Welcome to the winter of 2012
Written on January 9, 2012 at 3:34 pm, by Lake O'Hara
Happy New Year!
I trust that everyone rang in the New Year in a fitting and personal fashion. Ours was centred around skiing as they usually do. The mountains around the divide, where O’Hara is located, have seen plenty of white stuff falling. We are excited about our upcoming winter season and will be opening up the doors for our first guests on January 26th. If you are thinking about a winter excursion or escape we still have some openings. Call our office and we can let you know what we have available.
As usual we will be offering a light lunch, Saturdays and Sundays only, of soup, salad and dessert to those skiers coming in for the day. This will commence on Saturday January 28th and will end on the 25th of March. We serve lunch between noon and 2 PM so plan accordingly. Otherwise the Day Shelter is always open for you to light a fire and enjoy your lunch.
Hope to see you up at the lake!
Winter is coming
Written on November 24, 2011 at 12:20 pm, by Lake O'Hara
As I write this I can look out my window and see the snow blanketing the peaks around town. This year the higher mountains have been the recipient of some good dumps of snow. At O’Hara our snow pack is building, 30 to 40 cm the last few days on top of the 30 to 60 we already had. This will provide us with a good base when our season opens in January. The big snow months are yet to come and if everyones predictions are true, including the timeless Farmers Almanac, there will be plenty more snow yet.
While the backcountry is getting primed for skiing, places like the Moraine Lake road, Great divide and Canmore Nordic Centre all have some great cross country skiing trails open for action. National Parks Staff have been grooming and Track Setting in Lake Louise for weeks creating what are likely some of the best early season track set cross country skiing trails in North America. The Canmore Nordic Centre starts their season off with a kilometre or so of man made snow saved from last winter called the “Frozen Thunder”. National and Club Teams have been skiing on this track since October. I might get a little dizzy doing the laps and laps that many of the elite athletes do! Anyway, with the “Thunder” as the starting point the staff at the Nordic Centre have been cranking up their snowmaking and laying down more km’s of trail each week. It is a great place for the family to come out for a ski, they even have a lit loop for night skiing.
All the downhill ski resorts in the area are open, however if you have an old pair of skis those are the best to bring as your bases will meet up with plenty of early season hazards, Rocks!
As you can see winter is here. Enjoy the season!
Bruce
Waiting For Winter
Written on October 11, 2011 at 8:39 am, by Lake O'Hara
We just finished packing up the lodge for another season. It was a season of two extremes; June and July were cool and wet while August and September were both brilliant. Some years we can be plagued with snow and having to put chains on our vehicle wheels just to get out at the end of the season. None of that the past two years and what a treat that is. Now that we are finsihed up we anxiously wait for the snow to come and blanket the hiking trails and turn it into a winter paradise for skiing and snowshoeing. If you arer wondering what O’Hara is like in the winter gives us a call and see what space we still have available.
Have a wonderful fall.
Hiking at its Best
Written on September 12, 2011 at 6:13 am, by Lake O'Hara
Wow ! What a stretch of incredible weather we have been having. Our early season was one filled with rain, rain and rain. However, with the onset of August the weather has been amazing. The cooler weather early on in the summer slowed the emergence of the spring flowers which has meant that they have stuck it out into September. Arnicas, Fleabanes, Valerians and Paintbrush still can be found in the meadows and of course the shaggy seed head manes of the Western Anemone are out in profusion.
In all its moods O’Hara is a wonderful place, however with clear blue skies and warm temperatures it has allowed everyone to savour the views, complete the “Alpine Circuit”, and linger over lunch all while sunning themselves like a Marmot at their favourite viewpoint. We know the weather will change with the first sign being the emergence of the Golden larches. There are a few Golden sentinels starting to appear with the peak still a week or so away. When is the best time for the larches? The larch trees begin their transformation as the days of summer fade into fall with the onset of shorter days. Since the change is tied to day length and not temperature, almost like clockwork, the peak time for the show is the third week of September. A walk out to Opabin Prospect with the forest full of Golden larches is like walking in some sort of surreal Zen garden. Hard to explain but worth the experience.
Snow, Snow, Snow !
Written on February 1, 2011 at 11:54 am, by Lake O'Hara
What a week it has been! Our first guests were welcomed with over 30 cm of fresh snow. It made both the views and of course the skiing amazing. They all left on Sunday with big smiles on their faces. Check out a few of the shots from the past few days.
Skiing the fresh Powder!
Winter and Wine
Written on January 5, 2011 at 1:12 pm, by Lake O'Hara
Happy New Year!
With 2011 now on our calendars we are gearing up for our winter season. Starting at the end of the month the lodge will be up and running again welcoming our winter guests. There are only a few empty nights available if you are interested, so give us a call. For those looking for a day trip you can join us on Saturdays and Sundays, starting January 29th until March 20th, from noon to 1:45 PM for Soup, Salad and Dessert. It is only $20 for this welcome treat at the end of the trail. Just a reminder we only accept cash at the lodge.
