Lake Merlin & Merlin Ridge

Elevation: 2235 m (Lake Merlin) & 2730 m (Merlin Ridge)
Elevation Gain (from Skoki Lodge): 315 m (cumulative to Lake Merlin) & 870 m (cumulative to Merlin Ridge)
Lake Merlin and Merlin Ridge were named by surveyor and alpinist James F. Porter in 1911. The stunning Lake fills an alpine cirque immediately north of Mount Richardson while Merlin Ridge extends above the Lake, to the northwest of Richardson. The Lake and Ridge both take their name from Merlin the Magician, a mythical character in the world of King Arthur. Porter, apparently, felt that a series of rock towers above Lake Merlin’s west shore resembled the fabled mage’s castle and proceeded to name a number of nearby features for him.
My Ascents:
July 15 2023
Trailhead: Skoki Lodge
GPS Track: Lake Merlin & Merlin Ridge

“Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton

Waking to the sound of Skoki Lodge’s inescapable, comically creaky floor, I felt an immense sense of gratitude. 🙏 Today was the third day of four for my Mom (aka “Grandma”) and I at the Lodge. Laying underneath a plaid down comforter, I found myself grateful for its warmth (which was most welcome following a post-dinner dip in the Pipestone River last night 🥶); I was grateful for the mouthwatering breakfast to come, whose aromas drifted up into our shared room through gaps in the rustic wood floor; I was grateful for the day ahead, which would feature a hike to Lake Merlin (one of the few Skoki landmarks I’d not previously visited); most of all, I was grateful for four days with my Mom, away from the responsibilities and distractions of everyday life, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth: the Skoki area of Banff’s backcountry.

Lake Merlin

Trading our warm beds for warm breakfast sandwiches, we discussed the day’s itinerary with Tamara (who was once again joining us). Our plan for the day: the short 6-km return hike to Lake Merlin, which looked dead-simple on our map. With a big egress hike out tomorrow (12-km with heavy packs), there was little appetite for another long bog slog today, and Lake Merlin promised to satisfy our goals, which included (in no particular order): hiking somewhere pretty; and taking it relatively easy (lol 😉). As an added bonus, I’d never been to Lake Merlin on my 9 previous forays into Skoki, so I’d finally get to cover some new ground today, and could share this novelty with my Mom.

Leaving the lodge with full bellies, we descended the steep bank to the Pipestone River and crossed it on one of the area’s more substantial bridges.

After hiking through the woods for about 5-minutes, we reached a fork in the road. The left trail led to Packer’s Pass (which would be our egress hike tomorrow) while the right branch would soon take us to Lake Merlin via the Grassi Highline (once Tamara completed a lap or two between here and the Lodge 😂).

Beyond the fork, the Grassi Highline trail steadily rose, leaving the forest below as it side-hilled up into blockier, boulder-strewn terrain.

Panoramic views of Silvertip Mountain (left) and Cyclone Mountain (right) above the Merlin Meadows. At dinner the night prior, the Lodge Manager had sadly noted that we now have only two seasons in Alberta: “winter” ❄️ and “fire.” 🔥 As you can see from the smoke in this photo, we unfortunately planned our Skoki trip during the latter… Click to see larger.

Grandma “enjoys” an especially boulder-y section of the Grassi Highline trail. This route was crafted by master trail-builder Lawrence Grassi and, like many of his other creations, it passes through terrain that is as rugged as it is scenic!

Tamara savors a brief respite from the boulders on an all-too-short-lived stretch of green grass and moss.

Vibrant wildflowers eke out a colorful existence, wherever the slightest soil allows.

LEFT: The Highline trail sidehills underneath the sheer ramparts that make up the Wall of Jericho and, like any good ramparts, there are guards (perched atop boulders here and there).
RIGHT: The Sentinel 💂‍♂️ observes our group’s ponderous progress over the blocky boulders.

Continuing cautiously over the rockscape, we left the Merlin Meadows behind and were soon treated to views of Castilleja Lake. While this name seems to fit with the area’s fantastic theme (wizards 🧙‍♂️ and castles 🏰 and walls, oh my), it is actually a reference to the Indian Paintbrush’s lesser-known scientific name: Castilleja.

LEFT: While the boulders eventually became less pervasive, the Highline trail continued to sidehill aggressively across steep, barren slopes.
RIGHT: Another, welcome patch of life as the Highline trail rounds a bend towards the headwall below Lake Merlin.

