Elk Lakes cabin
Encyclopedia
The Elk Lakes cabin is an alpine hut located between the French and Italian Military Groups in the Canadian Rockies
, set near the Continental Divide
among massive cliff faces, waterfalls, lakes, craggy summits, and hanging icefalls in Elk Lakes Provincial Park
, British Columbia
. It is 62 km south of the Trans-Canada Highway
in Kananaskis Country, Alberta and 104 km north of Sparwood, British Columbia
. The area has many easy trails for hiking
, while also providing access to more serious mountaineering
objectives. In winter, ice climbs
abound, and backcountry skiers
will find great terrain with lots of powder
. Overall, the terrain around the Elk Lakes cabin is quite similar to that near the Elizabeth Parker hut
. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada
.
(ACC) was awarded operation of the cabin as part of its extensive alpine hut
system, and began operating it in the summer of 2004.
The Elk Lakes cabin was a welcome addition to the ACC's hut system. It has easy access, and a wide range of hiking, skiing and climbing opportunities in the area.
Parking for hiking
, biking
, skiing
or snowshoeing into the Elk Lakes cabin is at the Elk Pass trailhead, near Upper Kananaskis Lake
in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
. Coming from Calgary
or Canmore
, drive 50 km south of the Trans-Canada Highway
on Alberta Highway 40. Coming from the south, drive 17 km north from Highwood Pass
on Highway 40. Either way, turn left (west) onto the Kananaskis Lakes Trail, and follow the road south for 12 km to the Elk Pass trailhead.
If hiking to the cabin, from the parking lot, head south on the gated gravel road right of the outhouse. Ignore several trails which leave the main trail, and follow the hiker signs 4.8 km to the Park boundaries/West Elk Pass summit. From West Elk Pass it is a 4.2 km downhill hike to the cabin.
If biking, skiing or snowshoeing, follow the hiking trail for 2 km, but take the left (east) trail immediately after crossing the Fox Creek bridge. This trail ascends to the overhead powerline
which leads over Elk Pass all the way to the Elk River Forest Service Road. Once at the forest service road, turn right (west) and reach the cabin in a few hundred metres. Please note that mountain biking is not allowed elsewhere in the park. In winter, the trail is trackset
as far as Elk Pass. There is no avalanche
hazard on or near the trail.
From the Crowsnest Highway
(British Columbia Highway 3), turn off at Sparwood and drive north on the Elk Valley Highway (British Columbia Highway 43) until you reach the community of Elkford
, a distance of 35 km. From here, travel the gravel road on the west side of the Elk River
. Approximately 47 km north of Elkford the road crosses the Elk River and joins the Kananaskis
Power Line
Road. It is 5.8;km from the crossing to the Cadorna Creek trailhead; the Elk Lakes trailhead is a further 16.1 km. The Elk Lakes Cabin is 150 m from the parking area. The drive takes approximately six hours from Calgary
or 2.5 hours from Fernie
. Much of it is over rough gravel
or dirt road
s and cars with low clearance are not recommended.
The cabin consists of a kitchen area and living room with tables and a wood burning stove
. The sleeping quarters are in a loft
above the main floor.
The cabin sleeps up to 10 people on four-inch thick, covered foam mattresses found on one long bunk.
The kitchen is supplied with dishes, cutlery, utensils, pots and pans and bake ware (including roasting pans, cookie sheets, bread pans and muffin pans). There is a full size propane
oven
, as well as some two-burner propane stoves
for cooking. The hut is lit by several propane lights. Propane is supplied by the Alpine Club via a large outdoor tank.
Heat is supplied by a wood-burning stove
in the cabin. Firewood
is stored in the nearby wood shed
. Users are requested to replace all firewood used with cut and split wood from the pile. The hut has a good supply of tools including water buckets, axes, saws, shovels, etc.
Drinking water
is available 10 m to the west of the hut from a tributary of Elkan Creek. In winter, water is from snowmelt
. It is recommended that all water be boiled or filtered
before drinking.
