Aug 30, 2011
This was a guided hike organized through Parks Canada. Unauthorized entry to the Burgess Shale is forbidden - though I have to say the signage there is really rather polite.
If you have no interest in the Burgess Shale, this hike probably isn't worth doing - it's a long day at the pace set by the guide, even though there are some fantastic views. If you have even the slightest curiosity or interest in fossils and the history of life on Earth then it is absolutely worth doing, even at $70 a go. The schedule has time for about an hour at the Walcott Quarry to look around and search for fossils. They were fairly easy to find (mostly limpets and trilobites) but you have to think small. Most are thumbnail size or smaller - you won't find any dinosaurs here (duh). Of course you can't take any of them home!
The trail is in good condition all the way to the quarry, apart from the offending horse poop on the first section (which distracts from the occasional views of Takkakaw Falls). Yoho Lake looks like a pleasant place to camp and was empty as we passed through. The flower meadows were in full bloom, we saw moose tracks in the mud, pikas, ground squirrels, marmots (fat lazy bastards of the alpine) and a herd of about 20 mountain goats on the slopes below Wapta Mountain. Not a bad haul. Plus we saw loads of long-dead animals ;-)
Apart from the Burgess Shale fossils, the highlights of this trail included stunning views of Emerald Lake and the surrounding peaks, Michael Peak in particular cradling the Emerald Glacier.
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