This hike was done on our second day in the Canadian Rockies. About an hour's trek from Lake O'Hara, Lake McArthur is possibly the most stunning body of water in the area, with its placid, green-blue surface set against the triangular peak of Mt. Biddle.

This hike took us through pine forests, beautiful alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers, huge boulder fields, spectacular views of the Wiwaxy Peaks and other glacier-clad mountaintops nearby. Not to mention the furry locals such as pikas, hoary marmots, and a band of mountain goats grazing on Mt Schaffer!

The trail started out steep as it went through pine forests, then turned mostly flat going through alpine meadows to Schaffer Lake. At this point, we chose the McArthur Highline Trail as opposed to the Lower Trail (we like to go up for the views), and of course this meant a little more huffing and puffing. The reward was awesome views of 10,000-ft Mt. Owen across McArthur pass, with a glacier right below its peak.

From there, the landscape changed from meadows to boulder fields, then rocky mountainside to green meadows once again as we approached Lake McArthur. The sight of it caught me unawares. I crested a hill and found myself looking down on its teal surface, motionless except for tiny wind-induced ripples. The first glimpse of it sent a resounding "Wow!" through my brain.

We only stayed at the lake for about half an hour, since we had to hurry back to catch the bus from Lake O'Hara down to the highway. That evening, we drove 50 miles (85 km) to the town of Banff to pick up our friend Darin. (Boy, did he get a memorable introduction to hiking in the tundra -- see our escape from death in my next album, The Iceline!

Anyway, on this hike to and from Lake McArthur, we traveled a total of 4.2 miles (6.7 km) and from Lake O'Hara gained an elevation of 758 ft (231 m). Trail difficulty - moderate. Click on the first picture and view our album! Then start the slideshow by using the third button on the upper right.