Emerald Lake Triangle

November 11, 2015 by Bill Rowe ·

L to R Emerald Peak,Mt Marpole,The President & Vice President

October 16th 2015

Yoho National Park and Emerald Lake. The Emerald Lake Triangle hike starts from the tourist parking lot at Emerald lake Lodge. Called the triangle because it en-compasses three trails.The Yoho Pass Trail, the Wapta Highline Trail and the Burgess Pass Trail. We went around in a clockwise direction. Starting from the washrooms and walking around the lake for 1.6 km. The next 4.7 km is on the Wapta Trail. The fist part is flat through the alluvial fan from the Emerald Basin. Then it rises up past the waterfall from the Emerald Glacier before reaching the junction with Yoho Pass and Wapta Highline. At this junction you could walk through the Pass into Yoho Valley and onto the Iceline Trail or down to Takakkaw Falls. We went right onto the Wapta Highline towards the world famous Burgess Shale. Mt Wapta at 2778 m climbs high above you on your left. This section is 6.1km and once out of the trees Emerald Lake is a mirror of turquoise below. The Presidents range covered in glaciers come into view and snow capped Mt Carnarvon stands tall above Emerald Peak. Warning signs not to go on the Burgess Shale are everywhere on this part of the route. As you go past Mt Field the triangle reaches its third point at Burgess Pass. Back to the lake is a 5.8 km series of switch backs. Into Field is a 52 section of switch backs of 7.6 km. After a knee jerking decent it is a short walk of 0.8 km back along the lake and through the grounds of the Lodge back to the car.