Bald Hills

We have taken the cruise boat on Maligne Lake at least twice and I have looked at the surrounding mountain peaks and wondered what it would be like hike up into those magnificent mountains. Today was the day to find out.

The weather forecast for today was mostly sunny with a high of 88 in Jasper (with 16% humidity!) and the next few days look to have thunderstorms so we decided to hike the "outstanding" hike of Maligne Lake - Bald Hills. All the hiking books are unanimous in describing the views from the Bald Hills as some of the finest in the Rockies.

Although all are unanimous in extolling the destination they also admit that the hike can be quite strenuous because you reach the viewpoints in such a short distance. And, as most of the books say about strenuous hikes, the effort is worth it!! That is certainly true of today's hike. (Normally we wouldn't do three strenuous hikes on three consecutive days, but the weather does have a way of deciding things for us.)

Start of the trail. You can see the Bald Hills, bald with the absence of trees. 

The Bald Hills are actually a ridge with a series of lookouts, the highest being the summit of the second bald hill (7610-ft) which is crowned with a big, stoneman cairn. Here's Frederick approaching the summit.

He made it! - the huge cairn and our lunch spot

The Queen Elizabeth Ranges on the far side of Maligne Lake.

See the little cruise boat on Maligne Lake? Heading for Spirit Island, no doubt.

I was charmed by the rick-rack design on this mountain across the lake.

Lunch over we're ready to begin exploring some of the other viewpoints.

(If the above pictures look a little weird it's because I didn't check the camera setting and it was on "food". The lighting is a little off because of that.)

Hiking the ridge between viewpoints. The rounded shapes of the Bald Hills indicate that they were completely covered by glacial ice during the Late Wisconsin Glaciation. 

Looking back at the gigantic carin where we ate our lunch. The farther viewpoint looks like it is higher, but it's not. 

Frederick passing kruppleholz, nature's bonsai. This is looking north and you can see where the Jacques Lake Trail (blog post for August 2) threads between the Colin and Queen Elizabeth ranges. 

This mountain range is called the Endless Chain Ridge.

Heading down off the second viewpoint. You can see that trails go off to a number of other viewpoints that will have to wait for another day. This is looking south where you can just see Mt. Columbia, North Twin, and Mt. Alberta, respectively 2nd - 3rd-, and 6th-highest peaks in the Rockies; and 1- 2 - 3 in Alberta.

Another view of Maligne Lake.

The highest peak (just cut off) is Samson Peak, over 10,000-ft, and the highest in the Queen Elizabeth Range.  See the little cruise boat in the center bottom of the picture?

View toward the rust-colored Opal Hills (blog post August 1).

One last look at Maligne Lake as we begin to head down.

Samson Peak above the trees as viewed on the trail down.

Opal Hills on the way down.

Almost down and Maligne Lake through the trees.

A look up at Opal Hills.