The bus winds its way slowly up the access road, the forest thick on either side. Most people on board are quiet, watching the trees pass, maybe trying to spot the peaks through gaps in the canopy. Then the road levels out, and Lake O’Hara appears. Glassy, blue, and still. You step off the bus and it’s cooler here, quieter too, as if the alpine air holds sound a little differently.
From the lake, the trails spread out in all directions. Some climb sharply right away, like the routes to Wiwaxy Gap or All Souls Ridge. Others begin more gently, weaving through larch forests and past tarns, gaining height gradually toward places like Opabin Plateau or Lake Oesa. There are options for every pace and every kind of day.
Some guests arrive with a goal in mind, like reaching McArthur Lake or completing a full alpine circuit. Others just want to explore, take photos, and enjoy a long lunch somewhere quiet. Our trips are private, so we shape the day around the group. There’s time to pause and look around. There’s space for conversation, or for walking in silence, which somehow feels easier here than most places.
Guides bring more than just directions. They carry the stories, the names of the flowers underfoot, the history in the rock layers, and the practical pieces too—first aid kits, bear spray, extra snacks. The idea is that you don’t have to worry about anything except being present.
Last summer, a guest named Emily brought her father along. He hadn’t done a mountain hike in years, and she wanted to share something special with him. We chose a route that suited the day, heading up toward Opabin where the larches were just starting to turn. Her dad moved steadily, stopping often. At one point they sat down on a rock ledge above the lake and just looked out over the valley. Later, on the way down, Emily told us it had been the best day they’d had together in a long time.
That’s the kind of place O’Hara is. It doesn’t ask for much. A pair of good boots, a packed lunch, and a few hours outside the noise of everything else. The scenery is world-class, but what most people remember is how it made them feel.
Megan Harden
ACMG: Apprentice Hiking Guide
IGA: Professional Interpretive Four Season Hiking Guide