Panoramic views of the imposing headwall, which separates Lake Merlin (unseen above) from Castilleja Lake (unseen below). Across the Merlin Valley, Jut Peak (left) and an unnamed outlier of Silvertip Mountain (right) make for a fine, if smoky, backdrop. Click to see larger.

LEFT: At the base of the headwall, we were joined by Eric and Sandy (who got to sleep in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s bed at the Lodge). I’d briefly met Eric (while submerged in the frigid Pipestone River the night prior) and we’d chatted with both of them at breakfast so, when they caught up to us, we welcomed them into our “Skoki Posse” 🤠 and enjoyed their excellent company for the remainder of our hike.
RIGHT: Having literally run into a (head)wall, Tamara waited for the Posse (now five members strong!) to provide backup (read: route finding 🙃). For better or worse, we confirmed that she was in the right spot, as the route takes advantage of the diagonally rising crack (visible right behind her) to breach the headwall.

LEFT: “Now wait just a minute – wasn’t this supposed to be an easy hike?” Grandma no doubt wondered to herself, as she scrambled up the break in the headwall. With some guidance from above (me) and a spot from below (Eric), she nevertheless made quick work of this: the day’s crux (for now 🙃).
RIGHT: Tamara follows a solid, if not thin, ledge atop the crux chimney.

Sandy follows Eric, while he route finds his way across the ledge to the top of the headwall.

LEFT: Above the headwall, the cairned trail began to look more like the “easy hike” we’d been expecting, and soon deposited us on a high alpine plateau.
RIGHT: Pretty puddles on the plateau.

From atop the plateau, we spied our first, smoky but panoramic, views of our destination: Lake Merlin below. Click to see larger.

After a less-leisurely-than-expected hike, we finally reached Lake Merlin’s shoreline and were greeted by impressive views of pointy Pika Peak (left), Mount Richardson (center right), and a welcome wind (“Shoo smoke!”).

LEFT: The Wall of Jericho is impressive from every angle!
RIGHT: Mount Richardson’s north face holds the sparse remains of the once-great glacier that carved out the basin that Lake Merlin currently occupies.

The Lake Merlin panorama stretched from Pika Peak, over to Mount Richardson, along Merlin Ridge, to “the Sectional” (called “Merlin Peak” by some) and on to Jut Peak. Click to see larger.

LEFT: Posse lunch 🤠🥪 along Lake Merlin’s scenic shoreline.
RIGHT: Gratitude, happiness and wonder: thrilled to be out, exploring new Rockies-scapes in celebration of “Grandma’s” 70th birthday! 😊

After thoroughly enjoying another magnificent packed lunch (courtesy of the Skoki Lodge), we reluctantly started our hike down. Rather that retrace our steps along ledges, down chimneys, and over boulder fields, we instead decided to investigate the alternative trail down to the Merlin Meadows. This trail begins at the Lake’s north corner and is hard to miss, thanks to a pair of cairns and strategically placed logs.

LEFT: Visions of Lodge-provided beer and charcuterie dance in “Grandma’s” mind, as she descends the much easier “lowline” trail to Merlin Meadows.

RIGHT: Peak baggers be peak baggers (sigh). 🤷‍♂️ During our easy hike down to the meadows, different visions began to dance in my head… 🤔 Last fall, a couple of online trip reports (1, 2) brought Merlin Ridge to my attention, and it instantly made its way onto my “to do” list. As I spied the ridge from the lakeshore, I decided that it would be shame not to attempt it while it was so close by. If you’re not staying at the Lodge, Merlin Ridge is a 40+-km day trip! I, therefore, decided that I’d accompany “Grandma” all the way back to the Lodge before setting back out for the peak. Afterall, the extra 6-km involved in doing the Lake Merlin trail twice seemed small compared to the near-marathon distance 🤯 required to tackle Merlin Ridge from the Bow Valley! Having acquired such a wonderful hiking Posse, however, I was able to sneak off a bit earlier than planned. Once we reached the valley bottom on our alternative descent from the lake, Eric, Tamara, and Sandy promised me that they’d stick with my Mom and hike back to the Lodge together. Since I figured that there would be no further difficulties between them and the Lodge, I accepted their offer, let “Grandma” know that I’d be back for dinner by 7 pm and raced back up the “lowline” trail like a bat out of hell. 🦇😂

LEFT and RIGHT: Apparently, I miscalculated slightly, however, as there was one pretty significant obstacle left between the Merlin Meadows and the Lodge: a sketchy log bridge across the Pipestone River! Fortunately, the adventures of the past few days (passes, bogs, chimneys and ledges) had all prepared “Grandma” for this moment and, with her Skoki Posse on standby to fish her out of the creek, 🎣 she capably balance-beamed her way across. Go “Grandma” go 🥳 (and thanks Tamara, Eric and Sandy)! From this point on, the crew enjoyed a more leisurely finish to their day, followed by beers, gourmet cheese, crackers and, for some, a nap! 😴 Photos courtesy Eric K.

