If at first you don’t succeed… After 80 busy signals, Dave finally broke through and secured a coveted 11km bus ride and a camping site for Lake O’Hara — the holy grail of the Canadian Rockies. This was no easy feat. Admission to the area is extremely limited to protect it from overuse. A quota of 32 day visitors and up to 90 campers has been in place since the‘70s. Every year, the season sells out in a matter of minutes so getting a seat on the school bus is akin to winning the lottery.

A trip to Canadian Tire was in order to help us prepare for our big adventure. We purchased a small tent, a sleeping pad, and some miscellaneous gear. At checkout the cashier looked up and asked, “Are you sure you want a youth tent? You know, you can't return this if you use it.” Enough said.

On the morning of our big adventure, we arrived at the school bus loading area really, really early, Our plan was to spend most of the day on the trail. Some of our fellow travelers really surprised us. Cooler chests, lawn chairs and plastic bags full of clothes were piled in mounds near the stop. All the comforts of home. I guess that made us minimalists.

Upon arrival, we quickly set up our tent on an elevated campsite. Luxurious. A passerby looked at our tent, and asked, ”newlyweds?” Ha Ha Ha...nice.

The Opabin trail was our choice for the day. We hiked above Lake O’Hara to a plateau above a rocky cliff with spectacular views of the entire valley. Mountain goats were visible as we ascended the scree slope to the headwall. Naked hikers could be seen venturing into Lake Opabin. What more could one ask for?

Our evening meal existed of something freeze-dried. No worries. We fed our souls with a leisurely hike around the lake, and our favorite beverage prepared us for the night to come.

A light rain fell as we retreated into our children’s tent. It was a fitful night. Cold and a bit stiff, we unfolded ourselves and made some instant coffee in the kitchen area. I must have been really cold, because the coffee, (hot, brown water) was pretty satisfying. Hot being the keyword.

To pass time, Dave and I moved from patch to patch of sunlight to keep warm. The sky was a clear blue, and the trees sparkled from the overnight rain. Few others joined us on our bus trip back to the parking lot. When we arrived, a slew of happy, boisterous travellers awaited us, their adventure about to begin. To experience Lake O'Hara takes persistence and luck. Never give up.

For reservations visit https://reservation.pc.gc.ca