It was a beautiful day in the B.C. Rockies, and a spectacular trip to the “Taiga Viewpoint” peak above Frozen Lake in Elk Lakes Provincial Park. We left Calgary with trepidation under overcast skies and low, scudding clouds, driving through heavy rain in the foothills, but as we travelled south through the Kananaskis valley we escaped the low pressure system, with expressions of joy. We hiked to Elk Pass, then followed the Alberta-B.C. boundary cutline up the continental divide, finally veering into the cirque containing the stunning Frozen Lake, which was not frozen at all. The flowers were impressive, especially the rhodedendrons.

Taiga Viewpoint above Frozen Lake

The southeast outlier of Mount Fox, given the name “Taiga Viewpoint” by guidebook author Gillean Daffern, was our ultimate destination. Here it stands in all its glory above Frozen Lake.

Lunch at Frozen Lake

We had a first lunch on the shore of the lake, before scrambling the peak.

Taiga Viewpoint summit

Two of the group opted not to continue when we encountered a steep gully crossing with serious exposure. The summit party of 7 continued to the beautiful, grassy summit, where we lounged in sunny warmth with a light breeze and no mosquitoes, a welcome contrast to the moderate to heavy mosquito action in the humid and damp forest and swamp in Elk Pass.

Cold front clouds push over Rockies

We had a ringside view of the heavy cloud spilling over the mountains in Alberta. The pressure of westerly winds coming over the divide kept the clouds at bay all day, finally winning the battle and pushing them away from the mountains.

Frozen Lake, Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes

The view from the summit is breathtaking, with Frozen Lake and Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lake to the north, and Lower Elk Lake and the Elk River valley to the south.

Frozen Lake shore traverse

For our descent we split into two groups, with 3 retracing our ascent route and 4 taking one of the best scree runs of our lives down to the lake and circling the shore. Those waiting on the east shore were entertained by our movements, as we picked our way across the steep scree slopes above the deep water and through some heavy trees to avoid a cliff on the shore. Good sized trout also provided some entertainment. Wildlife for the day were two toads on the trail and a deer on the road.

We were back to the cars by 5:20, and 7 of us headed for the Kananaskis Country Golf Club for supper.

Participants: Mark, Ron, Douglas, Susan, Barbara, Ron, Irene, Gisele and Carl, coordinator and scribe.