Day 1: 8.6km, 530m, 4.5h Day 2: 8.5km, 60m, 2.5h
With a history of pushing the boundaries of the backpacking season and regretting it each time, Byron and I opted for a slightly different take on autumn camping. I had read about the scenic day hike to the Alpine Club of Canada's Bow Hut, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to spend a night in the mountains without having to endure our usual ill-prepared tenting antics in the reliably wintry October mountain weather.
DAY ONE: Bow Lake - Bow Hut
Saturday morning started with an overcast and viewless drive on the snow-covered Highway 93 to the Bow Lake parking lot. We followed an obvious path counterclockwise around the shore before eventually departing across an open gravel flat area. After crossing a stream on a large boulder bridge we lost all signs of the official trail and embarked on GPS-guided bushwhacking through thick evergreen forest and frustrating knee-deep post-holing across large boulder fields for the next couple hours. This was both physically and mentally taxing, but thankfully the weather dramatically improved during this time and we could at least struggle under warm and sunny skies.
After about three hours from the parking lot we arrived at a large valley with big views of surrounding peaks and a massive glacier at the far end. We could also see the Bow Hut on a rocky ledge high above us as we slowly and unsteadily navigated along the rocky terrain, resulting in frequent "So close, yet so far away!" sentiments. Once arriving at the end of the valley we were faced with one final challenge - ascending an incredibly steep and snowy headwall - and this required us to plunge our entire bodies into the deep powder to generate needed traction by engaging in a movement resembling a combination of swimming upstream and climbing a very steep ladder.
Once atop the ridge we caught sight of the hut and focused all remaining energy on reaching the front steps. Upon arrival we tumbled in, swiftly unlocked the padlocks (nobody else was up there) to the common kitchen and sleeping areas, and proceeded to set up shop by starting fires in the wood-burning fireplaces for heat and boiling water on the propane stoves for hot tea an some much-needed calories in the form of Itchiban noodles. It wasn't long before the hut was warm and cozy, we were changed our of our wet gear, and our stomachs were full of warm and delicious food. At this point we began to relax and realize just how spectacular of a destination the Bow Hut really is, particularly when able to enjoy it entirely alone. To me, it felt like a secret clubhouse out of my childhood imagination.
The remainder of the evening was spent drinking craft beers and coconut water, playing board games, and blissfully enjoying the sunset from our premier location. Two additional adventurers ("Bjorn" and "Alex" from Norway) arrived just after dark and expressed much gratitude for our tracks to follow as well as the preheated accommodations. After about an hour of swapping stories and heading outside for a but of unobstructed stargazing, Byron and I packed it in for the night and climbed into our sleeping bags feeling rather content with our choice of weekend entertainment.
After about three hours from the parking lot we arrived at a large valley with big views of surrounding peaks and a massive glacier at the far end. We could also see the Bow Hut on a rocky ledge high above us as we slowly and unsteadily navigated along the rocky terrain, resulting in frequent "So close, yet so far away!" sentiments. Once arriving at the end of the valley we were faced with one final challenge - ascending an incredibly steep and snowy headwall - and this required us to plunge our entire bodies into the deep powder to generate needed traction by engaging in a movement resembling a combination of swimming upstream and climbing a very steep ladder.
Once atop the ridge we caught sight of the hut and focused all remaining energy on reaching the front steps. Upon arrival we tumbled in, swiftly unlocked the padlocks (nobody else was up there) to the common kitchen and sleeping areas, and proceeded to set up shop by starting fires in the wood-burning fireplaces for heat and boiling water on the propane stoves for hot tea an some much-needed calories in the form of Itchiban noodles. It wasn't long before the hut was warm and cozy, we were changed our of our wet gear, and our stomachs were full of warm and delicious food. At this point we began to relax and realize just how spectacular of a destination the Bow Hut really is, particularly when able to enjoy it entirely alone. To me, it felt like a secret clubhouse out of my childhood imagination.
The remainder of the evening was spent drinking craft beers and coconut water, playing board games, and blissfully enjoying the sunset from our premier location. Two additional adventurers ("Bjorn" and "Alex" from Norway) arrived just after dark and expressed much gratitude for our tracks to follow as well as the preheated accommodations. After about an hour of swapping stories and heading outside for a but of unobstructed stargazing, Byron and I packed it in for the night and climbed into our sleeping bags feeling rather content with our choice of weekend entertainment.
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| Crowfoot Mountain from the shore of Bow Lake. |
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| A very scenic loop around the lake. |
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| Emerging into the final valley. A slow and tedious slog. |
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| A tiny Bow Hut can be seen on the ridge above us as we plug along. |
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| Atop the final headwall. |
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| Bow Hut at last! |
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| North kitchen view. |
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| South kitchen view. |
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| Bedroom views. |
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| On the patio. |
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| Happy to relax at last! |
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| Going out for extra firewood. |
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| No shortage of firewood or scenery. |
DAY TWO: Bow Hut - Bow Lake
Sunday began with an early morning team trip to the outhouses and a decision to build a fire to start warming the hut before returning to our sleeping bags for some extra z's. However, once Byron and I got the fire going we decided just to stay up and watch the sunrise over a cup of hot coffee. We enjoyed the views from the hut kitchen and eventually decided to head outside to climb a small nearby ridge for a different perspective on the area. We snapped a few photos and took in the scenery before returning to the cozy hut for breakfast before packing up for the hike out.
The trail back to the parking lot, now compacted by four hikers and aided by a consistently downhill grade was considerably less frustrating than the previous day. We were also able to circumvent the tedious boulder field and bushwhack sections by following the footsteps of the friendly Norwegians, who chose to come straight up the partly frozen creek. Aside from a serious of somewhat sketchy creek crossings over frozen stones, this route proved much more straightforward and we quickly arrived at the large cirque containing the now-frozen Bow Glacier Falls. Within another half hour we were back at the Bow Lake parking lot and gearing up for the 2.5 hour drive back home.
Despite the challenging (physically and mentally) hike in, Byron and I agreed our stay at Bow Hut was an incredible experience and a favorable alternative to our usual winter tenting shenanigans. Spectacular scenery, luxury amenities, and a ton of quality time with one of my favorite people - this trip is going in the memory book as a great success!
The trail back to the parking lot, now compacted by four hikers and aided by a consistently downhill grade was considerably less frustrating than the previous day. We were also able to circumvent the tedious boulder field and bushwhack sections by following the footsteps of the friendly Norwegians, who chose to come straight up the partly frozen creek. Aside from a serious of somewhat sketchy creek crossings over frozen stones, this route proved much more straightforward and we quickly arrived at the large cirque containing the now-frozen Bow Glacier Falls. Within another half hour we were back at the Bow Lake parking lot and gearing up for the 2.5 hour drive back home.
Despite the challenging (physically and mentally) hike in, Byron and I agreed our stay at Bow Hut was an incredible experience and a favorable alternative to our usual winter tenting shenanigans. Spectacular scenery, luxury amenities, and a ton of quality time with one of my favorite people - this trip is going in the memory book as a great success!
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| Front row seats for sunrise! |
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| Climbing the nearby ridge for a different perspective. |
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| Cherished memories. |
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| Starting the return trip descent. |
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| Final view of Bow Hut and surrounding peaks. |
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| We followed the tracks of our Norwegian hut-mates down this creek. |
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| Byron and the impressive Mt Thompson. |
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| The pretty cirque containing (frozen) Bow Glacier Falls. |
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| Back at Bow Lake. |
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| Last view of the lake before departing the shore trail for the parking lot. |
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