Elk Lakes cabin

Elk Lakes cabin
alpine hut
Named for: Elk Lakes (British Columbia)
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	Elk Lakes Provincial Park
Location	Elk Lakes (British Columbia)
- elevation	1,720 m (5,600 ft)
- coordinates	50°33′3.6″N 115°04′23.4″W / 50.551000°N 115.073167°W / 50.551000; -115.073167Coordinates: 50°33′3.6″N 115°04′23.4″W / 50.551000°N 115.073167°W / 50.551000; -115.073167
Built by	BC Parks
Style	Log cabin
Material	Wood
Built in	1992
Governed by	BC Parks
Operated by	Alpine Club of Canada
For public	Reservations required
Easiest access	Peter Lougheed Provincial Park or Elk River (British Columbia)
Capacity	10
Heating	Wood stove
Lighting & cooking	Propane
Sleeping	Dormitory style
Drinking water	Creek (boil or filter)
Human waste	Outhouse
GPS coordinates	NAD83 11U 0636500 5601670
Map reference	82J/11 (Kananaskis Lakes)
Grid reference	365016
Website: http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/elklakes.html

The Elk Lakes cabin is an alpine hut located between the French and Italian Military Groups in the Canadian Rockies, set near the Continental Divide among massive cliff faces, waterfalls, lakes, craggy summits, and hanging icefalls in Elk Lakes Provincial Park, British Columbia. It is 62 km south of the Trans-Canada Highway in Kananaskis Country, Alberta and 104 km north of Sparwood, British Columbia. The area has many easy trails for hiking, while also providing access to more serious mountaineering objectives. In winter, ice climbs abound, and backcountry skiers will find great terrain with lots of powder. Overall, the terrain around the Elk Lakes cabin is quite similar to that near the Elizabeth Parker hut. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

History

The Elk Lakes cabin was built in 1992 to house BC Parks rangers. In 2003, BC Parks issued a request for proposals for the operation of the cabin for public use. The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) was awarded operation of the cabin as part of its extensive alpine hut system, and began operating it in the summer of 2004.

The Elk Lakes cabin was a welcome addition to the ACC's hut system. It has easy access, and a wide range of hiking, skiing and climbing opportunities in the area.

Access

From Alberta

Parking for hiking, biking, skiing or snowshoeing into the Elk Lakes cabin is at the Elk Pass trailhead, near Upper Kananaskis Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Coming from Calgary or Canmore, drive 50 km south of the Trans-Canada Highway on Alberta Highway 40. Coming from the south, drive 17 km north from Highwood Pass on Highway 40. Either way, turn left (west) onto the Kananaskis Lakes Trail, and follow the road south for 12 km to the Elk Pass trailhead.

If hiking to the cabin, from the parking lot, head south on the gated gravel road right of the outhouse. Ignore several trails which leave the main trail, and follow the hiker signs 4.8 km to the Park boundaries/West Elk Pass summit. From West Elk Pass it is a 4.2 km downhill hike to the cabin.

If biking, skiing or snowshoeing, follow the hiking trail for 2 km, but take the left (east) trail immediately after crossing the Fox Creek bridge. This trail ascends to the overhead powerline which leads over Elk Pass all the way to the Elk River Forest Service Road. Once at the forest service road, turn right (west) and reach the cabin in a few hundred metres. Please note that mountain biking is not allowed elsewhere in the park. In winter, the trail is trackset as far as Elk Pass. There is no avalanche hazard on or near the trail.

From British Columbia

From the Crowsnest Highway (British Columbia Highway 3), turn off at Sparwood and drive north on the Elk Valley Highway (British Columbia Highway 43) until you reach the community of Elkford, a distance of 35 km. From here, travel the gravel road on the west side of the Elk River. Approximately 47 km north of Elkford the road crosses the Elk River and joins the Kananaskis Power Line Road. It is 5.8;km from the crossing to the Cadorna Creek trailhead; the Elk Lakes trailhead is a further 16.1 km. The Elk Lakes Cabin is 150 m from the parking area. The drive takes approximately six hours from Calgary or 2.5 hours from Fernie. Much of it is over rough gravel or dirt roads and cars with low clearance are not recommended.

Facilities

The cabin consists of a kitchen area and living room with tables and a wood burning stove. The sleeping quarters are in a loft above the main floor. The cabin sleeps up to 14 people on four-inch thick, covered foam mattresses found on two long bunks, and one shorter one.

The kitchen is supplied with dishes, cutlery, utensils, pots and pans and bake ware (including roasting pans, cookie sheets, bread pans and muffin pans). There is a full size propane oven, as well as some two-burner propane stoves for cooking. The hut is lit by several propane lights. Propane is supplied by the Alpine Club via a large outdoor tank.

Heat is supplied by a wood-burning stove in the cabin. Firewood is stored in the nearby wood shed. Users are requested to replace all firewood used with cut and split wood from the pile. The hut has a good supply of tools including water buckets, axes, saws, shovels, etc.