Thinking ahead to June ! We will start our summer season off again with our annual wine event. Each year for the past 10 years we have had the privilege of introducing one of BC’s small wineries to our guests. This year Laughing Stock Vineyards will be joining us for this event. We are very excited about them coming and sharing their wonderful wines and having our chef create a menu to compliment them.
In the past these wine weekends have filled up quickly so please give us a call if you are interested.
Dates: June 17th and 18th, 2011
www.laughingstock.ca
Weather and a Glass of Wine!
Written on November 29, 2010 at 3:01 pm, by Lake O'Hara
As Canadians we tend to be obsessed with talking about the weather and this summer was no different. Rather than dwell on the negative lets just say that our season ended in October with some of the most fabulous weather we have ever had at that time of the year. The crisp and cool mornings and evenings were contrasted by the sunny and warm mid day. I can still feel the warmth of the sun sitting up at lake McArthur one afternoon taking in the snow covered peaks and teh brilliant blue lake. Now as the snow flies and the lake freezes over our thoughts turn to skiing. Ski season for the lodge starts at the end of January when the summer trails are well covered with that beautiful fluffy powder that the Rockies are known for. No one can predict with any certainty how much we will get, however what we do know is that come January our guests will be enjoying touring and snowshoeing around the valley.
In the meantime we are already preparing for next summers season; answering phones, booking folks in and getting organized. Part of that “getting organized” portion is selecting wines to add to our all BC wine list. A chore, which admittedly involves a significant amount of sampling! The BC wine scene has evolved dramatically over the past 10 years earning a respect from both Canadians and International oenophiles. As the number of wineries and award winning wines increases the “chore” of selecting wines has actually become easier as the number of varietals and styles to choose from has grown exponentially. Looking back over the past season I thought it would be fun to share with you a sampling of some of the wineries and the wines, which our guests found particularly appealing.
Whites
- Dunham and Froese Amicitia White
- Blasted Church Hatfields Fuse
- Joie Noble Blend
- Laughing Stock Blind Trust White
- Cassini Cellars Viogner
Reds
- Dunham and Froese MDC
- Howling Bluff Pinot Noir
- Herder Josephine
- Seven Stones Meritage
- 8th Generation Merlot
- Stoneboat Pinotage
- La Frenz Syrah
- Road 13 5th Element
- Perseus Synergy Syrah
- See Ya Later Ranche Rover Syrah
- Road 13 Jackpot
This is only a small sampling of the multitude of labels we have carried. Keep looking back for more suggestions.
Larch Season
Written on September 22, 2010 at 6:02 pm, by Lake O'Hara
Today was one of those million dollar days; fresh snow coating the summits of the surrounding peaks, cerulean blue skies and golden larch trees radiant in the bright sunshine. If we had to go through all those cold and wet days this fall to have a day like today it was worth it. Maybe not if you weren’t here today to experience it!
Regardless of where you are get out and enjoy the outdoors. I know that I am very privileged to call this my home and have a backyard like this.
Elusive, a glutton, a demon of destruction; all terms used to describe the beautiful wolverine. Despite its elusive moniker, this summer there has been a perfusion of sightings in the area. Frolicking on glaciers, charging up steep alpine passes, scampering across meadows and hunting marmots in the boulder fields, reports have come in. It has been a real treat for all of us who have had the opportunity to glimpse them in their habitat. If you are interested in more information on this amazing animal Patagonia press has recently released a book called “The Wolverine Way” by Douglas Chadwick. It is an engaging read which takes you into the ways of the wolverine as a team of biologists track them in Glacier National Park.
Cheers,
September 22, 2010, Golden Larches O'Hara
Wildflowers!
Written on August 5, 2010 at 8:57 am, by Lake O'Hara
After a snowy start to the summer season the wildflowers have finally been able to show their colourful splendour. On a recent hike back into Monica lake the wildflowers were at their best; Valerian, Paintbrush, Fleabane, Elephant head, Avens and Moss Campions carpeted the meadows. Each season is ticked off by the abundance or absence of certain flower species. As August rolls in we already have folks calling asking when the larches wil be at their prime. Savour the moment for now and enjoy the wildflowers as the season is always too short!
Moss Campion
Summer Sun
Written on July 24, 2010 at 6:48 am, by Lake O'Hara
The summer was slow coming this year with the ice finally melting off of Lake MacArthur a week ago. Despite the late ice melt the hiking has been wonderful with the meadows starting to show some of their finest Alpine beauties. he highlight this summer so far has been the abundance of Wolverine sightings. Normally an elusive animal, folks have seen them on the glacier, scrambling over rock piles and one group even witnessed one attack a ground squirrel. Goats too have been spotted with a group of 13 hanging around MacArthur pass area.