While the Posse’s adventure was drawing to a close, my own was just beginning…

Merlin Ridge

Sweat poured from my brow 🥵 and my heart raced as I hurried to undo my previous hour’s work, and hiked back up to Lake Merlin at breakneck speed. Yesterday, I’d ascended Skoki Mountain in only 55-minutes. Today, I was hiking faster than that! It felt good to push myself after a summer of limited activity (due to a chronic injury). At last, my body felt right and I was grateful to be doing what I love without pain! 🙏

Lake Merlin is so lovely that I’m sure repeat visits are common. What’s less common, in all likelihood, is idiots like me returning to the lake about 80-minutes after they first left it! Drenched in sweat, I took in the beautiful scene for the second time in as many hours, dunked my head in the cool waters to refresh myself, and started off anew (this time along a sparse trail on the Lake’s west shore).

Hiking along the Lake provided constantly changing perspectives on the surrounding peaks, including the fearsome Wall of Jericho (left) and Pika Peak (right). Rumor has it that this aspect is home to a scramble-able way up the former, but the fact that Andrew Nugara elected to turn around during a recent attempt suggests that this route may be more technical than advertised…

LEFT: As I approached the BOTL (back of the lake), I was confronted by an absolutely monstrous moraine at the base of Mount Richardson. From my perspective, this pile of boulders appeared to tower as high as any skyscraper in downtown Calgary! I was genuinely awed by it. 🤯
RIGHT: a pristine cascade and untouched alpine meadows at the base of the monstrous moraine. From this point (near the BOTL), I left the shoreline behind and followed my nose up through the flower-filled meadows 🌹🌻🌼 under a brilliant, blue sky. 🌞 It had been too long since I’d visited a place like this but I was overjoyed to be back now. Hiking alongside the water, I was euphoric and felt a deep sense of thankfulness, which coursed through me like a stream down a mountainside. I took a moment to reflect, and decided right then that the theme of this trip report would be “gratitude” (regardless of how the adventure turned out).

As the stream disappeared, I continued up the valley above Lake Merlin towards the unseen Ridge above, noting that the moraine’s boulders and forest’s trees were starting to encroach on my meadowy ascent line from each side!

After some minor boulder-hopping and bushwhacking, I found my way back to more open terrain. At this higher elevation, the moraine’s once-spectacular height dwindled, and I was granted a clear view of my objective, Merlin Ridge, at center-left in the photo above.

Unspoiled alpine environs high up in the Merlin Valley. Click to see larger and imagine the crisp, clean air that accompanied this scene. 😊

“Jut Mountain” (I think), beautifully reflected in a shallow tarn, surrounded by subalpine forest.

The end of the moraine (and the beginning of the boulders, leading up Merlin Ridge). If you attempt Merlin Ridge, you’ll definitely want to stick to the climber’s left and ascend as far as you can on grassy slopes! Unfortunately, my mood shifted from “grateful” to “concerned” at this point, thanks to a sudden buildup of menacing clouds above… 🤔

A sparse trail and cairns proved useful when it came to avoiding the worst of the ridge’s boulders (for now)…

Hiking up amidst the boulders, the weather rapidly deteriorated. Indeed, nearby Mount Richardson and its dying glaciers almost disappeared from sight! A storm was no longer possible; it was imminent. Thunder rumbled above, a freezing wind whipped me, and the skies opened up in a deluge. ⛈️ “F*ck.”

Donning a jacket, toque and gloves, I snapped a quick storm selfie before sheltering under a boulder in a futile attempt to stay warm and/or dry.

From the “shelter” of a boulder, I watched as Lake Merlin disappeared in the squall, and shivered as the downpour soaked through every layer of clothing that I had. Like this, I waited for about 20 minutes, 🥶 less grateful than an hour ago, but still (perhaps foolishly) hopeful.

