Bryant Tarn, Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park, June 26, 2010
If you are looking for a quick, secluded, quiet backpack, this is it. Bryant tarn is accessed from Powderface Trail, a dirt road that connects Elbow Falls to Hwy 68. We parked somewhere near the halfway point, and followed a faint road west to Canyon Creek. To get to the tarn, you follow this expansive drainage for about a kilometer then turn right (west-ish) up a secondary drainage. After following a faint trail with several creek crossings, some scrambling over rocks, and a bit of bushwhacking, numerous cairns on the lefthand side marked a steep trail up the side of the canyon, which then levels off and becomes a pleasant stroll through woods, meadows, and scree fields to the lake. We estimated the trip was only around 7-8k, but took 2 1/2 hours because of the rough trail.
I can tell you, this was the most idyllic camping spot I’ve been to. The area is open to wild camping, but if you go, please do your part to keep this area pristine! We camped beneath the stunted spruce at the edge of the lake, surrounded by towering cliffs, and didn’t have any company other than pikas. The lake still had some icebergs floating in it, which didn’t deter Mike from taking a quick dip in the morning, and we got to explore the area by scrambling up some of the lower cliffs surrounding the lake.
This is an ideal spot for an evening hike in, and I’d love to go back and spend a day lying in the sun on the lakeshore and enjoying the quiet beauty. For those who are more ambitious, like Mike, there are numerous scrambling options from the tarn, and he’s managed to explore much of the network of ridges in the area, connecting Mount Bryant, Tiara Peak, Wasootch Ridge, and Porcupine Ridge to name a few.
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- I’m smiling, so this must be early in the hike in! This gives you an idea of the terrain.
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- Sunrise on the tarn
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- Mike actually stood on that iceberg. If the ice doesn’t tell you about the water temp, the look on his face does.
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- Overlooking the tarn from the back cliffs, looking back down the canyon.