Grey water disposal is in a ground sump
next to the hut. Grey water can be drained directly down the sinks, but the strainer must be in place under the drain. Food scraps (including coffee grounds) should not be allowed to enter the grey water sump or it will become plugged. The strainer contents should be emptied into the fireplace periodically. The grey water sump occasionally freezes in the winter, in which case grey water (strained of food particles) should be dumped within a three metre radius of the outhouse.
For human waste
, the outhouse
is located 10 m east of the cabin. Garbage
should not be disposed of in the outhouse. All paper garbage and food scraps should be burned, and all other garbage and unused food packed out.
park characterized by outstanding subalpine
landscapes, remnant glaciers, rugged peak
s and productive lake
s.
The Elk Lakes area has a wide variety of hiking
options. Hikers of all abilities and interests will be entertained for several days in the area. Many of the trails are appropriate for all family members with some experience in backcountry
hiking. Other trails are longer, tougher, more exposed and involve some route-finding. Everyone will be rewarded with spectacular views of craggy peaks, alpine tarns, waterfalls, glaciers, alpine flowers and mountain fauna.
Several mountaineering
objectives and a couple of difficult scrambles
can be reached from the Elk Lakes cabin. Mounts Fox, Aosta, Petain, Nivelle and Castelnau can all be summited in a moderate to long day from the cabin. There is good access to Mount Joffre from the Elk Lakes side, but a high camp is recommended if you are planning on climbing it. Guidebook information on the area is contained in the out-of-print Rocky Mountains of Canada – South, by Boles, Kruszyna and Putnam.
The Elk Lakes Cabin is very popular for backcountry skiing
in winter. It is one of the few Canadian Alpine hut
s that can be reached with cross country skis by reasonably advanced skiers. Those on alpine touring or telemark
gear should find the trip easy. The ski touring
in the area ranges from easy, flat tours to advanced ski mountaineering
. The ski touring is not described in any guidebooks, so you will have to use a map and your imagination to find your own trails and slopes.
The area has several high quality waterfall ice routes
and at least one established mixed climb.
is a BC park, and access from the Alberta side is through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
, an Alberta park. Each park has rules about dogs, fishing, bicycles and other things. In particular, dogs are not allowed on the ski trails, nor are they allowed inside the cabin at any time. Bikes
are allowed on the trail to Elk Pass (in Peter Lougheed Park) and along the power line
to the cabin, but are not allowed elsewhere in Elk Lakes Park.
There are several campgrounds in both parks, including one that is a kilometre from Elk Lakes cabin. The fees for the lower Elk Lake campground are $5 per person, per night, and it is first-come, first-served.
For more information, see the parks references.
Shows access to cabin, but not the cabin itself Cabin is 1 km west of lower Elk Lake
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
, set near the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
among massive cliff faces, waterfalls, lakes, craggy summits, and hanging icefalls in Elk Lakes Provincial Park
Elk Lakes Provincial Park
Elk Lakes Provincial Park is a provincial park in south eastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of the continental divide ....
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It is 62 km south of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
in Kananaskis Country, Alberta and 104 km north of Sparwood, British Columbia
Sparwood, British Columbia
-Newspapers:* Fernie Free Press - Weekly Paper* Elk Valley Herald - Weekly Paper* Kootenay News Advertiser - Weekly Paper* The Valley - Weekly Paper* Fernie Fix - Monthly Glossy Magazine* Black Rock News - Semimonthly-Radio stations:...
. The area has many easy trails for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, while also providing access to more serious mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
objectives. In winter, ice climbs
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
abound, and backcountry skiers
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
will find great terrain with lots of powder
Powder (substance)
A powder is a dry,thick bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...
. Overall, the terrain around the Elk Lakes cabin is quite similar to that near the Elizabeth Parker hut
Elizabeth Parker hut
The Elizabeth Parker hut is an alpine hut located in Yoho National Park in British Columbia at an altitude of 2040 metres in a small subalpine meadow about 500 metres west of Lake O'Hara. It is surrounded by some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the Canadian Rockies. The hut actually...
. 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...
.
History
The Elk Lakes cabin was built in 1992 to house BC Parks rangers. In 2003, BC Parks issued a request for proposals for the operation of the cabin for public use. 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...
