Crypt Lake Hike
If you learn about the Crypt Lake hike after you've left Waterton Park, you'll be on your knees, eating dirt, shaking your fists at the heavens, crying "Why? Why did I miss it?"
Justifiably famous, the Crypt Lake hike begins with a boat ride across Upper Waterton Lake. You'll then ascend Hell Roaring Valley on a roller-coaster trail, pass four waterfalls, enjoy constant views much of the way, crouch through a dark tunnel, and cling to a safety cable as you round an airy mountainside.
Ultimately you'll behold Crypt Lake in its looming cirque. The walls surrounding the emerald water soar a neck-craning 600 m (1968 ft) above the shore.
A crowd often snakes along the entire Crypt Lake hike, creating a carnival atmosphere, but that's easy to ignore when you're witnessing such grandeur. Hoping for serenity, come after mid-September.
It's possible to hike here by late June, but you should expect to cross snowfields. Sturdy boots (for kicking footholds) and trekking poles are essential then. If you doubt your ability to negotiate steep snow, wait until mid-July. The Crypt Lake hike is exciting enough without an impromptu luge run.
Intrigued by the Crypt Lake hike? You'll find all the facts and encouragement you need in a guidebook that has no equal: Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide. Reading it will ensure you devote your precious hiking time to the most dramatic trails in the Canadian Rockies, one of which is the Crypt Lake hike.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/hike-rockies.php to learn more about Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide.
