Lake O'Hara

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2011 Trip to Lake O'Hara, British Columbia

— Anne Martin, Zelda Nelson and Patti Dyment

Welcome to the Annual CAAG Retreat to Lake O'Hara with the CAAG group booking set for September 19th, 20th and 21st, 2011. If you haven't been to Lake O'Hara before, you are in for a delightful time. Those who have been to Lake O'Hara before, know what to expect and what to bring. Read on, if you're unsure or want a bit of recall.

What to Bring

Expect snow, and it will probably be on the cooler side of very late summer in the Rockies.

• Prepare to be able to dress in layers. Gaiters, hiking boots, hut shoes, mitts, hat, rain gear.
• Bring your own breakfast and lunch for each of the days you will be there. Bring your portion of the community food.
• Bring toilet paper for yourself.
• Bring a sleeping bag.
• Bring your art gear.
• Flashlight.

The Day Before

The night before we go in — September 18th — we meet in the CAAG parking lot next to the corner of 8th Street and 8th Avenue at 7:00 pm. We each will carry a portion of the communal food — that being supper for each day. This amounts to not more than a pound or so — a bag of potatoes or 3 bags of lettuce for example. Car pooling can also be arranged at this time.

Buses

The required Backcountry Wilderness Passes and bus reservations have been taken care of with your payment. The buses leave from the Lake O'Hara parking lot — 12 kms (15 minutes west of Lake Louise on the TransCanada Highway) on the south side of the highway — at 8:30 and 10:30 am MDT. You will be advised closer to the date of which group and bus you will be in.

On the day we go in, be at the parking lot one-half hour before your bus leaves. Luggage is limited to 2 bags per person, max 25 kg — no exceptions! PLEASE NOTE: Coolers, hard sided storage bins, items stored in plastic bags and miscellaneous loose items will NOT be accepted on the bus. Reservations become invalid 10 minutes before departure, at which time seats are re-assigned to standbys.

Buses leave Lake O'Hara to return to the parking lot at 9:30, 11:30, 2:30, 4:30 and 6:30 daily (MDT). The last day you are there, you can leave on whichever bus works for you.

At the Hut

The bus taking us up to Lake O'Hara drops us off at “Le Relais Day Hut”, where coffee and juices, etc. are available during the day. We walk about 10 minutes on an upgrade with our luggage to the Elizabeth Parker Hut and the Wiwaxy Hut. The trail is also rocky, so roller wheels are not recommended.

Sleeping arrangements are first-come, first-served in each hut. There are two platforms in each hut with a foam mattress about 2 inches thick. The EP sleeps about 16 and Wiwaxy about 8. Bring your sleeping bag!

There is no refrigerator in the hut, but 2 coolers are available in the kitchen if you want to bring ice packs, or we sometimes use snow. Food must not be left outside or in the creek. All pots, pans, cutlery, plates, cups, etc. are provided. There are gas stoves that are awesome. Bring your food in containers that little field friends can't chew through.

Everything you bring in, you take out.

Suppers

The three communal suppers will be prepared under the direction of the trip chef (Chef to be announced). Each participant will bring enough appetizer and dessert for each to feed 4 people — something special is very nice after a long day of hiking and painting. The members of the group of the day assist the chef in cutting, cooking, serving and cleaning up. You work 1 night at the Hut! If you have special dietary requirements then you will have to take care of that yourself.

Hut Rules

For the benefit and enjoyment of everyone who stays at their hut, the Alpine Club of Canada asks that all visitors follow these simple rules —

While at the hut:

• No smoking.
• Dogs are not permitted in any ACC facility (with the exception of seeing eye dogs).
• Some Parks also outlaw dogs entirely; leashed or not. Check before you go!
• If you arrive at the hut before 2:00 pm, put your belongings where they will not disturb the previous nights’ occupants.
• Please be considerate of others; the hut should be quiet by 10 pm.
• Carry out all of your garbage.
• Do not do personal washing in cooking pots or nearby streams – use wash basins and slop pits.
• Fill stoves and lanterns outside the hut and leave extra fuel outside.
• Clean the stoves after using them.
• Clean up after yourself.
• Follow posted instructions for care and maintenance of toilet systems so that they function properly with minimum odour and environmental impact.

When leaving a hut:

• If your belongings will be in the hut after 2:00 pm, and you are not staying that night, be sure to pack everything up and leave it out of the way in a corner so the new guests can move in.
• Leave all tools inside the hut when not being used.
• Empty all water containers and slop buckets before leaving the hut.
• Take out all leftover food as food left in the hut encourages rodents. (Other people generally won’t use it as they don’t know how old it is.)
• Bring out damaged axes, lanterns or stoves and discharged fire extinguishers – advise the national office.
• Close & latch the outhouse door when leaving to keep out rodents & snow.
• Close/lock hut, replace shutters (if applicable), before leaving the hut.
• A nearly full outhouse, damage to hut & similar matters should be reported to the national office.

Please leave the hut in better condition than you found it.