Summer 2009 Crypt Lake Waterton, Canada Day 4

Crypt Lake Waterton, Canada

We pack up early and leave our little cabin in the woods in Babb MT. Drive to the border for another border crossing adventure. We are going to bring food back across the border, but this time we have the receipt of the food that we bought originally in Canada. We are ready! Arrive at the border crossing and no one is in sight. Just big orange cones sitting in front of where we need to drive through. We stop, sit and wait. We wait for about a minute, two minutes, three before Mr. Canadian Boarder Man struts out of the building and over to our car. He orders Kathi to shut off the engine open both windows on her side. Yells at the three motorcycles sitting behind us to “cut their engines”! Turns back to us and ask us what the purpose of our border crossing is?

“Ahh, we are choosing to spend our vacation dollar in Canada.”

“Do you have any fruit?”

“No”

“Do you have any fire arms?”

“No”

“Well then, have a good day. “

Now what is with this fruit thing crossing the border… and why do they ask about citrus before they ask if we have firearms or perhaps a bomb???

We leave the border wondering if the world will come to end by way of fruit or swine flu… Either way we need to get moving as we must get to the boat dock and by a ticket for the boat to take us to our first hike.

For today’s hike you will need: a boat pass, rain gear, backpack with rain shell, food, boots (hope you waterproofed your boots a week before the trip!) water proof gloves, warm clothes, not cotton as wet cotton will kill you! (I’m thinking if I had some of those little hand warmers that are good when you are hunting I would bring those also.)

Crypt Lake has more tricks than any trail in the Rockies. You cross the Rockies wildest lake by boat, ascend a narrow valley past a staircase of waterfalls, climb an iron ladder, crawl through a tiny tunnel, tippy toe along a cliff whilst hanging on to a cable skirt, above a precipice where a where a stream suddenly burst from underground and plunges 574 feet before visiting a perfect cirque lake which is in both the USA and Canada! (Isn’t that nicely written? I copied that out of a visitor’s guide.)

We got into town with about 20 minutes before the first boat left for the crypt Lake trail head. It was windy cold and just as we open the cars doors after parking, it began raining. Put on rain coats and went to purchase tickets. Went back to the car and re-thought our clothing for the day. Remove the sleeveless shirt from pack. I just about put an additional long sleeve in the pack as it seemed chilly, but surely I won’t need it... Sure wished later that I had put the additional one in.

While standing and waiting to leave I see a guy I think I know. I ask him if his name is Joe. Well yes. I said we had hiked with him last year up to Dawson’s pass with Ranger Pat Hagen. If you remember back to last year, Pat Hagen is a real story teller and really knows how to spice up a hike with little embellished stories and folk lore. After spending 8 hours hiking with people you just remember things right? I remember Joe is also a PE teacher in Oklahoma. Ok, so I just remember these things right? Well, this is what I remember rather than what the heck is 17X31? (By the way it is 527.) Joe introduces us to Gene and Linda. Joe meets Gene and Linda at Glacier every year for some hiking adventures. They are from California, St. Louis and Oklahoma.

Oh right, so now along with Joe, Gene, Linda, Kathi and I there are an additional 10 others on the boat. Usually over 100 people go on this boat, so you might be getting a good idea that it is cold and raining so why go? Well we go because it is on the schedule for the day! We are committed to our schedule.

At the start of the hike Kathi and I have on short sleeves and a raincoat. At this point we have our legs zipped on our pants, but within ¾ mile we have stopped and unzipped the lower leggings of our hiking pants. We are hiking up, up, and up. It is raining and it feels warm. As we go higher in elevation it starts getting colder and rainier. We take a break in the hike at a moment where the rain almost stops. Quickly we put on our rain pants, have a fast bathroom break and snack. Ok, so now we have shorts on under our rain pants, our legs are damp under the pants and we have been sweating under our rain coats. Just like that the rain begins coming down. We start moving again and notice a real drop in the temperature. Just as we reach the ledges the heaven open and just start pouring. The temps are in the upper 30’s, but felt like below freezing. Our hands are FREEZING! No need to put on gloves as they are not water proof so would be pointless. Kathi goes on ahead with Gene across the ledges and into the tunnel. Joe and I stand in the rain and wait for Linda. I swear she must have stopped and went in the privy to wait out the rain, because we stood in the downpour for 15 minutes… Finally Joe told me to go to the tunnel and he would wait for Linda. I did not stop and do a Minnesotan to wait until he tells me this three times… I was right on the release and headed across the ledges. I’m sure Joe was colder than I was, as He was man enough to wear his cotton shirt and get all wet before putting on his rain coat. I think he will make a wiser choice next time and not get the cotton shirt all wet… You can never get warmed up in wet cotton!

