The David Thompson Highway Hiking Guide by Jane Ross Daniel Kyba

Author:Jane Ross, Daniel Kyba
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RMB | Rocky Mountain Books
Published: 2016-03-20T16:00:00+00:00

Yoga at the Lake of the Falls. Courtesy of Icefield Rockies Heli Tours

The Lake of the Falls: with such a name you knew this had to be a pretty destination, but who could have guessed at such splendour? The chiselled face of Resolute Mountain protects the aquamarine jewel at its base, while on your side of the lake, alpine meadows with small copses of spruce trees blanket the slope below the Lake of the Falls ridge. As you bear left along the main trail, a spit of land jutting into the lake beckons. Getting there can be soggy, as the trail goes through a bog at the far end of a small bay. Once at the point of land, you can look up the lake to where meltwaters cascade down into the lake. If you are lucky, you can catch sight of ospreys that prefer to nest on the other side of the lake. Once seriously threatened by pesticides such as DDT, osprey populations appear to be on the rebound. They arrive in late April or early May to raise their young and leave in September. These birds hover over the lake, then suddenly dive for some unlucky trout that have caught their sharp eyes.

Lake of the Falls is a descriptive name. It comes either from the many waterfalls seen cascading off the surrounding cliffs during the spring melt, or from the waterfalls downstream along Entry Creek. This creek gave the lake its earlier name.

Continuing along the main trail that leads up and along the lake, you come to a junction. The right-hand fork leads down to the lakeside. The main trail bears left to climb partway up the meadow. It’s a beautiful walk that carries you to the south end of the lake, where you can find another campsite. This is also a favourite spot for fly fishermen trying their luck for cutthroat trout that have been stocked in the lake. You may also find yourself witness to a wedding or a yoga class; these people almost assuredly were flown here by Icefield Rockies Heli Tours, which operates out of its base just south of the David Thompson Resort.

Historical Footnotes: Alpine Club of Canada

As you look over the mountains and valleys around Lake of the Falls, you see many features that have been named by members of the Alpine Club of Canada. This organization is normally associated with the mountain parks to the west. However, it was also active in the Front Ranges, witness their 1958 expedition that recorded two first ascents, one of Whitegoat Peaks and the other of Resolute Mountain.

A.O. Wheeler, a topographic surveyor, formed the Alpine Club of Canada in 1906. At his suggestion, Jimmy Simpson and other outfitters, including Tom Wilson, donated some of their horses and services to the club’s inaugural camp. Jimmy Simpson was later appointed club equerry. His job as equerry was to assist the master of horse in arranging the transport of club members to their mountain destinations.

A.P. Coleman was an

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