Skiing into the Elizabeth Parker Hut in Yoho National Park
In the heat of summer, our friends Jess and Hazen asked if we would be interested in skiing into the Elizabeth Parker Hut to celebrate their daughter’s third birthday in March. “Of course!,” we replied. We added it to the calendar and promptly forgot about it... It’s months away! But as March drew closer, I was feeling equal parts excited and nervous: 12 kilometres each way, 400 metres of elevation change, 3 nights in a backcountry hut with 8 adults and 6 toddlers in tow - So many variables to consider!
At a Glance:
Distance: 12 kilometres one-way (in the winter)
Accessibility: Backcountry skiing
Amenities: lighting, mattress pads, propane stove/oven (propane is supplied), pots/pans, dishware, cutlery, wood stove (firewood is provided) and outhouse.
Reservations at: Alpine Club of Canada
Leaving the parking lot just before 11 a.m., we set out towards our destination. Six of the 8 adults used touring set-ups to ski in, which we determined was probably the best choice, especially when pulling a chariot laden with food, gear and not so tiny kids! Kelsea and Chris, who borrowed classic cross-country skis with skins in the kick zone, had a harder time on the steeper sections, but were good sports as always and persevered! We all took a break together at the 3 kilometre mark so that the nappers could have a bite to eat before falling asleep. From that point on, who we skied with and where we were amongst the pack oscillated. At points, I was skiing alone or with one other person, but would eventually bump into another member of our group. We all just went at the pace our bodies and our children would tolerate. By 5 p.m., our entire group had made it to the hut. It was a grind, but the weather was perfect, the surroundings stunning and spirits were high (except for that time when I reached the 10-kilometre marker, celebrated that I only had 1 more kilometre to go, and was told it was actually 2… The realization that there was double the distance left to travel was crushing in the moment).
The Elizabeth Parker Hut is a great choice for a family backcountry ski trip! First, almost the entirety of the ski up is on a road, so it is predictable, pretty safe and totally do-able with the chariot. There are two huts - the bigger one includes a kitchen, a dining area, a sleeping area for about 16 people. The smaller hut just has a sleeping area for about 8. We were lucky to have the whole place booked out, so we didn’t use the smaller cabin much (but it did come in handy for afternoon naps!).
The hut is located in a beautiful alpine meadow, only 500 metres from the iconic Lake O’Hara. Access to this area is highly regulated: In the summer, you may be able to snag a day-trip ticket on the bus, but in the winter your only option is to get there using your own two feet/skis! It felt very special to have this coveted destination all to ourselves. We spent our days tobogganing, checking out animal tracks in the snow, creating “race tracks” in the snow on the lake, watching mountain goats and doing some exploring on our skis. We didn’t do any “real” skiing but enjoyed being able to travel around on the snow. One afternoon we checked out the nearby Mary Lake and did a loop of Lake O’Hara with the kids in hard- and soft-structured carriers (yes, we decided it was worth it to pack those in on the chariots too!).
While being outside as much as possible was the goal, it was also really enjoyable to hang out in the hut. The kids loved jumping on the beds, having dance parties, colouring, climbing up ladders to the loft and reading books in the “chill zone”. It was like a giant playhouse!
The rhythm of our days looked something like this: Wake-up, quickly followed by coffee and breakfast. The kids would play while the adults cleaned up and got organized for the day. We’d go outside and explore for a couple hours, then back to the hut for lunch and quiet time/naps. Later in the afternoon, we would venture outside again for a couple hours before dinner. As a group, we rotated through cooking, eating, cleaning and entertaining the children. With full bellies, we would prep for bedtime by getting pajamas on and teeth brushed. We read bedtime stories together and then said “goodnight!”. Us parents always had the best intentions of having a nightcap after the kids fell asleep, but that never happened. Falling asleep turned out to be a lengthy process and by the time the kids were asleep, we were ready to call it a night too! The nights were by no means perfect, with each kid taking a turn with a wee hours outburst, but we all managed some sleep.
One of the highlights of our time at the hut was the coolest third birthday party I’ve ever been to! Hazen cleared some ice and built a snow bar on the lake, where we enjoyed chocolate mousse, snacks and beverages while soaking up the sunshine and the beauty around us. You could not have asked for a more perfect day for it! 10/10 - Highly recommend.
After three glorious days, it was finally time to ski out! Obviously, the ski out was much faster and efficient, taking us only about 2.5 hours from top to bottom. You can’t just ski all the way out unfortunately, so we put our skins back on at around the halfway mark.
Okay, so… The best tip I can offer you for a family backcountry ski trip: Find some awesome pals who book the hut, plan all the dinners and pack the super thoughtful activities/crafts for the kids. Huge shout to Jess and Hazen who made this trip so easy and fun for our whole crew!
If you don’t have friends who will plan things for you, here are some things that worked for us:
Booking out the entire hut. I know it’s not cheap or easy to get the whole hut booked out, but we kept repeating how much more laid-back it felt. Our kids could run around in the day and cry out in the night and we didn’t have to worry about impacting anyone else’s experience. Also, getting the kids to sleep was tricky even with everyone going to bed at the same time. I think it would be much harder if there were still adults cooking, eating and hanging out! In that case, my advice would be to try to get the little cabin for sleeping!
Load up on snacks. You’re a parent so you know this one already. I suggest packing super simple meals and lots of snacks. SO MANY SNACKS. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE SNACKS. I was certain I had over-packed and we ate almost everything. We were down to a few bars by the time we got back to the car, and my toddler demolished all of them on the drive home. On that note, we planned for a big snack and charcuterie platter for when we first arrived at the hut. We all chipped in a few items and this allowed us to refuel while getting settled in the hut and avoid shifting into hanger mode.
Borrow an extra chariot. Both two parent + two kid combos choose to travel with two chariots. While the kids still sat together in one chariot, the other chariot was packed with food and gear. This allowed the parents to share the load, and gave the option to split up the kids if needed.
Introduce novel activities. Jess wins super-mom-of-the-year for her creative and fun kids activities! She made a map for the kids to follow on our trip up, had a felt crown and cape for each of the kids to decorate, and make-your-own wand kits. The kids loved it! A month later and my kids are still wearing their crowns around the house! We also brought books, coloring books and crayons, a couple small balls and plastic easter eggs to share! The latter are lightweight, can be filled with treats and hidden in the snow for a fun hunt, which was a backcountry win for sure!
Pack entertainment for the chariot ride up. We bought Juniper a Yoto last Christmas and it is an awesome gadget for adventures and traveling. It’s a great screen-free option for when she is in the car or chariot for longer periods of time, and she can use it all by herself. It works offline and the battery life is pretty good. Kelsea purchased a few Ubsorne Activity Books from Cafe Books for the kids to focus placing stickers on pages.
Pack proper clothing. The Morrison Outdoors sleeping bag, fleece mid-layers and hut slippers were perfect for keeping the kids warm and comfortable in the hut.
Bring a clean dish sponge. These huts get loved hard, and sometimes the amenities have seen a lot of people before you. I appreciate having something clean to wash dishes with!
Don’t forget toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wipes and garbage bags!
Only ten years ago, I was living in the city, didn’t know how to ski and could have hardly imagined this life! What an absolute dream to be able to do adventures like these with our family and friends.