| SLEEPING POET POOL (Trail not Maintained) ~ Panoramas from cliffs, quiet pool, mountain goats ~ Distance 3.3 km (2.1 mi) Trailhead Leave East Opabin Trail (page 8) at the Yukness Ledge junction at Hungabee Lake. Turn left and follow the Yukness Ledge Alpine Route for 300 m to the steep gully angling down the high cliff of Mt. Yukness on your right. This is close to the former access route to Yukness Ledge. (A "Trail Closed" sign directs you away from the old route downhill.) You can see indications of the path heading up close to the gully. Options This route connects with the Yukness Ledge Alpine Route and to all the trails of Opabin Plateau. The point where the route leaves the Yukness Ledge Trail is neither marked nor obvious. Part of the route is very steep. Dr. Link named the site for Dr. Philip Selling who wrote verses about many Lake O'Hara Lodge guests. Dr. Selling liked to come to this terrace and nap. The site is still a good place to visit if you want solitude; I have never met anyone on the route. Mountain goats frequent the terrace. No doubt, they approve of the quiet. As you might expect, the bench is also exposed to the elements. Only once have I been there when it was not swept by cold winds. Trail Though short, the trail is very steep as it follows close to the gully. When it reaches the terrace where the pool is located, the route heads left of the cliff band and becomes less steep. Your objective is a pond surrounded by a clutter of loose rock. The scenic interest here focuses on the panoramas from the cliffs near the pond, not on the pool itself, which is frozen or snow- covered most of the year. I have watched mountain goats use this bench to travel between the cliffs above Opabin Plateau and the slopes of Wiwaxy Peaks. The lichen-covered rock is slippery when wet. Lodge Trail Section = 53 min return time
Mts. Odaray and Stephen from the Sleeping Poet Pond.
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