Kayaking on Barrier Lake

After a trip to Waterton Lakes where the rental rate for a canoe was extortionate, Lou and I decided to buy recreational/touring kayaks so that we could drift around the Rockies lakes. Here are some pictures from our first outing, on Barrier Lake (actually a reservoir), in Kananaskis Country. This is about 75 mins drive from home.

Crypt Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

This hike is probably the most famous in the Waterton Lakes park, featuring a lake crossing, several waterfalls, a ford, a tunnel and exposed wire traverse. Swimming in Crypt Lake is optional! It gets busy in a limited way: the first stage of the trip is to pay the ferryman. That limits numbers on the trail to however many hikers fit on the boat from Waterton Townsite.

Once on the shore, people string out along the trail gradually. To avoid this, take the right-hand fork after a few hundred metres and approach Crypt Lake Trail via Hell Roaring Falls instead. I think this is a nicer way of doing things anyway, as Hell Roaring is nowhere near as spectacular as the Crypt Falls, so this way you avoid an anticlimax. Appearing in this album: Jeroen, Joe, Lou, Nikki, Tristan and Vicki.



Incidentally, Crypt Falls goes at about WI4 in winter....if you can get there. For a taste of winter...go for a dip! I have never swum in such cold water.