Drinking water is available 10 m to the west of the hut from a tributary of Elkan Creek. In winter, water is from snowmelt, however, the creek is often accessible even in winter. It is recommended that all water be boiled or filtered before drinking.^[1]

Grey water disposal is in a ground sump next to the hut. Grey water can be drained directly down the sinks, but the strainer must be in place under the drain. Food scraps (including coffee grounds) should not be allowed to enter the grey water sump or it will become plugged. The strainer contents should be emptied into the fireplace periodically. The grey water sump occasionally freezes in the winter, in which case grey water (strained of food particles) should be dumped within a three metre radius of the outhouse.

For human waste, the outhouse is located 10 m east of the cabin. Garbage should not be disposed of in the outhouse. All paper garbage and food scraps should be burned, and all other garbage and unused food packed out.

Requirements

• Sleeping bag
• Toilet paper
• Newspaper for lighting the fire
• Matches
• First aid kit
• 9 volt battery for the smoke detector
• Combination lock number for the hut door (call the ACC office to confirm before going to the hut)
• Reservation form from the ACC (to show the custodian)

Activities

Located within the western ranges of the southern Rocky Mountains, Elk Lakes Provincial Park is an easily accessible wilderness park characterized by outstanding subalpine landscapes, remnant glaciers, rugged peaks and productive lakes.

The Elk Lakes area has a wide variety of hiking options.^[2] Hikers of all abilities and interests will be entertained for several days in the area. Many of the trails are appropriate for all family members with some experience in backcountry hiking. Other trails are longer, tougher, more exposed and involve some route-finding. Everyone will be rewarded with spectacular views of craggy peaks, alpine tarns, waterfalls, glaciers, alpine flowers and mountain fauna.

Several mountaineering objectives and a couple of difficult scrambles can be reached from the Elk Lakes cabin. Mounts Fox, Aosta, Petain, Nivelle and Castelnau can all be summited in a moderate to long day from the cabin. There is good access to Mount Joffre from the Elk Lakes side, but a high camp is recommended if you are planning on climbing it. Guidebook information on the area is contained in the out-of-print Rocky Mountains of Canada – South, by Boles, Kruszyna and Putnam.^[3]

The Elk Lakes Cabin is very popular for backcountry skiing in winter. It is one of the few Canadian Alpine huts that can be reached with cross country skis by reasonably advanced skiers. Those on alpine touring or telemark gear should find the trip easy. The ski touring in the area ranges from easy, flat tours to advanced ski mountaineering. The ski touring is not described in any guidebooks, so you will have to use a map and your imagination to find your own trails and slopes.

The area has several high quality waterfall ice routes and at least one established mixed climb.^[4]

Nearby

• Elk Lakes
• Elk River
• Mount Aosta
• Mount Castelnau
• Mount Fox
• Mount Joffre
• Mount Nivelle
• Mount Petain
• Petain Falls

Parks Information

Elk Lakes Provincial Park is a BC park, and access from the Alberta side is through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, an Alberta park. Each park has rules about dogs, fishing, bicycles and other things. In particular, dogs are not allowed on the ski trails, nor are they allowed inside the cabin at any time. Bikes are allowed on the trail to Elk Pass (in Peter Lougheed Park) and along the power line to the cabin, but are not allowed elsewhere in Elk Lakes Park.

There are several campgrounds in both parks, including one that is a kilometre from Elk Lakes cabin. The fees for the lower Elk Lake campground are $5 per person, per night, and it is first-come, first-served.

For more information, see the parks references.^[5][6]

Maps

• Kananaskis Lakes (Map). 1:50,000. Guides for Hiking and Recreation in the Canadian Rockies. Gem Trek Publishing. ISBN 978-1-895526-74-5.  Shows access to cabin, but not the cabin itself
• 82J/11 (Kananaskis Lakes) (Map). 1:50,000. National Topographic System (NTS). Canadian Government.  Cabin is 1 km west of lower Elk Lake

References

Further reading

• Copeland, Kathy & Craig (2005). Where Locals Hike in the Canadian Rockies: The Premier Trails near Canmore & Calgary (2nd ed.). hikingcamping.com. ISBN 0-9735099-4-5. 
• Daffern, Gillean (1996). Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, Volume 1 (3rd ed.). Rocky Mountain Books. ISBN 0-921102-31-3. 
• Gadd, Ben (1996). Handbook of the Canadian Rockies (2 Rev ed.). Corax Press. ISBN 0-9692631-1-2. 
• Isaac, Sean (2000). Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies (2nd ed.). Rocky Mountain Books. ISBN 0-921102-96-8. 
• Josephson, Joe (2002). Waterfall Ice: Climbs in the Canadian Rockies (4th ed.). Rocky Mountain Books. ISBN 0-921102-68-2. 
• Scott, Jim (2002). Backcountry Huts and Lodges of the Rockies and Columbias. Johnson Gorman Publishing. ISBN 0-921835-58-2. 

External links

• Elk Lakes cabin at the Alpine Club of Canada
• Elk Lakes cabin at bivouac.com
• Weather forecasts from Environment Canada Click on BC, then scroll down to Sparwood. The weather forecasts are updated 3 times daily.
• Public avalanche bulletins from Avalanche Canada. The avalanche forecast is updated daily throughout the winter season.
• Google Earth You will find the cabin at 50° 33' 06" N - 115° 04' 40" W