Kootenay Park – Part 6
On our right, the Rockwall continued right up to Numa Pass.
Kootenay National Park: Helmet Falls to Floe Lake
Saturday July 29th, 2017
We arose early as we suspected that it might be a very hot day. The tables on the peninsula were completely deserted and we settled in there for a fine breakfast. First, though, I took some time to photograph the amazing morning reflections on the lake.
After breakfast, we broke camp and started our descent back to civilization. We started off in lush forest, but soon came to a stark border between the previously burnt area what had been spared by the forest fire many years ago. Even though there had been a forest fire, our problems with dead fall continued.
In the burned over area, fireweed appeared and put on an amazing display of purple color. In places, it was shoulder high. Soon we came to a massive avalanche. Fortunately it had been partly cleared by the Parks employees, and was not difficult to cross. This would be our last avalanche crossing of the trail. We were joined here by the couple from Vancouver that we had met on our first morning of the trail, and we stopped and took some photographs of each other with the avalanche as a backdrop.
There were no trees to provide shade, and it became quite warm. After several kilometers, we were glad to come to our first stream. Here there was a shady nook where we could take a break. We filtered water to refill our bottles, and had a good cool rest.
After we had cooled off and had a good rest, we got on our way again. The fireweed was truly amazing. Whole mountain sides shimmered with it, and the brilliant purple of the fireweed contrasted sharply with the grey and black of the burned forest.
We began to meet a few fellow hikers coming up from below. We did not envy them the hot uphill hike they had before them before they would reach Floe Lake. We continued downhill through the flowers, but we too became warmer and warmer. Our attention was diverted from our shade less hike for a while when we met two young partridges on the trail and their mother. Then we continued on downhill.
Eventually, at lower elevations, a new forest of brilliant green lodgepole pines appeared along our trail. They were only a few feet high, but became higher and higher as we descended further.
At lower elevations, a new forest of dense lodgepole pine began to appear, but there was still no shade.
We were badly in need of a break and it was time for lunch, but there was no shade and nothing to sit on. Then, suddenly, as we rounded a corner in the trail we saw a sight for sore eyes. A small clump of trees alongside a creek had been spared by the fire, and under the trees were some very comfortable-looking blocks of wood. The shady alcove was an answer to our prayers. Soon we were relaxing in the shade, munching our lunch, and rehydrating from our water bottles.
We met two hikers here that we had seen a few times at various campgrounds over the last few day. One was from Montreal, and one was from France. They were having a good time in western Canada. Unlike us, their vehicle was parked at the Paint Pots rather than at Floe Lake. They planned to hitch hike from the end of our trail at the Floe Lake parking lot to the Paint Pots, where we had all started from. They left the resting area about 15 minutes before us, but as we will see, we were to soon see them again.
After 20 minutes, refreshed, we were once again on our way. The new pine forest grew ever taller as we descended into ever lower elevations. Eventually we came to the bridge across the Vermillion River, and we knew it would not be far to the parking lot. The river here was fast and narrow, and quite different from the broad river we had crossed at the Paint Pots.
The Vermillion River here was fast flowing and constrained by a narrow rocky channel.
Once over the bridge, it was only a matter of time before we reached the parking lot, but it seemed like quite some distance in the heat. At the parking lot, we were greeted by a ranger who demanded to see our camping permit. Fortunately I had it handy.
Then we met the two French hikers, who were still in the parking lot. They informed us that the ranger had told them that hitch-hiking in the national park was illegal, and at the same time would not drive them to the Paint Pots to get their vehicle herself. They were unsure what to do, but fortunately we had room and were able to give one of them a ride so that they could get their van.
Thus our hike ended with the opportunity for me to repay the favour I had received from someone else at the start of our hike, where I was given a lift to our starting point at the Paint Pots when I brought our Jeep to the Floe Lake parking lot. It was a suitable ending to a wonderful adventure.
The end
At lower elevations, a new forest of dense lodgepole pine began to appear, but there was still no shade.
