Skyline Trail, Jasper National Park, Sept 2004

Day 4: Cliffs and Crystals

We slept in until 10:00am this morning (slackers, we are), although it was well-earned. Hans and Olga have already left for the Notch (such keeners, they are.)

As this is a day of relaxation, we took our time with breakfast (oatmeal and leftover burrito) and coffee.

We hiked up a rocky moraine that went up the side of the cliff and realized that we could ascend to the top of the cliff. We came back down to change into better footwear and get some water and the camera.

It took us about 45 minutes to get to the top of the cliff and we wandered around for a bit, taking pictures. The wind at the top was quite blustery but warmer than yesterday, with the sun shining down on us.

For those concerned about my propensity to tumble, I did not go to the edge of the cliff, even if the pictures seem to imply otherwise (although Sonia did sit at the edge to look down).

We searched for, and found, quartz crystals in the rocky meadow behind the cliff face. I kept heading up the slope until I reached the base of Curator Mountain and started encountering snow drifts. At this point, the wind was strong enough that I was able to climb up the slope without much effort.

After a couple of hours, we headed back down towards the campground. It was beginning to get cold again and the constant wind was getting a bit tiring.

At the base of the cliff we found a rich supply of quartz crystals, the best specimens of which I'll be bringing back. I think we managed to kill another hour crystal-hunting until our stomachs made us head back to camp for supper (chili and wild mushroom soup with dried shitake mushrooms).

The most memorable part of today was the sunshine and relative warmth. It was a welcome change after yesterday's clouds and strong, cold winds.

My face is beginning to get a bit fuzzy and I have a severe case of hat-head. I'm otherwise feeling great if not a little sore all over.

Tomorrow we'll hike up to Curator Lake and have one last look at the Notch and its cornice of snow. If it's not passable we'll scramble up to the ridge to the right of the Notch and follow it to the Watchtower Trail. The elevation will be about the same but without the risk of a snowy demise.

My legs are now completely asleep, sitting in this awkward position to write this journal, so I think I'll see if I can put the rest of me to sleep (hopefully, you haven't fallen asleep reading this.) I save my last thoughts of the evening for someone special that I promised I would think of every day on the hike (you know who you are.)

Photos:

Top right: Looking down the valley from the edge of the cliff.
Middle left: Looking up from the base of Mount Curator.
Bottom right: View of the cliff from the Curator campground.

Day 5 >>