I reached the ladder and wondered if it was really attached or was I going to have to be very careful when going up. Went up and took at long step across to the solid ground of the tunnel floor. Kathi and Gene were standing there waiting for us. They looked like they were enjoying the weather much more from inside the tunnel!

After a long wait Linda and Joe finally arrived. I never did find out what was up with Linda, but they were both wet and cold. Joe’s hands were so cold he was having trouble zipping his jacket zipper. We took our packs off and started through the tunnel. The tunnel is no higher than four feet tall. You have to kind of move and groove through the tunnel. As we were approaching the end of the tunnel everything stopped. We could not go forward. The light was blocked, movement was blocked, and even though we had plenty of air… try not to panic because we are stopped. We ask what the problem is… the answer is still sort of unbelievable. The German family is standing at picnic out of the way there are people who want to get through!!!

In these two pictures you can see Gene just start going into the tunnel and is a ways down the tunnel before he backs out and takes his pack off. The tunnel gets a bit smaller after about 20 feet in. I think the total length of the tunnel must be around 60 feet. This is just the distance of a volleyball court. You could handle a tunnel for the distance of a volleyball court…right?

Gene, Joe, Kathi and I come spilling out the far end. The inner tunnel is nowhere to find yourself stuck. Linda had had enough of being stuck in the tunnel and turned back when she heard there was a picnic ahead. Most likely she had to back out butt first as there was not room to turn around. We stepped past the picnickers and tried not to give them a daggers look. Stepping out of the tunnel we had to have to wait for two people slowly coming back down the cable and ledges. Their report was that the cable and ledges were very difficult, cold, slippery, wet. Hardest thing they have every done.

I look back at Kathi and wonder if this will become another hike that I do not complete… I’mmmmmm thinking today is not my day to die. We head towards the cable. Everyone else has decided that they would not finish the hike.

I’m in the lead so I can control the pace. Just as we get to the cable a lady is bent down at the top yelling something like:” hey, are you guys coming? The worst part is right where you are so if you can make that, you have it made…”

Well that makes me feel better how about you?

Just stay in the moment. Keep your eyes on the current step. Next thing you know we are at the top. I think I was holding my breath the whole time. Ok, well, perhaps I took two breaths. Our hands were freezing and the ledges were slippery. (geezz thoughts of having to come back down that are already eking into my mind.)

The lady at the top was a 23 year old named Corrie. She was glad to have company as she was afraid that she was the only one who was going to go all the way to the lake. Corrie showed us a place where we could stand under a group of trees and take off our wet clothes, put on some dry clothes under our jackets. Then we put back on our rain gear. Remember it is still pouring and cold.

Putting a fleece on under that jacket rather than a short sleeve shirt made a big difference for us. If I had actually put that other long sleeve in my pack, I could have had an even bigger difference. The next half mile up to the lake seemed much nicer with a warmer upper half. I could almost stop shivering. Found the lake. The clouds were hanging low so we took a few pictures while standing in the rain. We stayed only about 10 minutes before we started heading back.

Eating in the pouring rain.

The trip back around the ledges was a bit easier as it was not raining as hard as before. We went one at a time and s-l-o-w-l-y worked out way down the interesting ledge with the cable. Just like that we were around that up into the tunnel, over the next ledge and facing a 4 and a half mile hike downhill back to the boat. Kathi and her number managing had us moving right along so we could make it back for the 4 pm boat ride back to our cars. You can take the 4 pm boat, wait till the 5:30 boat or wait until the next morning boat. I think we will just fast hike it back down for the 4pm boat…

We make it back to the boat dock with 15 minutes to spare. Ahh! No worries!

This was a great hike, but save it for a great day. Now I’m going to have to try this hike again!

11 miles, 2240 foot elevation gain, 6 hours and 20 minutes, 1929 calories burned, 28268 steps

Sorry no dessert tonight, I just want to take a warm shower, get out of my cold wet clothes and start drying out for tomorrows hike 

Proof that we made it to the Lake. We are standing in Canada. The back wall of the lake is the USA. We have no citrus fruit, so you do not see any border patrol agents chasing after us…

Corrie is taking our picture and trying not to get the camera to wet. It is still raining.