"The Iceline -- even the name sounds treacherous," our friend Darin surmised after we survived a hailstorm and frigid winds on this hike. This was one adventure we won't soon forget!

Our journey started well enough, with the trail ascending steeply through forests of the President Range. At the top was classic alpine tundra, with a wide expanse of boulders and open views of Yoho Valley and the nearby peaks of the Canadian Rockies. What a feeling! It was like being on the lip of a giant fishbowl with mountains and glaciers all around it. As we crested a hill, my jaw dropped at the sight of an unnamed glacier perhaps just a kilometer (.6 mile) away, sitting like Jabba The Hut atop exposed layers of rock, only white and infinitely larger. The sight was primeval and awesome.

Soon we noticed storm clouds forming above us. We were in completely exposed terrain, and were less than a kilometer away from the tree line when the rain started, then the wind, then stinging hail. We took shelter beside a four-foot high boulder with three other hikers and wasted 15 minutes hoping the storm would break. The wind was freezing cold, and the sleet was almost parallel to the ground. Though Billy and I had brought rain gear, Darin only had a water-resistant jacket without a hood on loan from Billy. Thank goodness I had an emergency survival thermal "blanket" that we placed over him to help keep him dry. The wind made the thermal feature was useless, letting the cold in anyway.

We eventually got up and started to move towards the trees. My hands were numb and my legs were stinging painfully from the cold. Once we got to the forest, we had immediate protection from the elements, but we weren't out of the woods yet (haha) -- it was frigid, and my hands were still numb and painful. The thought of losing a finger or two crossed my mind. The thought of Darin dying from hypothermia or pneumonia crossed my mind too (of course, I didn't tell him this until later).

We hiked downhill through the forest shivering with hands shoved in pockets/spare wool socks. My knees were killing me, but I couldn't use my trekking poles because of the ice-cold air. To keep my mind off my misery, I looked around me and noticed the lush beauty of the pine forest of Yoho Valley. The forest floor was draped in yellow-green moss. Once in a while, it surprised me with scant sunlight shining on patches of grass and wildflowers. It was the most beautiful forest I'd ever seen. We hiked seven miles back to the trailhead and were at the car six and a half hours after starting. And the top of the President Range was now dusted with a layer of snow.

On this hike, we covered 10.8 miles (17 km), and gained more than 2,300 ft (710 m) in elevation. After escaping death/dismemberment, this was the scariest, most memorable hike of the trip. Lessons learned all around. We did touristy stuff the next day.

Click on the first picture and view the slideshow by selecting the third button on the upper right.