Bob Beck, Jim Beck

Jim bought himself a pile of decent gear after my taking him into Turbine Canyon last year, and was dying to go hiking. With a weekend to do it in, we left at noon friday from edmonton with two cars, left one at the northern trailhead and drove up to Maligne Lake - hitting the southern trailhead at 5 PM. We hiked 13 km to snowbowl on the friday, had dinner and camped. The next day we did 18 km from Snowbowl Campground across Big Shovel and Little Shovel passes, to Tekkara Campground, arriving just in time to shelter from a downpour, which broke by 8 pm allowing us to eat dinner and then have an early night. We got up the next morning and did the 6 km of nice stuff around signal mountain, followed by the 9 km trudge down the old fire road to the northern trailhead.

Weather was intermittent cloud, with bits of sun. Not too bad, although no Mount Robson visible from the top this time.

From the trailhead a quick vehicle shuttle was followed by dodging sheep feeding tourons on the road, to have dinner at the L & W restaurant (good food and just trashy enough to go into in stinky hiking clothes) in Hinton, and the drive back to Edmonton Sunday evening, arriving home at about 7:30 PM.

Gear and Notes

	New trailhead sign at northern trailhead		Jim at Evelyn Creek	Evelyn Creek

		This Black Dog was sent by my niece paige	So I would have an animal to sleep with

		Guarding my trekking pole		Trail climbing out of Evelyn creek

	The Bald Hills froom the trail.

			Looking back toward Maligne Lake

			Opal Peak on the left.

	Approaching Little Shovel Pass.	The bottom of Little Shovel pass with sun shining.	I head toward Little shovel with the sinking sun.

				Crossing the first of many drifts still left.

				Sun rays in Little Shovel Pass.

				last look back at the Maligne Lake area.

				Snowball tracks from recent blizzard.

			Me at Little Shovel pass.

				Descending into the Snow Bowl.

		Rock Hopping.

	Sun setting in snowbowl.			My hammock site in snowbowl campground.

	Just before sunrise in snowbowl	Jim's new digs - SMD Lunar Solo		Morning was very frosty. Hard frost everywhere.

			Sun slowly comes up behind mountains	Jim's brand new Caldera Cone.

	Versus my old ratty Penny Stove.	View from the breakfast table in snowbowl CG		New skyline throne - these replaced old ones last year.

	The sign and "Lumpy" are new this year.			View from the throne in snowbowl.

		Leaving snowbowl CG.

			Looking across the Snow Bowl towards big shovel pass on the right.

	Trail level view across snowbowl.

	Posing in melt cave.

		We were too early for most of the flowers in snowbowl.

				Black dog checks out the flowers.

		Old grizzly track.

		The trail up to big shovel pass.

			Big Shovel Pass	View of the notch from Big Shovel pass.

	we're heading for that notch.

				heading towards the notch and curator lake.

		looking back at big shovel pass.

				the start of the ascent to the notch.

				Moss Campion.

		The red rocks.

			Marmot	the trail heads past curator lake and up.

			Marmot posing.

	Golden Mantle Squirrel		More squirrel..

		little tarn, last water before climb - we filled up here.

				Cornice on the notch.

	Last bit of climb across snow. Too busy concentrating to take more pictures of this.	At the top of the notch, looking back over curator and big shovel	looking toward whistlers and jasper.	Athabasca valley from the notch.

	Mt Edith Cavell from the notch.			Dont walk there. it's a long drop.

				Cavell..

		looking back down to curator lake - you can see the trail.	Jim at the notch.	Me at the notch.

	Me wandering around the notch saddle.		Time to find the warm stuff. it's cold up here.

		starting out towards amber mountain from the notch.

	hikers heading towards the notch.			skyline ambles across the mountaintops.

	Jim has the skyline grin - he hasn't hiked this before.

		Marmot basin ski area from the skyline.		Obligatory self photo.

		The correct way to pee in 80km/hr winds is facing away from it.		The watchtower.

	skyline is a pretty nice ridgewalk.			Plenty of snow, even in july.

	Southward view from the top of skyline.

		little avy from recent blizzard.

	Jasper townsite comes into view.

	Me at the apex of skyline on amber mountain.

	Jim with Mount Tekkara	Me and Tekkara.

			more snow to cross heading down into the Tekkara basin

		Switchbacks heading down into Tekkara basin.

	Tekkara is imposing.

	Dodging a huge drift to hit trail again, I did a small butt glissade at the bottom of that patch.		The descent into Tekkara.

		Hello mister marmot.

			The big glacial erratic on the way down.

		trail descends through the alpine to tekkara.		Marmot butt.

			mount Tekkara - approaching the campground. storms threaten.	Got my tarp up just as it started. Timing!

	Sitting in my hammock watching the rain, and Jim's Lunar Solo.	A break in the rain, so out for dinner.

	Morning view of Tekkara - note the typical sized mosquito landing on top.	Jim brought cereal, and shared, so I have a little Captain in me. (Crunch, not Morgan)	Sunny departure from tekkara campground.

		tekkara CG bear pole

			skyline heads around signal mountain.

			Me, with the athabasca and yellowhead highway below.

				The back side of Mount Tekkara from signal.

	that little blob of buildings is the maligne canyon centre, near the trailhead.	Athabasca, and Highway 16

		Last year all the englemann spruce had cones - just remnants this year.

		skyline sign at signal campground.		an old fire road descends from signal campground to the trailhead.

	the fire road is a trudge.			bear poop. there was about a pile per kilometer heading down from signal CG

			plenty of elk poop as well.

		Trailhead comes into view.	Great Divide Trail sign at the northern end of skyline.

		Bighorns stopping tourons on the highway.	Medecine lake - heading back up to get my car.	Maligne lake lot, full of land yachts.

	heading out, quick shot of maligne lake from bridge.	Tourons blocking the road for sheep. Grr.	Signal mountain and athabasca river from the road.

			More sheep/touron traffic jams.

	Apres Hike supper at the L&W in Hinton.

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