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Hamilton Spur
Yoho National Park, B.C.
February 28, 2004
Distance: 11.8 km (7.3 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 1280 m (4199 ft)
Hamilton Spur is our most ambitious snowshoe trip. We climbed higher than ever before entirely on snowshoes.
Starting from Emerald Lake in Yoho Park, Wayne, Dinah and I followed the trail to Hamilton Falls. (Next time I would park at the lodge down the road and avoid crossing Hamilton Creek.) The snow was excellent. A few inches of fresh powder over a firm pack provided good traction with little sinking.
When we reached the waterfalls – dry and unspectacular at this time of year – we started looking for a place to cross Hamilton Creek to reach the spur. Here the creek is set in a gorge with steep sides lined with rocks, but higher up the gorge flattened enough for us to climb down, cross the creek and gain the spur.
After trudging up the spur for two hours, we finally broke out of the trees. Small groves of trees broke up the white landscape, but beyond was a long, treeless slope. The snow was deeper here, but we soon put the last of the trees behind us and the grade eased. Here the snow was hard and windswept. We followed the broad, featureless slope to a high point. (I reached this same spot from Hamilton Lake three summers ago when I scrambled to the top of Mount Carnarvon). The ascent took four and a half hours. It was bitterly cold, and we didn't stay long. We headed back down to the trees where we had our lunch, long overdue. After lunch, we enjoyed a fast descent.
Most of the trip was spent in the trees
Wayne ducks under a tree
We passed by a snow cookie
The trees began to thin
Ahead is the ridge we'll climb
Once out of the trees, it became more interesting
We headed for the high point
Looking down at the ridge we climbed
Too bad the clouds obscured some of the views. Tocher Ridge lies south.
Kicking Horse River lies far below
Almost at the high point
We turned back at this point
Heading back down
Just when we reach the treeline, we see blue sky for the first time
Mount Carnarvon, an unnamed peak and Emerald Peak
Following our tracks back in the trees
Wayne dislodges a snow cookie (mouse over)
82 N/7 Golden
