Day 12- Hiking in the Yoho National Park to Twin Falls
Sorry for the delay in updates in our blog, the internet is a little sporadic where we are staying this week. Yesterday we decided to drive back to the Yoho National Park and hike a different trail. We started at the Takakkaw Falls parking lot to the Yoho Valley Road trailhead. The trail meanders along the Yoho River through plains and then through the forest past Angel’s staircase, Point Lace Falls, and Laughing falls. The trail as far as Laughing Falls is very easy and the falls is a must see.
We reached Twin Falls and the tea house, our destination, in about 3 hours. Unfortunately the tea house was already closed for the season.
The trail was originally cut by a Canadian Pacific Railroad trail crew in 1901. The Twin Falls Chalet (tea house) was constructed by the CPR in 1923 and first opened for business the following year. The rustic Swiss-style log building has been operated by Fran Drummond of Calgary since 1962. We checked out the rates and it is $250 a night per person, minimum two nights stay, although it was nice I’m not sure the absence of running water, outdoor toilet facilities, and glorified cots were worth the price.
Twin Falls is formed by a stream from Glacier des Poilus, which splits into two branches just above the precipice. The left fall occasionally dwindles down to a trickle or shuts off altogether when an obstruction blocked the channel. In the past the CPR employees were dispatched to the lip of the falls to correct the problem with dynamite. I don’t think they have been there lately since the left fall was not flowing.
The view was spectacular and a wonderful place to stop and have lunch. Pictures will not do it justice. It was like sitting in this majestic canyon with the sun glistening on the rock walls and trees with the sound of the water falling and hitting the floor of the canyon. The Whaleback mountain towered above us in the background. It was so peaceful and well worth the climb.
We took a different trail back to the car past Marpole Lake and a massive boulder field. The cliffs and overhangs above us were massive with beautiful colors intermixed in the rocks.
Total trip time 6 hours, elevation gain 950ft, Maximum elevation 5,900 ft, total miles traveled 16.4 kms (10.2 miles.
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