(ACC) was awarded operation of the cabin as part of its extensive alpine hut
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...
system, and began operating it in the summer of 2004.
The Elk Lakes cabin was a welcome addition to the ACC's hut system. It has easy access, and a wide range of hiking, skiing and climbing opportunities in the area.
From Alberta
Hiking, Biking, Skiing or Snowshoeing
|
Parking for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, skiing
Ski touring
Ski touring is a form of backcountry skiing involving traveling over the winter landscape on skis under human power rather than through the assistance of ski lifts or snow vehicles. It can take place in terrain ranging from perfectly flat to extremely steep...
or snowshoeing into the Elk Lakes cabin is at the Elk Pass trailhead, near Upper Kananaskis Lake
Upper Kananaskis Lake
Upper Kananaskis Lake is a natural lake that was turned into a reservoir in Kananaskis Country in Alberta, Canada.Upper Kananaskis Lake is located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park along with the Lower Kananaskis Lake....
in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Alberta, Canada. The park is located in Kananaskis Country approximately 90 km west of Calgary, along the Kananaskis Trail....
. Coming from Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
or Canmore
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
, drive 50 km south of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
on Alberta Highway 40. Coming from the south, drive 17 km north from Highwood Pass
Highwood Pass
Highwood Pass is a mountain pass in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. It lies west of Mount Rae and Mount Arethusa of the Misty Range, south of the Elbow Pass.It lies within the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park...
on Highway 40. Either way, turn left (west) onto the Kananaskis Lakes Trail, and follow the road south for 12 km to the Elk Pass trailhead.
If hiking to the cabin, from the parking lot, head south on the gated gravel road right of the outhouse. Ignore several trails which leave the main trail, and follow the hiker signs 4.8 km to the Park boundaries/West Elk Pass summit. From West Elk Pass it is a 4.2 km downhill hike to the cabin.
Overhead powerline
An overhead power line is an electric power transmission line suspended by towers or utility poles. Since most of the insulation is provided by air, overhead power lines are generally the lowest-cost method of transmission for large quantities of electric energy...
which leads over Elk Pass all the way to the Elk River Forest Service Road. Once at the forest service road, turn right (west) and reach the cabin in a few hundred metres. Please note that mountain biking is not allowed elsewhere in the park. In winter, the trail is trackset
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
as far as Elk Pass. There is no avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
hazard on or near the trail.
From British Columbia
Driving
|
From the Crowsnest Highway
Crowsnest Highway
The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...
(British Columbia Highway 3), turn off at Sparwood and drive north on the Elk Valley Highway (British Columbia Highway 43) until you reach the community of Elkford
Elkford, British Columbia
Elkford is a small community in southeast British Columbia. It is nestled within the majestic Rocky Mountain range. Elkford is located 32 km North of the junction at Sparwood, on provincial Highway 43....
, a distance of 35 km. From here, travel the gravel road on the west side of the Elk River
Elk River (British Columbia)
The Elk River is a long river, in the southeastern Kootenay district of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in area. Its mean discharge is approximately 60 m³/s, with a maximum recorded discharge of 818 m³/s.-Course:...
. Approximately 47 km north of Elkford the road crosses the Elk River and joins the Kananaskis
Kananaskis Improvement District
Kananaskis Improvement District is an improvement district in Alberta, Canada. It is located within Alberta's Rockies, sharing much of its boundaries with Kananaskis Country.The administrative centre of the improvement district is Kananaskis Village....
Power Line
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
Road. It is 5.8;km from the crossing to the Cadorna Creek trailhead; the Elk Lakes trailhead is a further 16.1 km. The Elk Lakes Cabin is 150 m from the parking area. The drive takes approximately six hours from Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
or 2.5 hours from Fernie
Fernie, British Columbia
Fernie is a city in the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on BC Highway 3 on the eastern approaches to the Crowsnest Pass through the Rocky Mountains...
. Much of it is over rough gravel
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
or dirt road
Dirt road
Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...
s and cars with low clearance are not recommended.
