Dressed For Success

Do you ever come back from vacation feeling like you need another vacation? Not that camping in sub zero temperatures and climbing mountains was particularly relaxing but coming home to attempt to fall right back into a routine is not an easy task. It's been a crazy few weeks but I am here with more Alberta adventure stories, the flash snowstorm and the views that should have been. Day 2 I woke up not expecting to be able to walk, our expedition from the day before still frustrating me but also leaving me determined to be more successful than the day before. Over dinner after my near death experience, we had half assed planned a 20k loop, hardly any elevation gain but some nice view points including waterfalls (anyone that knows me knows that I am a sucker for falling water) but this morning had me feeling like I can technically hike to waterfalls back home, I came to climb mountains, I'm not going to back down from another challenge. So over a delicious breakfast from a bakery down the road (JK Bakery - for anyone staying near Canmore, it was charming, wonderful staff and delicious food) we decided to tackle the Devils Thumb via Lake Agnes hike. The out and back trip is just under 13k and 1000m of elevation gain, some gorgeous lakes and is rated on AllTrails as hard, although without the snowstorm we found ourselves in, I would rate it as moderate, if you're in decent hiking shape.

The Packing The trail starts at Lake Louise and after my last experience a few weeks prior attempting to find parking here, I was dreading the potential disaster of trying to find parking. However, thanks to it being later in the season, mid morning on a weekday and only 8 degrees out, we found ourselves in a next to empty parking lot. After checking the weather network which only called for some chilly wind, we packed our hiking bags expecting the worst. (Stay tuned for a future post about what I pack on my adventures!) One thing I have learned, especially when heading out solo is that it's better to be overprepared than underprepared and the extra few pounds a warm jacket adds to your pack could potentially be life saving. Already wearing base layers, we tossed on an extra layer of fleece, packed gloves, hot packs, hats and jackets and of course, snacks and water. The Hike We spent a few minutes enjoying the beauty of Lake Louise, if you have been on social media at any point in the last few months, you've seen the classic photo a hundred times. The stunning blue water, picturesque mountains and rocks perfectly situated for some great pictures. Once again, a place I expected to be overflowing with people was surprisingly empty which made my crowd-hating self pretty happy with the experience. The trail to Lake Agnes isn't far from the parking lot, if you stay left you stay on the Lake Louise Lookout trail, head right and find yourself almost instantly on a steady climb up to Lake Agnes. This trail was moderately busy, many people taking their time checking out the few viewpoints on the way up and resting their legs from the burn of the climb.

Lake Louise

On the way to Lake Agnes, you'll find yourself stumbling across Mirror Lake and this moment was one of my favourite from the entire trip. As we crested the incline leading to the lake, it began to snow and instantly the Lake Agnes waterfall was audible. There were no other hikers around and the joy I felt was instantaneous. I couldn't help but soak in every aspect of that moment, the mountain air in my lungs, the chill of the snow falling on my warm face, the peace of the waterfall and the epic calm the entire moment instilled in me. I stood at the edge of the lake for what felt like an eternity (but in reality was probably only a few minutes) letting myself just exist in a moment I know I'll remember for the rest of my life. Happiness escaped me in giggles and a smile that melted away the shivers the snow was delivering as it started to fall harder.

Mirror Lake

After I tore myself away from the view, Lake Agnes wasn't much further of a trek uphill. At the bottom of the steps leading to the infamous teahouse, we found the waterfall I had heard earlier and I of course needed a photo and a moment to feel the icy water on my skin.

Choosing not to stop and enjoy the teahouse because our real destination was still so far ahead of us, we only enjoyed the sites of Lake Agnes for a moment before carrying on. The snow had stopped and we were on a mission to keep moving forward, after a small snack and a brief conversation with a solo hiker enjoying her lunch and the view, we powered ahead. If you have completed this hike, you know what comes next. If you haven't, the change in difficulty significantly increases in this moment. While the incline to the teahouse was average, not impossible for even someone who doesn't do much hiking, the switchback leading up to the trailhead of Devils Thumb is humbling. We managed to climb it rather quickly thanks to both our determination and excitement with only minimal calf and thigh burn and one break to appreciate the view.

