The low cloud cover was beginning to form as we got more into the mountains.

As we're entering the Icefields Parkway, the visibility did not improve a smidgen.

Two and three-quarters of an hour from Calgary and the low clouds have given way to a sunny trailhead.

Almost Ready

Eighteen Eager Hikers

Now What

Bow Hut is our destination.

Our hiking route will follow along the right side of the gorge and its rushing melt waters from the glaciers. The trail goes from top to bottom, straight down the centre of the picture. Bow Hut is identified at the bottom-centre of the photo. Iceberg Lake is the round green blob in the centre. From the hut I walked out along the lower black moraine to the triangle brown area just below Iceberg Lake. At the top of the photo the gorge makes a sharp right turn into the trees. It is at this point the water becomes more intense because of the joining of melt waters coming down from numerous tributaries. And here is also where we cross the thirty foot gorge by way of a bridge constructed by nature.

Bow Glacier Falls is in the distance above the tree line, but we are not headed there. Nope! Below the shark tooth shaped, snow covered peak at the far right is where we will end up. The snow patch below the peak that goes behind the rounded mountain, and feeds Bow Glacier in the centre, is part of the Wapta Icefields. That is where we're headed. If all goes according to my plans I'll be standing just below that peak in a few hours time.

Looking back, I've increased my pace in order to catch up with the leading hikers.

Forty-five minutes from the trailhead. Some of the hikers behind me will be going straight up these steps headed towards the falls. I am making a left turn.

Since 1978, this is the fourth time I have come up to this rock bridge, and this will be the first time I have scaled it. This is Mother Nature's bridge I pointed out on the map five photos back.

With a helping hand I should be able to make it, although there are some who can't bear to watch.

Looking Down

This is really not too difficult a job getting up, although it helps to receive a bit of a boost from below. The first step can be quite a stretch for short-legged people, and as we all learned later on, the whole crotch of a pair of pants was totally ripped to shreds because of the unavailable stretching ability on the part of the pants.

The trail continues above the gorge and around the distance trees. The footing is very stable with only a few places, I am told, does it get nervously close to the edge of the cliff. GULP!

Two hiking comrades.

My other three visits in this area were to stand under Bow Falls, which is hidden in the shadows across the way. The falls is fed directly from Iceberg Lake, and the lake is the result of melt water flowing down from Bow Glacier. All this is show quite nicely by the topographical photo earlier.

As I continue up the trail, I turn and make one last photograph looking down towards Bow Lake and the boulder bridge.

The large rocky portion of the day has started, and for those hikers who do not enjoy negotiating over large rock falls this is not the place for them.

Heading up the Gorge

I am taking a not so wild stab at saying that in total there was a kilometre and then some of walking over this debris. But the boulders for the most part were pretty settled in which made the footing quite stable.