Happenings at Jello's House: Helen Lake Ridgewalking

On a warm and sunny August long weekend Saturday, there must have been 75-100 people up wandering around the Helen Lake area, including at least 30 people summiting Cirque Peak. And why the heck not? Not a cloud in the sky, and we left the heat down in the valley.

There's a lot of similarities to the hike up to Rockbound Lake behind Castle Mountain: a moderately long saunter up to a lake in a big glacial basin. But this hike is better, in that it gets into the open in 3 km instead of 7 km, gets to the start of the area to explore in 7 km instead of 9 km, and offers a lot more in the way of low energy exploring.

The beginning 3 km of roots and mud (at least half a dozen small creeks need to be hopped) aren't that interesting, and don't offer much in the way of views. Still, you get the occasional glimpse of Crowfoot Glacier...

Looks more like a glacier in the summer

...and there's not that much in the way of grunting up steepness. The place was riotous with wildflowers, many of which seem to be the favoured snack of the dozens of resident marmots.

Munching on Indian Paintbrush

Once up high, the views are pretty stellar.

Creeks in the basin

Helen Lake. Cirque Peak rises above

We ate lunch on the cliff edge on the headwall above Helen Lake, accompanied by columbian ground squirrels...

Watching us

...and a marmot who at one point wandered within a foot of us (I don't think he noticed us until he almost stepped on my daypack).

Fuzzy face, up close

We thought seriously about attempting to climb up Cirque Peak. However, two things turned us back: (1) we're lazy, and (2) the normal ramp route was blocked by a snow patch, necessitating a scramble that (from a distance) didn't turn our cranks.

Cirque. The ramp up the right blocked by snow. You gotta climb cliffs

Two folks climbing the cliffs

Still, we counted 25 people on the mountain at one point, and saw two other parties heading that way, so it's not that it isn't doable.

Instead, we decided to wander past Katherine Lake and over to Dolomite Pass.

Dolomite Pass in the distance

Katherine Lake under Mt. Dolomite

Katherine up close

The trail to Dolomite Pass crosses the creek feeding Katherine Lake. Today, that inlet was a slow flowing creek that was at least knee deep.

Wide, deep and cold, to boot

Rather than wade, we struck off cross country through occasionally gravelly, occasionally grassy, occasionally boggy meadow and went around the creek to a place where we could hop across it.

Looking back after crossing. We crossed just off the right side

Ordinarily, you're supposed to stay on trails especially in the high alpine. But if you scatter out, tread carefully (no walking on moss campion, for instance), try to stay on rocks, you can wander around without doing much damage.

Dolomite Pass isn't much to look at. You can't see down into the valley of Dolomite Creek. You can see big mountains across it and around ther creek's headwaters.

An unnamed lake. Note the two tents

KC at the pass

Looking back. Cirque Peak on the right. Helen Lake over the ridge

Yes, there were two tents at the little lake at the pass. No, camping is not allowed here. Yes, I reported it to Banff Dispatch (along with the bear we saw on the road up) later in the day.

On our way back, we decided to climb and walk the ridge.