Is that a “silver lining” that I see above the Wall of Jericho and Pika Peak?... After a very cool 20 minutes, the deluge became a calm drizzle and I decided to resume my ascent.

Cautiously charting a course up the, now, slippery boulder field. Travel here was neither pleasant nor horrific but, above all, I was encouraged and thankful to see the sky brightening up in the direction that I was headed!

Gaining the ridge as the worst of the weather moves off the east! From this point, the summit of Merlin Ridge was mere minutes away!

Atop Merlin Ridge, I had one more reason to be thankful: 🙏 the deluge cleared most of the smoke that plagued our trip to this point, and let up just in time for me to dry out (while taking in the spectacular panorama from the summit)! 🤩 Click to see larger.

LEFT: A heads-on view of Pika Peak’s difficult (but enticing) ascent ridge. This one remains on the “to do” list…
RIGHT: As it had been throughout the course of the entire day, Mount Richardson continued to be a highlight from the summit.

The remnants of the great glacier that bulldozed the monstrous moraine above Lake Merlin.

With much of the smoke washed from the air, I was able to see the massive peaks above Moraine Lake for this first time this trip (beyond the more proximate rockscape that included Whitehorn and the Lake Louise Ski Resort).

A closer look at massive Mount Temple, across the Bow Valley.

The spectacular peaks of the Lake Louise Group, including (from left to right): Haddo Peak, Mount Aberdeen, Mount Hungabee, Mount Lefroy and Mount Victoria.

Still-smoky views west towards Kickinghorse Pass (left) and the Icefields Parkway (right).

Hector South Ridge, Hector South Peak and Mount Hector (proper) to the northwest.

The magical 🧙 Merlin Valley panorama from the summit of Merlin Ridge. Click to see larger.

Merlin Ridge is a local high point along the ridge that connects higher Mount Richardson (to the southeast) to this, officially, unnamed higher peak to the northeast. Online, this latter summit has been referred to as “Merlin Peak” but maps at the Skoki Lodge refer to it as “the Sectional” and I will do likewise.

More unofficially Lodge-named peaks on the Merlin Massif: aptly named “Jut Mountain” (center left) and its long connecting ridge to “Silvertip Mountain” (the group’s northernmost high point). Ironically, the much-lower rock towers on the flank of these peaks ("Merlin’s Castle”) and the lower summit I stood upon (“Merlin Ridge”) are officially named while all these higher points are not! 🤷‍♂️

Looking down-valley, beyond Lake Merlin towards diminutive Skoki Mountain (left). Somewhere at the base of that mountain, my dinner is cooking inside the Lodge! 😋

A closer look at Lake Merlin. 11-years after my first Skoki trip, I finally made it to this beautiful Lake (and beyond, obviously). Suffice to say, it was worth the wait!

A telephoto shot towards the Wall of Jericho and the rumored “scramble” route to its summit on the left. I think I’ll leave this one off my “to-do” list! 🙃

A very moist (but very grateful) scrambler atop Merlin Ridge! Chesterton said that “gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder” and this trip featured wonder, happiness, and thankfulness in spades. At this point, however, I was mostly wondering: “can I get back to the Lodge in time for dinner?!” 😂

Eager to find out if I could, I packed up and started down after a short summit stay. My initial plan was to retrace my steps, which meant descending the ridge crest to the north a short distance, and then doubling back towards the cairned path I’d followed up through the boulders to the south…

… When I got to a low point on the north ridge, however, I was enticed by the promising views of a more direct descent to the alpine meadows below. Rather than hiking back 100 m in the wrong direction (south), I decided to “chance it” and go straight down. I should have stuck with the devil that I knew… 😔

LEFT: There was nothing technical about my chosen descent line but it was AWFUL. The entire way down was a field of massive, slippery, quartzite boulders (many the size of a stove and unstable). Getting down took great care and proved incredibly tedious!
RIGHT: And it can always get worse! What I couldn’t see from the north ridge crest when I elected to descend more directly, was how incredibly STEEP this boulder field got below! 😬 It was AWFUL x ONE MILLION. I would never wish this slope on my worst enemy and was just thankful that I managed to balance and contort my way down it without injury! Long story short: if you choose to hike up Merlin Ridge on the cairned trail, go down the SAME way!

