Cirque Peak is perfect Icefields hiker peak. I've done it several times in the past, but alpine scenery is so beautiful it is worth coming back -- despite Helen Lake approach being overrun by various hordes. Trick is to chose time of day -- early, or late. I pulled at parking, full to the brim, ~3pm & passed steady stream of hikers coming back and then -- nobody at Helen Lake I had to myself! Ascent is easy and generally a hike, although last ~150m vertical is bit lose. There is now trail bypassing subsummit on right (east) side, thus eliminating only bit of scrambling. Summit views are simply fantastic & I spent half an hour in solitude gawking at all eastern BNP peaks that attract me so much. On return took alternate descent dodging cornice then trashed down red dirt to very beautiful tarns tucked just off Dolomite Pass. Photos tell the story:



[Beautiful Helen Lake, with Cirque peak rising above. Dolomite Pass is off to the right & well worth visiting even if you don't go to the peak. 10 frame pano stitch (5 x 2)]



[View back to glaciated Mount Hector (center right) from Helen lake alpine surroundings. Mt. Andromache center left]



[Cirque Peak ascent slopes - as easy as it looks. Note stubborn cornice center left that never seems to melt. Both summits can be seen above]




[Pano back from mid-slopes of Cirque Peak. Helen Lake right, Dolomite Peak distance center, Dolomite Pass left. Crowfoot Glacier and Bow Peak upper right]



[True summit from lower subsummit; good trail drops to the notch and whole thing is entirely hiking despite what this photo might suggest]



[Notch between 2 summits, looking down steep drop to Icefield on NW side of Cirque Peak]





[Wide Pano looking SE from Cirque summit with too many peaks to count! Dolomite Pass below]



[Telephoto towards large rockslide above Alice Lake I visited couple of years ago. Bobac left, Watermelon right; Willingdon / Crown behind]



[Telephoto down Siffleur valley & north part of Dolomite Circuit. Several hard-to-get-to peaks on horizon, including Quill peak (center left) and Conical in front]



[Wide shot of that ultra pretty tarn at Dolomite Pass on return, with Dolomite peak reflected in calm water upper left]



[Closer look at Dolomite Peak reflection; perfect symmetry in nature]



[Hector / Andromache alpinglow on return, accented by haze of distant wildfires]


Beautiful Day; took 7 hrs for ~17km return & ~1080m vertical. Usual GPS based Map and Elevation Profile:






Detail report with high-res photos and downloadable GPS track here

Very nice! Such clear skies...

not clear anymore; we got smoke too. Just for larch season, lol
But it's not as bad as I can see on vancam over there

Zeljkok

Been suffering and feel ill here in Fraser Valley each morning I drive to work; air is plain awful.

Your photos are like a high calibre of photographic art; landscape looks so clean and spacious with not much in the way of forest.


K