Facilities
| Heating | Wood stove |
| Lighting | Propane |
| Cooking | Propane oven & range, cookware, dishes & utensils provided |
| Sleeping | Dormitory style on thick foam mattresses |
| Capacity | 10 |
| Drinking water | From the creek (boil or filter). Snowmelt in winter. |
| Human Waste | Outhouse |
| Dishwater | Ground sump |
| Garbage | Pack it out |
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
. The sleeping quarters are in a loft
Loft
A loft can be an upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, a loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use from some other use, often light industrial...
above the main floor.
The cabin sleeps up to 10 people on four-inch thick, covered foam mattresses found on one long bunk.
The kitchen is supplied with dishes, cutlery, utensils, pots and pans and bake ware (including roasting pans, cookie sheets, bread pans and muffin pans). There is a full size propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
, as well as some two-burner propane stoves
Kitchen stove
A kitchen stove, cooking stove, cookstove, or cooker is a kitchen appliance designed for the purpose of cooking food. Kitchen stoves rely on the application of direct heat for the cooking process and may also contain an oven, used for baking.In the industrialized world, as stoves replaced open...
for cooking. The hut is lit by several propane lights. Propane is supplied by the Alpine Club via a large outdoor tank.
Heat is supplied by a wood-burning stove
Wood fuel
Wood fuel is wood used as fuel. The burning of wood is currently the largest use of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate electricity. Wood fuel may be available as...
in the cabin. Firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
is stored in the nearby wood shed
Shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
. Users are requested to replace all firewood used with cut and split wood from the pile. The hut has a good supply of tools including water buckets, axes, saws, shovels, etc.
Drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
is available 10 m to the west of the hut from a tributary of Elkan Creek. In winter, water is from snowmelt
Snowmelt
In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced. Water produced by snowmelt is an important part of the annual water cycle in many parts of the world, in some cases contributing high...
. It is recommended that all water be boiled or filtered
Water purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
before drinking.
Grey water disposal is in a ground sump
Sump
A sump is a low space that collects any often-undesirable liquids such as water or chemicals. A sump can also be an infiltration basin used to manage surface runoff water and recharge underground aquifers....
next to the hut. Grey water can be drained directly down the sinks, but the strainer must be in place under the drain. Food scraps (including coffee grounds) should not be allowed to enter the grey water sump or it will become plugged. The strainer contents should be emptied into the fireplace periodically. The grey water sump occasionally freezes in the winter, in which case grey water (strained of food particles) should be dumped within a three metre radius of the outhouse.
For human waste
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
, the outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
is located 10 m east of the cabin. Garbage
Waste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
should not be disposed of in the outhouse. All paper garbage and food scraps should be burned, and all other garbage and unused food packed out.
Requirements
- Sleeping bag
- Toilet paper
- Newspaper for lighting the fire
- Matches
- First aid kit
- 9 volt battery for the smoke detector
- Combination lock number for the hut door (call the ACC office to confirm before going to the hut)
- Reservation form from the ACC (to show the custodian)
Activities
Located within the western ranges of the southern Rocky Mountains, Elk Lakes Provincial Park is an easily accessible wildernessWilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
park characterized by outstanding subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
landscapes, remnant glaciers, rugged peak
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
s and productive lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s.
The Elk Lakes area has a wide variety of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
options. Hikers of all abilities and interests will be entertained for several days in the area. Many of the trails are appropriate for all family members with some experience in backcountry
Backcountry
A backcountry area in general terms is a geographical region that is:* isolated* remote* undeveloped* difficult to accessThe term may apply to various regions that are reasonably close to urban areas but are:* not immediately accessible by car...
hiking. Other trails are longer, tougher, more exposed and involve some route-finding. Everyone will be rewarded with spectacular views of craggy peaks, alpine tarns, waterfalls, glaciers, alpine flowers and mountain fauna.
Several mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
objectives and a couple of difficult scrambles
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
can be reached from the Elk Lakes cabin. Mounts Fox, Aosta, Petain, Nivelle and Castelnau can all be summited in a moderate to long day from the cabin. There is good access to Mount Joffre from the Elk Lakes side, but a high camp is recommended if you are planning on climbing it. Guidebook information on the area is contained in the out-of-print Rocky Mountains of Canada – South, by Boles, Kruszyna and Putnam.
