Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Opabin Plateau Circuit
• Length: 5.9 kilometers/3.7 miles (2 hours) round-trip
• Elevation gain: 250 meters/820 feet
• Rating: easy/moderate
• Trailhead: Shoreline Trail
Separated from Lake Oesa by 2,848-meter (9,344-foot) Mount Yukness, this plateau high
above the tree line dotted with small lakes is one of the most picturesque destinations in
the Canadian Rockies. The time quoted is an absolute minimum because it's easy to spend
an entire day exploring the alpine plateau and scrambling around the surrounding slopes.
Two trails lead up to the plateau, which itself is laced with trails. The most direct route
is the Opabin Plateau West Circuit, which branches right from the Shoreline Trail 300
meters (0.2 mile) beyond Lake O'Hara Lodge. It then passes Mary Lake, climbs steeply,
and reaches the plateau in a little less than two kilometers (1.2 miles). Opabin Prospect is
an excellent lookout along the edge of the plateau. From this point, take the right forks to
continue to the head of the cirque and Opabin Lake. This section of trail passes through
a lightly forested area of larch that comes alive with color the second week of Septem-
ber. From Opabin Lake, the East Circuit traverses the lower slopes of Yukness Mountain,
passing Hungabee Lake, then descending steeply to Lake O'Hara and ending back along
the Shoreline Trail 600 meters (0.4 mile) east of Lake O'Hara Lodge.
Lake McArthur
• Length: 3.5 kilometers/2.2 miles (80 minutes) one-way
• Elevation gain: 300 meters/980 feet
• Rating: easy/moderate
• Trailhead: Le Relais
A personal favorite, this trail leads to the largest and (in my opinion) most stunning body of
water in the Lake O'Hara area. Beginning from behind Le Relais, the trail passes through
an open meadow and the Elizabeth Parker Hut; stay left to reach Schèffer Lake after 1.6
kilometers (one mile). At a junction beyond that lake, the left fork leads to Lake McAr-
thur and the right fork to McArthur Pass. The lake option climbs steeply for 800 meters
(0.5 mile), then levels out and traverses a narrow ledge before entering the Lake McArthur
Cirque. (Stay high, even if trails descending into the McArthur Valley look like they offer
an easier approach.) After leveling off, the trail enters the alpine zone and quickly reaches
its maximum elevation and the first views of Lake McArthur. Backed by Mount Biddle
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