The Passionate Hiker: TOP TEN (10): Crypt Lake Classic (August 1987)

TOP TEN (10)

More than three decades ago, between 1983 and 1987 the Passionate Hiker was busy setting the foundations for his career, and his family, in Alberta, but it didn't stop him from going on a number of exciting adventures in the Canadian Rockies.

Here is the tenth and final of his selected "Top Ten" trips during that time frame. The narrative comes from his diaries, written at the time. Several of the photos come from the original negatives and have never been printed before. It was a clear day, ideal for photography.

Sitting on the US-Canadian border at Crypt Lake: no customs post!

SAT. 8TH AUGUST 1987:

CRYPT LAKE CLASSIC

Background to this Story:

The Crypt Lake Trail, in Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park, right on the US border, is a classic, and had been on my list for some time. Finally I had an opportunity to tackle it, as the second part of an active two-day hiking weekend.

If I had to choose just one of my “Top Ten” adventures, to recommend to a keen hiker, it might be this one. It’s quirky, spectacular, and provides the perfect hiking experience.

An exciting trip by boat then on foot down to the US border,
then back again the same way

My Diary:

The hike that has it all! Probably the classic hike in the whole Rockies. And finally, after much anticipation, we’re poised to add this fine experience to our list of memorable mountain trips.

Roger and I join the early risers as they head for the boat pier on the edge of Waterton Lake. About 40 or 50 assorted hikers and one dog pile into the ferry boat and promptly at 9 a.m. we’re off on our adventure.

During the day we experience the boat trip across this mountain-ringed lake, pass beside a series of beautiful waterfalls, and below a spectacular headwall with cascading waterfall, crawl through a tunnel far up on a rocky scree slope, discover a hidden lake overlooked by towering peaks, and stroll into another Country.

It seems that there must be an unwritten rule that there’s no stopping allowed, for the hikers of all ages stride out purposefully from the boat landing, leaving us behind! Most unsettling.

The route is pleasant – up a long series of zigzags in the forest. Past a double waterfall then another falls, after which we climb in zigzags up the open slopes. On the far side of the valley is a colossal headwall with a waterfall tumbling down at the centre and tall conifers lining the top. The hidden valley above this headwall looks impossible to reach. However, we keep climbing up the pathway, through the trees, across a tumbling stream, before moving onto a steep scree slope towards an impassable buttress. From further back along our path, we could see people moving across what seemed like a vertical cliff then suddenly disappearing.

This is the tunnel. A short climb up a ladder leads us into a cavern which immediately shrinks into a hole just big enough to enter at a stoop, with backpack being pushed ahead. It’s about 60 feet long then opens up again at the other side. A fixed cable helps the hiker along a cliff edge up to the pathway up the headwall.

This delightful section of rocky ledges and wet moss under the trees is a wildflower paradise. Quickly through the trees we are at the edge of a beautiful alpine lake, surrounded by high cliffs and mountainsides.

There’s an enormous contrast between the north and south ends of this lake, called Crypt Lake – apart from the fact that they are in different Countries! At this north end, high-spirited youths are taking an icy dip while others are lying beneath the trees on the grass by the beach. A stroll down to the far end takes us into alpine glacier country, with piles of rocky moraine, a snowfield, and rocks tumbling off the mountain slopes into the lake.

Today it’s baking hot. People sunbathe as if this is the Okanagan, not way up in the Rocky Mountains. We stroll across the International Border, which runs exactly along the foot of the lake. No guards here, just an impassable mountain barrier above.

Making good time back down the pathway*, meeting several parties still on their way up, presumably from the later boat, we arrive at the wooded cove where 20 or so people are waiting for the 4 p.m. boat. My hot feet cool down in the cold lake waters.

Finally at about 4.15 our boat arrives and we climb aboard for the short journey back up the lake to our starting point.

Boat dep. = 9.00 a.m.

Start hike = 9.20

Crypt Lake = 12.00

Start down = 1.30

Finish hike = 3.45

Boat dep. = 4.15

Dep. Waterton = 5.00

Home = 8.15 p.m.

STATISTICS:

Highest Elev. = 6,500 ft. (Crypt Lake)

Height Gain = 2,300 ft.

Hike Distance = 17.4 km

Time on Trail = 6 hrs. 25 mins.

* It was here just last year that 2 hikers in a hurry to catch the boat ran right into the path of a grizzly sow with cubs. They were both badly mauled but luckily survived. Happily the path was free of bears today.