About a mile from the trailhead we reached a fabulous viewpoint that looks east across Waterton Lake. This is the same mountain, Vimy Peak, that we see out our dinette window that we showed in the September 28th blog (Chief Mountain). A week ago it just looked massive, now we think the dusting of snow enhances its beauty. That's Waterton Lake at the base.
Looking north from the viewpoint you can see the dramatic transition from plains to mountains. The town of Waterton is at the left and you can just make out the historic and elegant Prince of Wales Hotel perched over the lake.
Here's a closer view of the hotel. Many of the establishments in town are closed for the season and the Prince of Wales was one of the first to close in early September. Several people have suggested that we go up to the hotel for the million dollar view down the lake which...
I'm guessing, would look something like this. This picture was taken from the viewpoint looking south into Montana and Glacier National Park. Watertown Lakes and Glacier National Parks share a common boundary at the U.S./Canada border.
After following Bertha Creek for another mile we reached Lower Bertha Falls cascading across...
layers of resistant rock.
We crossed a bridge at the base of Lower Bertha Falls and began a long, fairly steep climb to Bertha Lake. Part of the trail climbs beside Upper Bertha Falls, 250 feet high.
The trail switchbacked frequently as it ascended into subalpine forest which, unfortunately, sheltered the trail so that in many places it was covered in ice and snow. It made for some pretty treacherous footwork, both climbing up and down.
Bertha Lake - with a depth of 165 feet, Bertha Lake is the second largest and second deepest of Waterton's high country lakes.
Bertha Ekelund was an early Waterton resident, reportedly jailed for issuing counterfeit "prescriptions" for alcohol during Prohibition. This made her into a folk hero. She was also a sometime companion of Joe Cosley. A true mountain man Cosley was, at various times between 1890 and 1930, a prospector, a trapper, and a Glacier park ranger and guide. He probably knew the landscape of Waterton-Glacier better than anyone else in his day. Cosley named many features for himself, his friends, and - in the case of Bertha and other lakes - for his occasional female companions. The lake had formerly been known as "Spirit Lake." (Graeme Pole, Classic Hikes in the Canadian Rockies)
Mount Alderson is in an alcove to the west of the lake. Waterfalls cascading down the crevice of Mt. Alderson could be heard but I don't think they show in this picture.
Look carefully and you will see that you are not looking at a pointed snowfield by at the side of the mountain and its reflection in the deep blue lake.
On the way down the trail we noticed these bear tracks that were not there when we passed earlier.
On the way back we again stopped at the viewpoint and took another picture looking down Waterton Lake to the south and Glacier National Park. That's Mount Cleveland at the far right, the highest mountain in Glacier National Park. The peak was named in 1898 for Grover Cleveland, then U.S. president. Cleveland had established the Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve the year before and the reserve became Glacier National Park in 1910.
Vimy Peak in the late afternoon sun. Contrast this picture with the first one, above.
While I was taking pictures at the viewpoint, Frederick noticed that a bench at the viewpoint had a displaced screw. He found it on the ground and replaced it in the bench.
Hike statistics:
Length - 8.6 miles
Elevation gain - 1,518 feet (187 floors on the Fitbit)
Duration - 5 hours, 24 minutes
Looks like it's time to start heading south again!
ReplyDeleteLeaving it better than you found it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice thing to say!
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