RUSTON MOUNTAIN GOATS

Lunch at the summit

Going down the trail of Odaray

Overlooking Lake MacArthur

When we were training for this great adventure, no one told me that we would need to practice scaling the mountain on all 4's, but that is just what we did today. We drove out at 7 AM to Yoho National Park in British Columbia which took about an hour. We then caught a bus which took us up a dirt road-up the mountain for another 7 miles. We arrived at beautiful Lake O'Hara. Started our hike on relative level ground, but that quickly changed. Up we go to finally the Grand View Odaray Trail. We went up-up-up with many switchbacks , rocks, and challenging trails. The last part of the trail we literally had to use both hands and feet to pull ourselves to the top. IT WAS SO WORTH IT! What a view. We could see 6 lakes and 2 glaciers from the top. Sat on the rocks and enjoyed our lunch in the wind which was so strong that you felt as if it would blow you off the mountain. We all left a rock on the pile that signifies that you had reached the summit. Then we got to start the trek down. It is diffficult going up and requires many stops to catch your breathe, but the backtracking down the mountain can be a little freightening. There is a lot of loose rock and many long slippery declines, but we all made it safe and sound.

We then took another trail to Lake MacArthur. Another few miles up, but once again well worth the effort. Lake MacArthur is at the bottom of a bowl formed by a glacier. The lake itself is 280 feet deep and one of the deepest in North America. The water was an incredible blue. We sat on a rock ledge above it and just admired the scenery including water falls off the mountains that disappear into the underground. SO BEAUTIFUL!

Varmint Report for the day-No bears to report, but we did travel through a bear corridor. Lots of singing and loud talking during that trek. The mosquitoes are even more hungry than LA mosquitoes and there are swarms of them. We all sprayed multipe times to still have them swarm us. We did see this little mouse looking creature with ears like a rabbit that makes a whistling noise like the bear whistles some carry. Many ground squirrels and chipmonks.

We are all having a wonderful time, but legs are suffering the effects of long hard hikes. By tomorrow AM we will forget that pain and be excited about the next hike.

We did meet a wonderful couple who were traversing the same trails we were from Arizona. It turns out he is a pastor at a Baptist Reform Church in Flagstone. We had a lively discussion with them. I am continually amazed at how God pulls his people together!