Lake O'Hara Traditional Cache

This small Lock-and-Lock geocache is located along the shores of Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park. This is a short 5 minute walk from the Le Relais day shelter, if you took the day bus.

RED TAPE: Due to the fragile nature of the Lake O’Hara alpine ecosystem, a quota system is in place for the area. Reservations to the Lake O’Hara access bus are required and must be booked online several months before the intended visit. This bus runs mid-June through early October. Finding this cache requires planning and preparation, please visit www.pc.gc.ca/yoho for information on the area, overnight options, and how to book a seat on the access bus. You cannot drive or bike your way to Lake O'Hara.
You can however do the following with no reservation although it is NOT RECOMMENDED due to the length and elevation required:
Park at the recommended parking and walk 11 kilometers (450 meters of elevation) up the road to Lake O'Hara. This will take you at least 3-4 hours ONE WAY. Be prepared. You may then pay $10 per person to ride the bus down (if it is the season that the buses are still running, of course) if you don't want to walk the 11 kilometers back.

Note: You may want to print off one or more of the spoiler pictures to guarantee your find!

Generations of visitors to Yoho National Park have regarded the alpine splendor of the Lake O'Hara area with deep reverence. Here are amassed the bubbling brooks, vibrant mosses, vast rock amphitheatres of snow, cloud and light that have inspired the works of scores of humbled artists, chief among them the luminaries of Canada's renowned Group of Seven.

Recognizing the fragility of Lake O'Hara's alpine environment and the importance of ensuring its preservation, Parks Canada has limited summer access. The village of Field has long served as a gateway to the region, with a ten-minute outing from town being all that separates campers and hikers from the morning shuttle. Eager adventurers willing to make the 11 kilometer trek into the region may do so on foot.

A stairway of small ponds serve as incremental passageways from the deep, frigid glacially-fed lakes found largely above the tree line in the high plateaus sourcing Lake O'Hara's basin. Seven Sisters Falls, visible from the lake approach, is the most immediately striking evidence that O'Hara may have competition for the claim of most stunning lake in the region.

Note: A valid park pass is required for any exploration of Yoho National Park.

This cache was placed with permission from Parks Canada.