Whaleback Mountain traverse (Yoho); return via Iceline Scramble on 24

The weather was quite good for a long hike - cool, dry, smoke-free, and very light wind - but it sure would have been nice if the cloud ceiling was higher! We had great views of glaciers (at one point, Jane counted 13 in easy sight) but the mountain tops were mostly cut off.

The first two hours got us to the high point of the Whaleback trail, from where we followed a good trail up the side of the mountain to a long easy scramble section on good rock. We had lunch at the first high point of the ridge, and then walked slowly up and down the dramatic summits along the fascinating ridge while admiring great views and interesting rock.

The descent past Isolated Peak into the valley is straightforward, and finally the sun came out in time for an extended break at Stanley Mitchell hut. We were making good time, so decided to return via the Iceline, which adds about a kilometre of distance and just over 200 metres of elevation. Well worth it, though, for extending the journey above treeline.

Finally we switched to autopilot and followed Sim's swift lead for the relentless descent back to the road and a 10-minute walk back to the cars. Overall, a fantastic day among incredible scenery which makes you yearn to go further. 25 km and 1330m in 9 hours. Many thanks to everyone for joining me, especially those who made the long day trip from Calgary.

Participants: Sim, Alda, Paul, Jane, Ingrid coordinator.