The Iceline Trail

The Iceline trail had been on a vague mental to-do list for a while (actually, who am I kidding, it’s no longer a mental to do list, it’s a fancy google map with annotations and hike lengths, filled with dreams of endless time and money). But a few weeks ago a friend wanted to hike it, invited me, I couldn’t make it, but then she came back exclaiming how awesome it was. And so from there a plan was born. Gorgeous sunny weather, Sunday with nothing planned – why not? Let’s go.

We’d never even been to Takakkaw Falls before, which is a big tourist destination, and right where the hike starts, over in Yoho National Park.

The plan was to hike along the Iceline Trail first, climbing up above the Hostel, and then hopefully making it all the way over to the Stanley Mitchell ACC Hut, and then down and out via Laughing Falls and back to the car. There are a few different options for making the loop though – with the option of an extension out along the Whaleback Trail (out to Twin Falls), or a shorter return via Celeste Lake on the Highline Trail.

But despite a slow start, the Moosling was a champion again, even after his big hiking day yesterday. He warmed up to the trail and delighted in all the rocks and streams as we traversed along the bench below the glaciers on the Iceline. He’s now learnt about stopping and taking your shoes and socks off to soak your feet when you get to a stream though, and was pretty keen to do so at every single stream we crossed.

The views really were amazing (you can see over to the Wapta Icefield, amongst other very cool things), and it’s definitely one of my top three Canadian hikes – I would love to come back and run it too – maybe covering some of the extra trail we missed this time.

And apparently toddler-pace is a steady jog. He only stopped running when he fell down. Or occasionally for help over rocky sections.

He certainly put the trail runners we saw to shame.

Eventually though, the running machine needed to nap, and so he went into the Ergo, and we hiked on. Down off the Iceline bench and into the trees again, past some lovely flowery meadows.

A brief stop at Stanley Mitchell hut, to check things out, then onwards down the trail. We were trying to cover as much distance as we could while we didn’t have to worry about toddler herding.

He woke up not long before Laughing Falls though, and walked the rest of the way down the switchbacks to reach the Falls (and dabble his feet in the water yet again).

After Laughing Falls, the trail did begin to drag a little. We’d walked it in the direction we did in case of afternoon storms, or in case a waning toddler meant we had to turn back instead of continuing around the loop. But the endless trudge was made even more endless as the Moosling began to decide he didn’t want to walk, but he didn’t want to be carried either. He just wanted to find sticks to play with in the trees. We lured him on with leg bridges, and games of chasies, and ‘Find Mama behind the tree’. And eventually Takakkaw Falls were in view again.

We walked the side trip up to the base of the falls, for the lovely cool spray of a rampaging waterfall on hot hikers. Then it was back to the car and driving home, after a long and satisfying day.

Distance: 22km
Elevation gain: 875m
Max elevation: ~2230m
Car to car time taken: About 7.5 hours (yes, not a speed assault of the loop by any means)
Trailhead: Takakkaw Falls parking lot, or the road next to it
Toddlerability: No Chariot, but fine with an Ergo/backpack. Lots of rocks and streams.