Burgess Shale

I have a wicked headache this morning. It has nothing to do with partying--I was asleep at 11pm last night. I suspect it has more to do with dehydration and the the 20km hike we did yesterday.

Considering how many posts I've made about hiking, some of you guys must be thinking that I'm some kind of hard-core hiker. I'm really not. Up until a year ago, I could probably count the number of hikes I've done on one hand! Three fingers, to be exact. But after our Grand Canyon hike last September, Tom and I realized that hiking is a pretty enjoyable way to explore the outdoors. It would be even more enjoyable if I could figure out how to prevent blistering all over my feet... But I've had no luck with that so far. So I guess I'll have to keep experimenting. Toe socks were NOT the answer.

I digress!

Me and Paige (aka "Organizer Extraordinaire," aka "Expert Cat Herder").

In May, Paige bid and won a guided hike to the Burgess Shale in a silent auction. If you've never heard of it before, the Burgess Shale is one of the most prolific fossil beds in the world. The Burgess Shale is unique in that it has captured many soft-part organisms that were previously unseen (or rarely seen) in the rock record. As you can imagine, it's much easier for hard shells (like on lobsters or crabs) to be preserved for 505 million years than soft, unprotected legs and appendages. And for a bunch of young geologists and geophysicists, the Burgess Shale (specifically Walcott Quarry) is a fascinating attraction.

For weeks in advance, Paige got us organized. She got us to sign waivers, researched camping sites and ensured that everyone had a ride and a tent to sleep in. I certainly appreciate her efforts! Getting 12 people on the same page (no pun intended) is an exhausting task. I'm sure it sometimes felt like she was herding cats. For this reason, I dub her "Expert Cat Herder."

On Friday, our group of 12 headed out of the city toward Yoho National Park. After a night of camping (next to the highway and the CP Rail line), we woke up groggy-- bright and early.

As an aside-- did anyone else realize how constant the stream of trains were through the mountains? It seriously felt like there was a train passing the campsite every 20 minutes, all night. Believe me-- I heard it. The never ending screech of metal train on metal tracks. Not the most conducive setting for sleeping!

I digress again!

We met our guide in Field, and then drove convoy to our starting point-- the public washrooms at Takakkaw Falls. A series of switchbacks would start our elevation gain of 760m (2500ft) over 10km.

Takakkaw Falls.

I think the guide underestimated the level of fitness in our group. We motored to our first stop, Yoho Lake.

Yoho Lake (4km mark).

Then we sped along to our lunch stop. We were way ahead of schedule, even including several stops for scenic photos.

The view of Emerald Lake from our lunch stop.

Us, trailblazing.

The problem with all our trailblazing is that we eventually caught up to the group ahead of us. Because the Burgess Shale is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is very well monitored. There are motion sensors buried in the ground, and video cameras at the site. You can only go into Walcott Quarry with a guide. Only one guided group is allowed in the quarry at a time. You can not take fossils out of the site.

Usually there are only one or two groups on the trail on a given day. However, there were three groups this particular day. We ended up waiting over an hour for a Parks Canada group before we could go into the quarry. While we waited on the side of the trail for them to pass, Jill noted their pace was much more "sedate" than ours. The term "geriatric" maybe have been substituted for "sedate." But hey! That's okay-- it was well worth the wait.

Outcrop of the Burgess Shale in Walcott Quarry.

Of course, there were fossils galore! Big fossils, small fossils... All so fragile and delicate looking. And creepy crawly! I don't think I'd want one of these things crawling around in my house!

I don't remember what this is.

Haplophrentis inhabited a small, conical shell.

Trilobite, a creepy arthropod.

There were things other than fossils to occupy us in the quarry. There were more spectacular views.

Emerald Glacier.

And when the views weren't enough, we could take out our frustration and boredom by bludgeoning Jeff.

Tom bludgeons an unsuspecting Jeff.

Little did we know-- the bludgeon had fossils in it!

Seriously, there were fossils in everything.

But don't worry, Jeff was okay. Tom beat him where the marks wouldn't show.

Jill, Jeff and I at Walcott Quarry.

Tom napping after his strenuous beat-down of Jeff.

When we finished up at the quarry, we started the 10km trek down. We were making pretty good time. To give you an idea of our pace, we eventually caught up with the Parks Canada group that had left an hour ahead of us.

And then, a bizarre thing happened.

The Parks Canada group wouldn't move out of the way.

I was a bit confused. Like I've said before-- I'm not an overly experienced hiker. But I always thought that on a hiking trail, it's common courtesy to pull over to the side to let people (or groups) who are moving faster than you, pass. Apparently no one in this group was aware of this. At one point, Paige and Tom got ahead of me, and I got stuck behind five Parks Canada people. After trailing them for a few minutes, I finally asked if I could scoot past them so I could catch up with my group. They were amiable enough when I asked-- but they seemed surprised. As in, "Oh! You want to catch up with your group?" Even more bizarre, the Parks Canada guide was with them too! It was definitely an odd way to end the day.

I am tempted to end this post with a grotesque photo of my blistery feet... But I'll spare you. This time.

If you're interested in hiking the Burgess Shale, you can do so by booking a guide through the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation website: http://www.burgess-shale.bc.ca/. It's a long day, but you won't regret it!