Weekend Photos: Skoki Lodge

Continuing to work my way through my photos of the Canadian Rockies, I'm overwhelmed by how many images I have from our 3-night sojourn at Skoki Lodge. Of course, they mostly aren't of the lodge--we did some great hikes, coming, going, and while we were there.

The lodge, not far from Lake Louise, a rustic mountain retreat with first-class dining but a 7-8 mile hike in (or even longer; there are multiple routes, all involving at least 6.8 miles and a stiff climb), was built in the 1930s. There is no electricity, and no running water.

This week we'll take a look at the hike in and a dayhike to Merlin Lake and the Dragon's Drink above it.

Our trip started with check-in at the office in the town of Lake Louise, followed by a drive to the parking lot, and a shuttle bus to the trailhead.

Sunrise on the peaks behind Lake Louise. The Big Beehive, Mt. Whyte and the Victoria Glacier.

I was up early enough for the sunrise, but with all the logistics we weren't able to start hiking until 10 a.m. Since we were taking a longer route in, we'd be on the trail until late afternoon.
 

Our trailhead shuttle. We had just room enough to pick up one backpacker for a lift up the 2.7-mile road, not open to general traffic.

After our initial climb to the Halfway Hut (which is not halfway now, though it may have been when built), we detoured 3/4 mile each way to Hidden Lake, where we ate first lunch and enjoyed a little pack-off time in the sun.

Hidden Lake

In the larch zone.

Back on route, we next reached Ptarmigan Lake. The wind was beginning to pick up, but the skies remained mostly clear as we walked the half mile of lake shore before finding our alternative trail to Packer Pass.

The main route goes over Deception Pass at the base of Fossil Peak (on the far left).

The trail for Packer Pass is hard to spot where it joins the Deception Pass trail--one reason most people hike it the other direction. We discovered other reasons, but the weather forecasts suggested we do it on the way in (this proved a wise decision).

Descending Packer Pass toward Zigadenus Lake. The Wall of Jericho stands behind the lake.

Zigadenus Lake and larches. The color combination of blue glacial lake and golden larches is about perfect.

After enjoying second lunch at Zigadenus Lake, we dropped down a steep trail through the cliff band to Myosotis Lake.

Myosotis Lake from the rampart between it and Zigadenus.

Looking back across Myosotis Lake to Ptarmigan and Pika Peaks, behind Zigadenus Lake.

 

By this time the mottled light and the golden larches were slowing the photographers a lot, but we thought we were down to easy trails. We weren't quite right.

One more cliff band, with a fun climb under a chockstone. Photo by my brother-in-law, Tom Dempsey at Photoseek.com.

 

From here we had a rock-hopping stream crossing and a few rocky bits of trail, before hitting the final smooth bits and hurrying in for our afternoon snack at the Skoki lodge.

When you come to a fork in the trail... you know you're close to food.

Happy to see the lodge and enjoy our hot soup and charcuterie trays!

We'd been told that meals at the lodge were very good, and the menu for the first night blew us away.

Roasted duck breast, brie-infused mashed potatoes, and roasted squash and asparagus, followed by dessert, all served about the time we were used to going to bed!

The bathroom facilities at the lodge are outhouses up the hill behind, but they provide hot water for washing at all times. Lighting is provided by candles on the table and battery lamps, for the most part--plus a few oil lamps carefully managed by the staff. Fire danger in a building this old and wholly built of logs is always a factor.

The long table where everyone eats together.

In the end, our hike in was 8.5 miles, with about a 1750' climb, and 1300' of descending.

Being used to breakfast in the dark and crack-of-dawn starts, we were a little dismayed at finding we wouldn't be served until 8 a.m., but none of our planned excursions were long enough for that to be a worry, and breakfasts were worth waiting for. Meanwhile, there was the sunrise.

Photographer's delight!

After breakfast, we packed up our lunches (provided by the lodge, fairly basic sandwiches with cookies and trail mix and a piece of fruit) and rain gear, and headed for Merlin Lake. Our plan, developed with the help of lodge staff but ultimately maybe done backwards, was to drop to Merlin Meadows, then climb up to the lake on the forested north side of the valley, to return on the other side. The weather was mixed, with a chilly wind blowing all day.

Merlin Meadows.

Lake Merlin

Pika Pete made it all the way, sometimes trying to eat my lunch for me.

From Merlin, we climbed half a mile or so to a pair of tarns marked (by hand) on the map in the lodge as "Dragon's Drink." I haven't seen that label elsewhere, but it worked for us.

I assume that those rocks are the dragon's teeth.

The Wall of Jericho again, from the other side.

After a photo frenzy and a quick snack, we decided it was time to get out of the wind. The trail back to Merlin was straightforward, but we did a little hunting for the route back along the south side of the valley, along the scree slope.

Once on the slope, the trail was mostly good, though rough and narrow in places. But there was one nasty little down-climb that we all agreed would have been more fun going up.

You can tell that the edges of the scree field are stable, at least, by the lichen on the rocks.

And then we were back at the lodge for our hot water, our soup and snacks, and eventually another first-class dinner.

Next: we climb Skoki Peak in a blizzard (well, Tom and I do. Carol has more sense), and see amazing view from the top, then hike out in the teeth of the arriving winter.

View from the Lake Merlin trail

 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2024
 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.


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