Lake O’Hara fire road. Photo from Feb 2018.
Update Fri Jan 24: Skogan Pass trails were trackset this morning. Every trail at MT Shark was trackset last night.
Jan 23, 2020
Lake O’Hara news
Lake O’Hara Lodge opens one week from today. The Lake O’Hara fire road will be trackset sometime before Jan 30. I couldn’t get an exact date.
The lodge will be offering lunch to daytrippers on Saturdays and Sundays between noon – 2 pm. Payment for lunch is cash only.
Tracksetting Updates
PLPP: Jan 22 Elk Pass, Blueberry Hill, Hydroline, and Fox Creek.
Banff: Jan 22 Cascade Valley to the 6K campground; Upper Bankhead.
Jan 23: PD’s trip report indicated some tracksetting on Spray River West.
Lake Louise: Forrest, Lake surface, Great Divide.
Paula and her dog Stella
Name change: On today’s update from the Heritage Guides at Lake Louise, the Shoreline trail is now known as “Forrest.” People were always confusing the Shoreline trail with the trail on the lake surface(known as Lake Trail, or Lake surface). I’ve seldom seen spelling mistakes from the Heritage Guides, so I assume they really mean “Forrest” and not forest.
More dog-friendly trails at Lake Louise
Update: It ultimately turns out that this was an error on the Banff/Lake Louise trail report. Upper and Lower Tramline, Peyto, and Upper Telemark do not allow dogs.
Paula brought to my attention that a number of new trails at Lake Louise have become dog-friendly this winter. I am surmising this was done because the Pipestone trails are not available. There’s still no word on when or if the Pipestone trails will be available for skiing this winter.
Pipestone tomorrow… Yahoo!
Fantastic. Look forward to your report chuck about what is actually happening out there. I have no idea what pipestone loop and Drummond being “partially closed” means. Web site says check trail details, but then no details at all regarding any partial closure, other than saying abide by signage and closures. Couldn’t really get more uninformative as the site for public information. But it’s easy to be a critic. Anybody have any inside info on what this actually means?
Pipestone
According to the Banff National Park Trail Condition report, most of Pipestone was trackset today!
Banff National Park is a joke. Their trail report sucks. Their grooming sucks. Now they can’t figure out which trails are dog-friendly. They need to get their *#% together.
That was an error.
As before, DOGS NOT ALLOWED has been reinstated on the Parks Website!
I guess Lake Louise is “going to the dogs”. Think I will be driving out to Field and O’Hara end of the Great Divide more often. Thought the current available trails were generous enough for those who love skiing with their dogs but turning Tramline (both Upper and Lower) and Peyto into “Dogs on lease permitted” to me is a HUGE disappointment and mistake. I know many will be in disagreement with me, but I am stating my opinion once and only once on this matter and that is now.
I also wish we could get a formal update on Parks website on Pipestone. Is it going to open for the season? When approximately? I think writing something on the website re. current status of the construction process is in order.
Forrest Gump, vs. Can’t see the “forest” for the trees? Approved by head office perhaps.
Kazzy will be ecstatic! Thanks for the update.
Great news for our K9 friends , now its worth making the drive out to Lake Louise with our best friends.