Friday, July 25, 2008

Waterton National Park - Crypt Lake

The second of the two premier day hikes in Waterton National Park is to Crypt Lake. It's 11 miles out and back with over 2,500' of climbing- and you have to take a shuttle across the lake to the trailhead.
About 2 miles into the hike we saw a grizzly bear; but of course, our camera doesn't have a big enough lens to get a decent picture - so we'll just tell you that we saw it and not bother to post the picture of the woods with the brown spot in the middle... It was actually the second grizzly bear we've seen in Waterton. But darn! Those elusive bears just don't want to be photographed. So here's a great scenery shot, with the moon, instead.
The waterfall that flows down from Crypt Lake.
Brian climbs the metal ladder up to the tunnel.
The flash really lit this up! It was pitch dark in the tunnel; and super, super narrow. Brian had to take his pack off to get through. And this was the wide/tall part!
We exited the tunnel onto a narrow ledge that dropped several hundred feet down to the canyon floor. Then we had to scurry up the mountainside to the trail that ultimately led to the lake.
Ah! The lake! Time for a brief rest and some snacks!
The 2 of us enjoying Crypt Lake!
The trip down over the loose shale was sometimes a challenge!
After 11+ miles, we re-boarded the shuttle for the short trip back to town. Another incredible day!