The Elk Lakes Cabin is very popular for backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
in winter. It is one of the few Canadian Alpine hut
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...
s that can be reached with cross country skis by reasonably advanced skiers. Those on alpine touring or telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
gear should find the trip easy. The ski touring
Ski touring
Ski touring is a form of backcountry skiing involving traveling over the winter landscape on skis under human power rather than through the assistance of ski lifts or snow vehicles. It can take place in terrain ranging from perfectly flat to extremely steep...
in the area ranges from easy, flat tours to advanced ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering is form of ski touring that variously combines the sports of Telemark, Alpine, and backcountry skiing with that of mountaineering...
. The ski touring is not described in any guidebooks, so you will have to use a map and your imagination to find your own trails and slopes.
The area has several high quality waterfall ice routes
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
and at least one established mixed climb.
Nearby
- Elk LakesElk Lakes (British Columbia)Upper Elk Lake and Lower Elk Lake, collectively known as the Elk Lakes, are a pair of alpine lakes in southeastern British Columbia, Canada.Upper Elk Lake is the headwaters of the Elk River...
- Elk RiverElk River (British Columbia)The Elk River is a long river, in the southeastern Kootenay district of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in area. Its mean discharge is approximately 60 m³/s, with a maximum recorded discharge of 818 m³/s.-Course:...
- Mount Aosta
- Mount Castelnau
- Mount Fox
- Mount JoffreMount JoffreMount Joffre is a mountain located on the Continental Divide, in the extreme southern tip of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta. The mountain was named in 1918 by the Interprovincial Boundary Survey after Marshal Joseph Joffre, commander-in-chief of the French Army during World War I.The...
- Mount NivelleMount NivelleMount Nivelle is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after Marshall Robert Nivelle, and is one of the series of mountains there named after French generals.-See also:...
- Mount PetainMount PétainMount Pétain is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after General Philippe Pétain....
- Petain Falls
Parks Information
Elk Lakes Provincial ParkElk Lakes Provincial Park
Elk Lakes Provincial Park is a provincial park in south eastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of the continental divide ....
is a BC park, and access from the Alberta side is through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Alberta, Canada. The park is located in Kananaskis Country approximately 90 km west of Calgary, along the Kananaskis Trail....
, an Alberta park. Each park has rules about dogs, fishing, bicycles and other things. In particular, dogs are not allowed on the ski trails, nor are they allowed inside the cabin at any time. Bikes
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
are allowed on the trail to Elk Pass (in Peter Lougheed Park) and along the power line
Power Line
Power Line is an American political blog, providing news and commentary from a conservative point-of-view. It was originally written by three lawyers who attended Dartmouth College together: John H. Hinderaker, Scott W. Johnson, and Paul Mirengoff...
to the cabin, but are not allowed elsewhere in Elk Lakes Park.
There are several campgrounds in both parks, including one that is a kilometre from Elk Lakes cabin. The fees for the lower Elk Lake campground are $5 per person, per night, and it is first-come, first-served.
For more information, see the parks references.
Maps
| Map reference | 82J/11 (Kananaskis Lakes) |
| Grid reference | 365016 |
| GPS coordinates | 50° 33' 03" N, 115° 04' 23" W NAD83 11U 0636500 5601670 |
| Hut elevation | 1720 metres (5,643 feet) |
Shows access to cabin, but not the cabin itself Cabin is 1 km west of lower Elk Lake
External links
- Elk Lakes cabin at the Alpine Club of Canada
- Elk Lakes cabin at bivouac.com
- Weather forecasts from Environment Canada Click on BC, then scroll down to Sparwood. The weather forecasts are updated 3 times daily.
- Public avalanche bulletins from the Canadian Avalanche Centre Click on Bulletins and review the section for South Rockies. The avalanche forecast is updated 3 times weekly.
- Google Earth You will find the cabin at 50° 33' 06" N - 115° 04' 40" W