Devils Thumb is the tall peak playing peakaboo behind the clouds.

The Ascent

This is where the hike gets exciting. The snow is back, the trail is not well marked meaning some wayfinding and wrong turns and the terrain much more difficult. There are scrambles, climbs, some passes that make the butt tickle if you look down and the extra adrenaline rush of the snow making things a little more slick than they should have been. We decided to stop and add some layers since both the elevation and the snow were contributing to dropping temperatures, had a quick conversation about "are we really going to hike in this?" and decided we'd continue to re-evaluate as conditions changed.

Conditions changed. But it was a circumstance where we either sat and waited out a storm that came from no where, and we were sure was going to end any time soon, continue up to the summit or turn around and attempt a sketchy decent. We decided we still did not feel unsafe, and still had plenty of safety gear including crampons, an SO equipped GPS, plenty of snacks, water and warm clothing to keep hiking. So, we hiked. Summiting Devils Thumb was incredibly rewarding because of the added difficulties of the climb but thanks to the storm, our view was equivalent to that of being trapped inside a ping pong ball. We could see each other and some rocks and just pure white and not much else. Add in the wind factor and as excited as I was to have reached the top, I was more excited to get the heck off the unforgiving peak. It was then, we realized that our wayfinding skills would be put to the test.

Happy Sarah at the summit

The Descent The snow had already covered our tracks from the way up and the rocky terrain meant there was no path to follow down. We took turns navigating the descent, talking over the best ways to reach the trail we could see much further down the way and complaining about being cold. (Okay, that last one was mostly me.)

Rocks and snow and no path in sight

Once we reached the trail, we both felt a lot safer and while the snow was still falling, it was lightening up giving us better visibility. The trail was slick but not unsafe, requiring we watch our footing but many sections of passes weren't covered with snow allowing us to make up time in these areas. One of my favourite parts of this hike was being in the clouds. Once the weather began to let up, we were able to appreciate the beauty we were surrounded by and being able to practically reach out and touch the clouds floating along beside us was one of the craziest and most magical things I’ve ever experienced.

In the clouds

The switchback came sooner than either of us was expecting and though covered in snow, was much easier to climb down than up. Reaching Lake Agnes was both a relief and mildly frustrating because when we turned around and looked up, we could see the peak of Devils Thumb clear as anything. The storm had stopped meaning the view we had hoped for when we climbed would now be visible and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a moment of consideration of making the climb again just to have the benefit of the great lookout.

View of Devils Thumb after the descent

Knowing we still had to make our way back to the car, the fact that it was getting late and I was getting hungry (he's always hungry...) meant we carry on and take the W for the climb but the L on the viewpoint. Be Prepared This will definitely be one of my favourite adventures for along time to come. From the incredible views the entire way, the unmatched joy at Mirror Lake and the slight adrenaline pumping fun of the technical hike, I loved every minute of this climb. But if we had not been prepared for the circumstances it could have gone entirely different.

When setting out on hikes, especially in areas you aren't usually adventuring in, be sure to read up on local advice and tips and tricks. Pack one more layer than you think you'll need, an an extra snack in case you end up lost or injured and forced to spend hours, or worse, the night, before being able to get help. Don't listen to the weather network when it tells you there is no chance of rain or snow, especially in the mountains, the weather is always unpredictable. Without proper trail shoes we could have been in for a lot of slipping hazards, no gloves and hats could have meant frostbite and no jackets could have lead to hypothermia if the unthinkable happened and we had been stuck there for an extended period of time.

I highly recommend this hike to anyone looking for a moderate challenge with rewarding views, even if a poorly timed snowstorm means your view is non-existent, you'll be glad you made the climb. Safe hiking, friends.

Lake Agnes from top of switchback

For anyone exceptionally curious what our view should have been, here’s a photo I stole from google.

The Devils Thumb Lookout view we didn’t get