Trail to Crypt Lake

Waterton Lakes National Park

Alberta, Canada

“. . .There is in some minds a tendency toward a wrong love of the marvelous and mysterious, which leads to the belief that whatever is remote must be better than what is near." - John Muir, “Alaska Gold Fields,” 1880

Directions: Find your way to Waterton Townsite in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada. From the town dock, take the water taxi across Upper Waterton Lake to Crypt Landing. Take the trail to your right and follow the signs.

Grade: Strenuous. Elevation gain of 2,200 feet.

Distance: 10.6 miles round trip.

Time: Six to seven hours.

Special Conditions: This is bear country, so try to understand the mind of a grizzly. Dress for warm summer days, but be prepared for afternoon thunderstorms. This trail will be a challenge for anyone uncomfortable on narrow, exposed trails. For information, call Waterton Lakes National; Park, 403-859-5133 or check the website at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/waterton

Last June we made our first trip to the Canadian Rockies. My wife and I both grew up near the Rockies of Colorado, and I have tramped through the Sierras of California for hundreds of miles, but I have to say that the Canadian Rockies stand head and shoulders above both.

After visitng the Canadian Rockies, we admit that not all mountain ranges are equal. From lakes that glisten like sapphires to glaciers clinging to rocky peaks, this is one beautiful mountain range. It started as an inland sea, then an uplift created by Tectonic forces, followed by the Ice Age with glaciers scouring the peaks as they gradually moved downhill forming terminal moraines that act as natural dams for many of the lakes along the range.

From the Canadian border to Jasper, the road is good, accommodations are plentiful, and the scenery is beyond description. You really have to see it for yourself.

Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park are neighbors, coming together at the international border—Glacier in Montana and Waterton Lake in Alberta. In 1932 these two parks were designated the first International Peace Park to commemorate the bonds of peace and friendship between the United States and Canada.

We spent a couple of days at Waterton Village, including a day on the trail to Crypt Lake. This is reputed to be one of the “10 Best Day Hikes In Canada” and has been described as having “more tricks and amusements than any other trail in the Rockies” (“The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide,” Patton and Robinson, Summerthought Ltd., 2002).

The guidebook continues, “You cross the Rockies windiest lake by tour boat, ascend a narrow valley past a starcase of waterfalls, climb an iron ladder, crawl through a tunnel, tippy-toe along a cliff whilst clinging to a cable, and skirt above a precipice where a stream suddenly bursts from underground and plunges 175 m.” And that is probably how this lake was named—for the underground chamber through which water passes from the lake to the rocks 575 feet below. What the authors don’t mention is the 15-minute dialog by the boat driver as you motor across the lake on how to deal with grizzly bears and how you will spend a lonely night at Crypt Landing if you miss the return boat.

We found this dramatic description right on target. From the boat dock (no facilities—just a dock), we began climbing up heavily forested Hell-Roaring Canyon. In a quarter-mile, you intersect with a side trail to Hell-Roaring Falls. We continued on the main trail,opting for the falls on our return. The trail switchbacks through the forest with occasional views of Waterton Lake. At 1.5 mile, we rounded the last switchback and began a long, upward trek along the mountainside. The higher we climbed, the better the views into the canyon became, and behind us were the peaks west of Waterton Lake.

At the five-mile mark, we arrived at the Crypt Lake backpack campground, and the real fun began. This part of the trail is “not well suited for the claustrophobic, acrophobic, or obese.” First, we walked along a talus slop (that is, loose rock or rock debris) for a short distance to a metal ladder that led to a cramped 65-foot-long tunnel. On the other side, we moved along a ledge and exposed boulders with the help of well-set cables. Soon we reached the protection of trees and continued to the entrance of Crypt Cirque—the lakes outlet stream.

When we took this hike in late June, we had to climb through snowfields, and the lake was still covered with ice. Later in the season (August is best), you can walk to the far end of the lake, which is at the United States-Canada boundary.

Watch your time to meet the return boat. We were running late and didn’t have time to visit Hell-Roaring Falls, so we had to save that for next time.

And we are pleased to report that all of our loud, animated conversation on the trail worked out—not a grizzly was seen.

Your comments and hiking suggestions are always welcome. Email tom@tomdavids.com

Footnote: Check out the Weekly Walker Web site at www.weeklywalker.com.