Little Yoho Valley via Iceline trail to Stanley Mitchell hut Trail hi

It was raining solidly for the whole drive to the Takakkaw Falls trailhead, so we all donned our raingear and pack covers and set off at 11am, prepared for a wet slog up to the Iceline trail. Once we reached treeline, the rain eased, there were patches of blue sky, the clouds started lifting and views appearing. Most of the group kept their raingear on to protect against the cold north wind as the views kept getting better and better. It was warm and sunny when we arrived at the ACC Stanley Mitchell hut a little after 4 pm. There were only 6 other people staying the night, so we had plenty of room to spread out. Some of the group surprised the rest of us by laying on a charcuterie with other "appies" which was a wonderful way for our group to bond and connect with each other.

It was a cold, clear night but very cosy in the hut. We awoke to blue skies and a light frost and a group that that was up early and raring to get hiking. After taking care of some hut chores we started hiking down the Yoho valley around 8.45am, getting to the Whaleback turnoff after 3.4km. It's a very well engineered trail with a series of tight switchbacks climbing steeply for 300m up the the saddle where we paused to marvel at the 360 degree mountain panorama surrounding us. I think we all agreed that getting to that viewpoint was the highlight of the trip. From there we descended to the Yoho river and a stunning lunch spot at the top of the falls. Its a circuitous route to get down to the Twin Falls lodge (all boarded up and awaiting occupation by the ACC). From the lodge there are two routes back to the main Yoho valley trail. We naturally took the more difficult Marpole Lake connector trail which climbs through a vast area of rockfall below the Whaleback ridge. Eventually we rejoined the main Yoho valley trail and plodded back along this popular route back to our vehicles at around 4pm.

For me this was a magical trip. It was a wonderful group and I believe that we all enjoyed being able to hike through spectacular mountain scenery, carry relatively light packs and spend a comfortable night out in a backcountry hut.

Stats: Day 1 (Iceline trail to Stanley Mitchell hut): 5 hrs, 12km, 750m, Day 2 (Hut - Whaleback-Twin Falls-Marpole-Takakkaw Falls PL) 7 hrs, 15km, 500m

Participants: Danielle, Alicja, Clifton, Dave, Evan c/s, Fiona, Jim, Deborah, Kate, Jenny