Bow hut
Encyclopedia
The Bow Hut is an alpine hut
located at an elevation of 2350 metres (7,710 ft) on the eastern edge of the Wapta Icefield
in Banff National Park
. It is the largest, best equipped, and most accessible of the four alpine huts on the Wapta Icefield, and serves as the base for a wide variety of ski tours and mountaineering ascents to half a dozen peaks on the Wapta. It is the easiest and safest starting point for the Wapta traverse; and Balfour Hut, the next hut on the traverse, can easily be reached from it in a day. It can also serve as an intermediate stop in a longer traverse which starts at the less easily accessible Peyto Hut. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada
.
The hut sleeps 30 and is equipped with propane powered lamps and stovetop, and a wood stove for heating. There are two indoor drum
toilets.
from 1984 to 1988, and was funded by Peter and Catharine Whyte
. The construction was done mostly by members of the Alpine Club and the Calgary Ski Club. The location of the hut, near Bow Glacier
, was chosen to assist ski tourers and mountaineers entering the Wapta Icefield
via Bow Lake
. The old hut saw severe overuse, with up to 7,000 people a year using a building that only slept 14 people at a time. By the 1980s it was in a state of serious disrepair and surrounded by contamination from the outhouses, causing many people to refer to it as Bow Ghetto. In 1989 a new hut was built under the direction of Mike Mortimer, Chairman of the Huts Committee of the Alpine Club of Canada and later President from 1994 to 2001. Money for the facility was primarily provided by the Calgary and Edmonton Sections of the Alpine Club. The new facility is much larger than the previous one, with much better cooking, and waste disposal facilities; and with sleeping areas separated from the rest of the hut to accommodate a number of different groups at a time.
, about 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) northwest of Lake Louise, Alberta
along the Icefields Parkway
in Banff National Park
. The hut is situated above Bow Lake
on the east edge of the Wapta Icefield
, at an altitude of 2350 metres (7,710 ft). It is about 1 kilometre northeast of Saint Nicholas Peak
.
. The hut can also be reached by approximately 3 to 5 hours of glacier travel from the Balfour Hut, or 4 to 6 hours of glacier travel from the Peyto Hut.
. It goes past Num-Ti-Jah Lodge and follows the north shore of the lake around to the main creek that feeds the lake. The trail ascends to the right of the canyon just upstream from the lake. At a junction it goes to the left, and crosses the creek, passing over a boulder lodged in the top of the canyon. The trail stays on the east side of the creek for a few kilometres until it opens out into moraine
terrain near the treeline. A number of trails marked by cairns lead to the massive headwall below the hut, where hikers must cross the creek and can follow any of a number of trails up the steep slope to the hut. The trip requires 3 to 6 hours.
Alpine hut
A mountain hut is a building located in the mountains intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by a section of an Alpine Club...
located at an elevation of 2350 metres (7,710 ft) on the eastern edge of the Wapta Icefield
Wapta Icefield
The Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers...
in Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
. It is the largest, best equipped, and most accessible of the four alpine huts on the Wapta Icefield, and serves as the base for a wide variety of ski tours and mountaineering ascents to half a dozen peaks on the Wapta. It is the easiest and safest starting point for the Wapta traverse; and Balfour Hut, the next hut on the traverse, can easily be reached from it in a day. It can also serve as an intermediate stop in a longer traverse which starts at the less easily accessible Peyto Hut. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada
Alpine Club of Canada
The Alpine Club of Canada is a mountain club with a National Office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, who served as its first president, and Elizabeth Parker, a journalist for...
.
The hut sleeps 30 and is equipped with propane powered lamps and stovetop, and a wood stove for heating. There are two indoor drum
Drum (container)
A drum is a cylindrical container used for shipping bulk cargo. Drums can be made of steel, dense paperboard , or plastics, and are generally used for the transportation and storage of liquids and powders. Drums are often certified for shipment of dangerous goods...
toilets.
History
The original Bow Hut was built in 1968 by a group led by Peter Fuhrmann, who later became president of the Alpine Club of CanadaAlpine Club of Canada
The Alpine Club of Canada is a mountain club with a National Office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, who served as its first president, and Elizabeth Parker, a journalist for...
from 1984 to 1988, and was funded by Peter and Catharine Whyte
Peter and Catharine Whyte
Peter and Catharine Whyte were twentieth century Canadian artists from Banff, Alberta known for their landscape paintings of the Canadian Rockies. Their paintings and extensive collection of regional artifacts formed the genesis of what would later become the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies...
. The construction was done mostly by members of the Alpine Club and the Calgary Ski Club. The location of the hut, near Bow Glacier
Bow Glacier
Bow Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately northwest of Lake Louise, and can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. Bow Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental divide, and runoff from the glacier supplies water to...
, was chosen to assist ski tourers and mountaineers entering the Wapta Icefield
Wapta Icefield
The Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers...
via Bow Lake
Bow Lake (Alberta)
Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.The lake lies south of the Bow Summitt, east of the Waputik Range and west of the Dolomite Pass, Dolomite Peak and Cirque Peak.Bow Lake is...
