My vote is for early August in hopes of getting some decent weather and conditions. I've been there a few times and my last trip was in July and a late snowmelt and high avalanche hazards prevented me from doing some of the routes I wanted to do. September brings the chance of snow and bad weather so I am going for August this time.
The plan would be for everyoneto get together for say 3 or 4 days out of longer trips (for example, Carmel and I will be there for 2 weeks). I think a great place for us to get together would be Lake O'hara in Yoho. We can all spend 3 or 4 days there and then we can all split up into smaller groups or do whatever we want to do - climb, scramble, hike, backpack, mountain bike. Since many trails there have minimum party size restrictions due to bear activity (it used to be 4 but I think it might be up to 6 in some areas now) this would be a great opportunity for people to be able to hike areas they want to go to with people they know (instead of waiting around at a trailhead and hoping to join a different group).
If we are going to do the gathering at
Lake O'hara then we need to get going and plan it out. I'll be clear that our plan is to camp there but if you have tons of cash and want to stay in luxury you can stay at the Lake O'hara Lodge (like $500 a night or something crazy like that). To access and camp at Lake O'hara you need to reserve a bus ride down the 7 mile dirt road (this is done to limit access to the area). The bust ride is about $15 round trip. Camping has to be reserved as well and is about $10 per adult per night.
Reservations are pretty much required. They can be made 3 months in advance by phone only. We might find out that depending on the number of us that go it might just be too difficult to get us all into Lake O'hara. Restrictions:
- Dates requested: maximum of 3 nights for camping
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- Number of campsites: maximum of 2 sites per party and 1 tent per site
- Baggage is restricted to two small bags per person (max. weight: 25 kg; max length + width + height: must not exceed 158 cm/62”).
- Hard sided food coolers and storage bins and items stored in plastic bags or loose items will not be accepted on the bus.Please leave musical instruments, radios and lawn chairs behind.
- Communal facilities include two kitchen shelters with wood stoves; a fire pit; separate food and garbage storage; grey water disposal; pit privies; firewood and a splitting maul; and well water (not always available early and late season).
- Primus stove required for cooking.
- Bear-aware procedures for cooking, and storing food and garbage must be observed.
- Tent pads (2.7m X 2.7m) are designed for small backpacking tents. One tent per campsite.
- Campers choose their site once they arrive. It’s not always possible for parties to camp at adjacent sites.
If it ends up that there are only 8 of us going to the Canadian Rockies then Lake O'Hara could be a go for the main event. If 25 of us are going then we will have to do the main event somewhere else.
I can however tell you that it is worth dealing with / getting these reservations and the 7 mile 4 wheel drive school bus ride. The place is amazing. It will not be a party fest like some other gatherings but it could be very cool to get together there.
If people have other ideas or dont want the main big get together to be at Lake O'hara, then we can do it someplace else and then those of us that want to go to Lake O'hara can go there after the main gathering.
Ideas?
Aloha
- darren
ps: thanks for waiting for me for "10.0"
