If you are lucky, the day starts with a 12km bus ride that finishes at Lake O’hara. The North peak of Mount Yukness, the objective for today, can be seen standing over the far end of the lake. If you couldn’t manage to reserve a spot on the bus, it is a long 12km uphill walk just to get to Lake O’hara. The journey starts by taking the parks Canada hiking trail to Opabin lake. The entire Lake O’hara region is spectacular, and this trail is no exception. To see other Lake O’Hara hikes, check out the links below: https://www.tripbagger.com/2019/09/04/shawn-bags-lake-ohara/ https://www.tripbagger.com/2017/08/16/shawn-bags-lake-ohara-yoho-national-park/ This little guy came to say good morning as I made my way down the trail. I can’t say enough about the amazing trails that surround Lake O’Hara. Lawrence Grassi was the master trail builder who spent his summers creating the trails in this area. I hope Parks Canada continues to protect this special area. You pass some amazing lakes on your way to Opabin Lake which is where the ascent of Yukness starts. When you reach Opabin lake, hang a left and start up the scree ramp along the bottom of Yukness. A good look at Opabin lake and the hiking trail that leads to it from above. The scent up Yukness goes by fairly quickly. I’ll be taking selfies in no time! From about halfway up the mountain you can really see the amazing colors of the water here as well as the layout of the trail system. The views on the way up are simply unbelievable. Traditional Summit Selfie!Looking over at the Wiwaxy Gap. There is a great hiking trail to this col. More on that here: https://www.tripbagger.com/2019/09/04/shawn-bags-lake-ohara/ Between these two giants is the Abbott pass.Zoomed in on the pass. If you look closely you can see the Abott pass hut. Built by swiss guides in 1922. It is the second-highest permanently habitable structure in Canada. 2022 Update. Sadly, the Abott pass hut has become a victim of climate change. Due to melting glacier ice, the slope below the hut became unstable and the hut couldn’t be saved. It was destroyed by Parks Canada in June of 2022. There are two summits on Yukness, a South and North. This is looking toward the North summit from the South. When you are done soaking in the summit views. Return is the reverse of the ascent. If you have time, you can add some of the trails around Lake O’Hara. But don’t miss the last bus!While waiting for the bus I did a loop around Lake O’Hara. Note to self, come back here again!
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