The Huber Ledges run from the low point in Wiwaxy Gap straight across these cliff bands roughly halfway through the upper cloud shadow.
The Yukness Ledges weren’t as exposed as the Huber Ledges and we all thoroughly enjoyed this section of the journey. In many places you could see the amazing amount of work that went into creating this trail. There were no cairns to guide the way through these rocky ledges. Instead there were painted blue squares with two yellow vertical stripes to help keep people on route.
Bridgit on the Yukness Ledges. Notice how the rocks are a stone stairway. The route was a combination of natural ledges and well placed square and rectangular rocks to create steps. I can’t stress enough how impressive the trail was.
As we came around the corner from Lake Oesa we were able to see down the valley. Beyond the campground at the far end of the lake we had tremendous views of Cathedral Peak, Mount Stephen, Odaray Mountain and Wiwaxy Peaks. We could also begin to see some of the other lakes tucked away in the valley.
Bridgit hiking along the Yukness Ledges
Looking across at Wiwaxy Gap. The zig-zag trail rising from Lake O’Hara is the one Bridgit and Sandy took to Lake Oesa. It climbed past several tarns and waterfalls along the way.
As the route worked its way around Yukness Mountain we began to see our next destination called the Opabin Plateau. This is a high basin filled with lakes, creeks, meadows and groves of larch trees. It is absolutely gorgeous and I could only imagine how beautiful the Opabin Plateau must be in the fall when the larches turn a brilliant gold color.
Coming around towards the Opabin Plateau
The route became less of a trail at this point and more of a descent through a huge rock field as it dropped down to the shore of Hungabee Lake.
Hungabee Lake
Once we made it to the end of the Yukness Ledges and arrived at Hungabee Lake and with a ways yet to go, Bridgit opted to omit hiking further up to the top of the plateau. Since we all wanted to see the upper Opabin, she bravely clutched her bear spray and with map in hand we sent her across to the opposite side of the Opabin Plateau where she followed the West Opabin Trail down to a spot known as the Opabin Prospect. There she would chill until we arrived to join her.
If you want to hear about our next leg through the Opabin Plateau, read on in Part 4!