. The old hut saw severe overuse, with up to 7,000 people a year using a building that only slept 14 people at a time. By the 1980s it was in a state of serious disrepair and surrounded by contamination from the outhouses, causing many people to refer to it as Bow Ghetto. In 1989 a new hut was built under the direction of Mike Mortimer, Chairman of the Huts Committee of the Alpine Club of Canada and later President from 1994 to 2001. Money for the facility was primarily provided by the Calgary and Edmonton Sections of the Alpine Club. The new facility is much larger than the previous one, with much better cooking, and waste disposal facilities; and with sleeping areas separated from the rest of the hut to accommodate a number of different groups at a time.
Location
Bow Hut is located near the headwaters of the Bow RiverBow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
, about 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) northwest of Lake Louise, Alberta
Lake Louise, Alberta
Lake Louise is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Improvement District No. 9 Banff . It is named for the nearby Lake Louise, which in turn was named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta , the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, and the wife of John Campbell, the 9th Duke of Argyll, who was the...
along the Icefields Parkway
Icefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway , also known as Highway 93 north, is a scenic road in Alberta, Canada. It parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. It links Lake Louise with Jasper to the north....
in Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
. The hut is situated above Bow Lake
Bow Lake (Alberta)
Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.The lake lies south of the Bow Summitt, east of the Waputik Range and west of the Dolomite Pass, Dolomite Peak and Cirque Peak.Bow Lake is...
on the east edge of the Wapta Icefield
Wapta Icefield
The Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers...
, at an altitude of 2350 metres (7,710 ft). It is about 1 kilometre northeast of Saint Nicholas Peak
Saint Nicholas Peak (Canada)
Saint Nicholas Peak is a mountain in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.It is located on the continental divide, on the Alberta-British Columbia border, in both Banff National Park and Yoho National Park. It lies on the eastern edge of the Wapta Icefield, and is part of the Waputik Mountains....
.
Access
Reaching the hut requires approximately 3 to 6 hours of hiking or skiing from the Icefields ParkwayIcefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway , also known as Highway 93 north, is a scenic road in Alberta, Canada. It parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. It links Lake Louise with Jasper to the north....
. The hut can also be reached by approximately 3 to 5 hours of glacier travel from the Balfour Hut, or 4 to 6 hours of glacier travel from the Peyto Hut.
Summer
The summer trail to Bow Hut leaves from the main parking lot on the highway at Bow LakeBow Lake (Alberta)
Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.The lake lies south of the Bow Summitt, east of the Waputik Range and west of the Dolomite Pass, Dolomite Peak and Cirque Peak.Bow Lake is...
. It goes past Num-Ti-Jah Lodge and follows the north shore of the lake around to the main creek that feeds the lake. The trail ascends to the right of the canyon just upstream from the lake. At a junction it goes to the left, and crosses the creek, passing over a boulder lodged in the top of the canyon. The trail stays on the east side of the creek for a few kilometres until it opens out into moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
terrain near the treeline. A number of trails marked by cairns lead to the massive headwall below the hut, where hikers must cross the creek and can follow any of a number of trails up the steep slope to the hut. The trip requires 3 to 6 hours.
Winter
The winter route is a little different than the summer trail, and involves exposure to complex avalanche terrain. Skiers can cross the frozen lake, if the ice is thick enough, and at the far side can stay to the left of the creek, following a good trail that skirts the canyon. After about 700 metres (2,296.6 ft) the route drops down onto the creek bed and follows it through a gorge. After the gorge becomes too difficult to negotiate, skiers must ascend the bank to the left at one of the easier points, and then angle up through the trees, parallel to the canyon. When the route reaches an open basin, it is possible to see the hut high up on the headwall to the right. From that point, skiers should aim for the right-hand corner of the headwall, staying left initially to avoid the worst of the moraine. Toward the end of the valley, a number of possible routes lead up through the headwall to the hut, which is a few hundred metres from the top of the headwall. The trip normally takes 3 to 5 hours.Nearby
- Wapta IcefieldWapta IcefieldThe Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers...
- Saint Nicholas PeakSaint Nicholas Peak (Canada)Saint Nicholas Peak is a mountain in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.It is located on the continental divide, on the Alberta-British Columbia border, in both Banff National Park and Yoho National Park. It lies on the eastern edge of the Wapta Icefield, and is part of the Waputik Mountains....
- Bow GlacierBow GlacierBow Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately northwest of Lake Louise, and can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. Bow Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental divide, and runoff from the glacier supplies water to...
- Bow LakeBow Lake (Alberta)Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.The lake lies south of the Bow Summitt, east of the Waputik Range and west of the Dolomite Pass, Dolomite Peak and Cirque Peak.Bow Lake is...
- Bow RiverBow RiverThe Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
- R.J. Ritchie HutR.J. Ritchie HutThe R.J. Ritchie Hut is an alpine hut located at an altitude of between the southern tip of the Wapta Icefield and the northern tip of the Waputik Icefield in Banff National Park. The hut is at the half-way mark for the Wapta traverse and is usually used in conjunction with the other huts in this...
, (Balfour Hut) - Peter and Catharine Whyte HutPeter and Catharine Whyte HutThe Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut, also known as the Peyto Hut, is an alpine hut located on the northern tip of the Wapta Icefield in Banff National Park. It is nicknamed the Peyto hut due to its proximity on the Peyto Glacier. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.The hut sleeps 18...
, (Peyto Hut)