Hoodoo Hall Off-Trail Hike on 12-Jul-2003

The hike began after a rough approach on the Transalta Ghost River road. From the park boundary we hiked the Devil's Gap to the First Ghost Lake, a Caribbean blue gem surrounded by Yosemite-like sheer walls. Along the way we passed quite fresh bear scat (no skin). Wildlife was three deer seen on the drive.

Hoodoo Hall is a side canyon with some very tall hoodoos consisting of big blocks of irregularly-shaped limestone perched precariously on thin pedestals of very loose and unconsolidated till.

The left fork of Hoodoo Hall is a deep and narrow limestone slot canyon with small stream, the whole trip requiring 20 rock hopping crossings each way. We passed the Yellow Wall and Green Angel, an almost dry waterfall. At lunch it was 22 degrees, warming to 25 in the afternoon. Despite the sultry weather mosquito action was mercifully moderate.

From the upper reaches of the canyon the drainage opened up to views of Orient Point, which from here appears like a doable SC6 ascent.

Red and orange were the flower colours of the day. Especially attractive were the many wood lilies.

The Indian paintbrush were also prolific and beautiful. Other flowers included harebell, globe flower, groundsel, northern sweet vetch and wild rose.

Your coordinator and scribe enjoyed the beach at the lake, but found that although the water was warm, alas it was no good for a wade as your first step in put you knee deep in mud.

(Photo by Andy Dragt)

How many Ramblers does it take to change a tire? Well, you can see for yourself. When the gathered assemblage could not figure out how to use the jack, Mike Jancovic, following in his Suburban, brought out an industrial strength jack which did the job. Mike, too, suffered a flat later. Clearly the sharp rocks of the upper Ghost River road are a formidable enemy of the SUV. After that sweaty work we ended the day with ice cream in Cochrane.