We started just after 7 am at the Lake Louise outflow bridge as a good landmark. We used our Salomon ADV12 Packs to carry supplies and a mini bottle filter each. We had pre-marked the trail on our Garmin's with the link from Wenkchemna Pass to Opabin Pass being a bit of a shot in the dark with so little travel. We thought this made for a unique loop and prebuilt a GPS route in Gaia.
No issues over the well-travelled Saddleback pass and Sentinel pass, with a quick pass by Lake Annette. Descending down through Larch Valley, we bypassed filling water at Minnestima Lake, which we would regret later. Turning at the Wenkchena junction, we headed up to pass number 3, planning to grab water at one of the creeks. Unfortunately, the creeks had dried up from our earlier damp recon, requiring a sidestep off the path to refill. The trail remained in good shape to the top of Wenkchemna Pass.
From here, we anticipated some route-finding issues, with a potential for an impassable blockage. We descended string down the pass and then cut right to get to the old glacial moraine. Staying to the right side of the glacier, we ascended the difficult scree, looking for access to the pass. We cleared with minor difficulty and got a good look down the Ohara side of Opabin Pass. Again, we descended straight down the pass and took the mid-way route across the main glacier past the measurement station to get off the ice. Then it was boulder hopping to aim straight at Opabin Lake for our next water fill.
Getting a quick rest and reset at the lake edge, we headed over the Yuckness Alpine route to pass by the Lake Oesa area and look at the backside of Abbott Pass. A straight descent from Oesa to Lake Ohara took us past the campground. We then jogged down the access road looking for the little-used Ross Lake trail for the return to complete the loop. Breaking off on the trail, we ran slightly short of water and restocked water at Ross Lake for a few minutes. There had been a bit of tree fall requiring some crawling, but overall, the trail was good. A quick descent around the hotel, and we returned to the outflow bridge to complete the whole circuit.
Fuel used was Skratch, chocolate bars, and some fruit bars, all self-carried. Three soft water flasks, each with one containing a water filter, allowed us to refill water en route from open sources. Route finding on 90% was easy on a well-maintained trail, with the route's crux being Wenkchemna Pass to Opabin Lake. The majority had no visible trail in this area. The glacier passages on each side of Opabin Pass were fine. Still, they would be recommended only in good weather and late season to ensure the snow pack had dissipated to expose any risk of crevasse.
It was a fun and unique trip that checked off all the major zones in the Lake Louise region.