Yet another thing to be grateful for: a return to grassy alpine meadows after a descent through boulder hell! 🙏 At the base of this boulder field, I found a trail that followed a high, alpine bench (which paralleled Lake Merlin below). Rather than bushwhack down the moraine-side meadows that I hiked up, I elected to follow this trail, which aimed more directly back towards the Skoki Lodge. Stop me if this sounds familiar…

LEFT and RIGHT: Spectacular views of Merlin’s Castle 🧙‍♂️🏰 above the bench’s tarn-filled alpine meadows.

In addition to providing easy travel, the trail also provided astonishing alpine views of the surrounding peaks and glaciers. Sometimes you win with an alternate descent and sometimes you lose. At this point, I was grateful to be batting 0.500! Click to see larger.

Telephoto views towards one of the glaciers on Ptarmigan Peak’s dramatic north face.

LEFT: Meandering through marvelous, mossy meadows below Pika Peak and Mount Richardson.
RIGHT: The trail, essentially, followed the meadowy bench all the way along the foot of Merlin’s Castle, granting varied views of this unusual feature.

LEFT: After passing Merlin’s Castle all-together, the trail took a sudden turn and followed this watercourse down towards unseen Lake Merlin below.
RIGHT: Easy travel back down to the Lake. It would be easy to follow this trail all the way up Merlin Ridge if you wanted to, but I’d actually recommend completing the route as a loop like I did (save for the GODAWFUL boulders that I never should have descended at the very top)!

Following a speedy descent, the trail deposited me by Lake’s north shore. Here, I stopped for one final breather, and took in the panoramic view (for my 3rd time today). Looking back, I decided that Merlin Ridge (visible here as the small high point between massive Mount Richardson at center and “the Sectional” at right) suddenly looked very far away! 😂 Click to see larger.

After a brief rest at Lake Merlin, I made haste towards the Grassi Highline trail, since it charts a more direct course back to the Skoki Lodge than the alternative “lowline” trail. Unfortunately, this choice meant that I had to hike back UP the Merlin Plateau to locate the correct break in the headwall. On our hike in (hours earlier), I hadn’t noticed how much elevation we’d lost from between this spot and the Lake, but I definitely noticed it now! 🥵

As I reached the top of the headwall, I noticed an extremely impressive spring (which feeds Castilleja Lake). Amazing how an entire river just springs forth from a wall of limestone!

After descending the chimney through the headwall, I redoubled my pace along the side-hilling, boulder-filled traverse. By this time, the dinner hour was approaching and the Lodge (at the base of Skoki Mountain on the left) still looked discouragingly far away…

LEFT: After stumbling, bumbling, pronating and sighing my way back along the trail, I reached the large utensil, which could mean only one thing at this point: dinner time was at hand!!!
RIGHT: Back at the lodge (at last)! After parting from the Posse some 4.5-hours earlier, “Grandma” and her crew were eager to hear how I’d fared in the storm (which hit right as they returned to the shelter of the Lodge), and to share their own adventure on the Merlin Meadows “bridge.” After catching up, I just had time to enjoy one, well-earned, pre-dinner ale. Gratitude is, after all, happy hour redoubled by wonder (as in, “I wonder how fast I can drink this beer?”). 🍺😂

When the dinner bell finally rang, the Lodge’s elaborately set table was a most welcome sight! After about 1,200 cumulative meters of elevation gain, I’d worked up a BIG appetite!

LEFT: The evening’s menu – a feast fit for a peak bagger! 😋
RIGHT: The main course (and another ale – how’d that get there?). While our first two dinners at the Skoki Lodge were wonderful, this tenderloin was outright SPECTACULAR and rivaled any of the amazing views we’d enjoyed from Lake Merlin and Merlin Ridge! Just one more thing to be thankful for! 🙏

With bellies full, “Grandma” and I retreated to the Lodge porch for a nightcap outside. Sitting under the pink sky, I reflected on my day with gratitude. On days like this, there was so much to be thankful for! Specifically, I found myself grateful for: new friends, and breathtaking mountain vistas; for “Grandma” successfully overcoming a steep chimney, and an adventurous “bridge;” for my own body, which cooperated throughout the day; for our wonderful families at home (who we were looking forward to seeing the following day); most of all, for this once-in-a-lifetime shared adventure together in Skoki! And the best part? The adventure wasn’t over yet because tomorrow’s hike out would take us through some of the most magnificent scenery that the Canadian Rockies have to offer!