Peyto Hut

Last updated
Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut
General information
Type alpine hut
Architectural styleMetal Shelter cabin
Location Bow Valley
CountryFlag of Canada.svg  Canada
Coordinates 51°39′48″N116°32′42″W / 51.66333°N 116.54500°W / 51.66333; -116.54500
Owner Alpine Club of Canada
Technical details
MaterialMetal
Design and construction
Architect Alpine Club of Canada
Website
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/peyto.html

The Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut, also known as the Peyto Hut, is an alpine hut located on the northern tip of the Wapta Icefield in Banff National Park. It is nicknamed the Peyto hut due to its proximity on the Peyto Glacier. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

The Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Waputik Mountains of the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers. Runoff from the icefields and outlet glaciers supply water to both the Kicking Horse and Bow Rivers, as well as numerous streams and lakes.

Banff National Park national park in Alberta, Canada

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. Located in the Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, Banff encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with many glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.

Peyto Glacier glacier in Canada

The Peyto Glacier is situated in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately 90 km (56 mi) northwest of the town of Banff, and can be accessed from the Icefields Parkway. Peyto Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental divide. The glacier snout is subject to high melt rates from season to season and there is marked surface lowering on several parts of the glacier. Glacial silt, which is carried from the glacier by streams, ensures a turquoise appearance to Peyto Lake, a popular tourist destination. As is true for the vast majority of glaciers worldwide, Peyto Glacier has been retreating rapidly, especially since the last half of the 20th century, and has reportedly lost 70% of its mass since it was first researched (Demuth and Keller, 2006). Between 1896 and 1966, the total volume loss of the Peyto Glacier was 1088.5 x 106 m3 (Wallace, 1995). In 1987, an automatic weather station was constructed near the glacier that monitors temperature changes, radiation, and precipitation

The hut sleeps 18 in the summer and 16 in the winter. It is equipped with propane powered lamps and stovetop. [1] There is a single outdoor drum toilet at this facility.

Hut access requires approximately 6 to 8 hours of travel [2] including at least an hour of glacier travel to get to from Peyto Lake, or 6 to 8 hours of glacier travel from the Bow Hut.

Peyto Lake glacial lake

Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area.

Bow Hut

The Bow Hut is an alpine hut located at an elevation of 2,350 metres (7,710 ft) on the eastern edge of the Wapta Icefield in Banff National Park. It is the largest, best equipped, and most accessible of the four alpine huts on the Wapta Icefield, and serves as the base for a wide variety of ski tours and mountaineering ascents to half a dozen peaks on the Wapta. It is the easiest and safest starting point for the Wapta traverse; and Balfour Hut, the next hut on the traverse, can easily be reached from it in a day. It can also serve as an intermediate stop in a longer traverse which starts at the less easily accessible Peyto Hut. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

Nearby

R.J. Ritchie Hut alpine hut in Banff National Park, Canada

The R.J. Ritchie Hut is an alpine hut located at an altitude of 2,470 metres (8,100 ft) between the southern tip of the Wapta Icefield and the northern tip of the Waputik Icefield in Banff National Park. The hut is at the half-way mark for the Wapta traverse and is usually used in conjunction with the other huts in this chain while attempting a cross-glacier ski trip. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

Related Research Articles

Peyto Peak mountain in Canada

Peyto Peak is a mountain in the Waputik Range, part of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada.

Bow Glacier glacier in Canada

Bow Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Lake Louise. It can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. Bow Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental Divide, and runoff from the glacier supplies water to Bow Lake and the Bow River. The glacier is credited for creating the Bow Valley before retreating at the end of the last glacial maximum.

Vulture Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, northwest of Lake Louise, and can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. Vulture Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental Divide. The glacier had an area of 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²) in the 1980s, however, all of the glaciers in the Canadian Rockies have been retreating steadily since the middle of the 19th century.

Crowfoot Glacier glacier in Canada

Crowfoot Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Lake Louise, and can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. The glacier is situated on the northeastern flank of Crowfoot Mountain.

The Waputik Icefield is located on the Continental divide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. It is developed on the heights of the Waputik Range in the Central Main Ranges.

The Stanley Mitchell hut is an alpine hut located at an altitude of 2,060 metres (6,759 ft) in the Little Yoho Valley in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. It sits in a small meadow not far from the base of a mountain called The President. It serves as a base for hiking, scrambling, ski-touring and climbing the nearby mountains. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

Bow Lake (Alberta) lake in Alberta, Canada

Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.

Hector Lake lake in Alberta, Canada

Hector Lake is a small glacial lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies.

Albertas Rockies

Alberta's Rockies comprises the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is a region on the southwestern part of the province, along the British Columbia border. It covers all but the south of Census Division 15.

Neil Colgan Hut building in British Columbia, Canada

The Neil Colgan Hut is an alpine hut on the Fay Glacier in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia, Canada. It is in a col between Mount Little and Mount Bowlen, one of the peaks overlooking the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada and is the highest permanent structure in Canada.

Mount Thompson (Alberta)

Mount Thompson is a 3,089-metre (10,135-foot) mountain summit located four kilometers west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Baker, 5.0 km (3.1 mi) to the west. Mount Thompson is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Mount Thompson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.

Mount Jimmy Simpson Alberta, Canada mountain

Mount Jimmy Simpson is a 2,966-metre (9,731-foot) summit located 3 kilometres northwest of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 3.0 km (1.9 mi) to the southwest. Mount Jimmy Simpson is a member of the Waputik Mountains, and is situated east of the Wapta Icefield and west of the Bow River valley. Mount Jimmy Simpson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake. Jimmy Simpson Junior is a 2,721 meter sub-summit east of the mountain.

Portal Peak

Portal Peak is a 2,926-metre (9,600-foot) mountain summit located four kilometers west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the northwest. Portal Peak is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Portal Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.

References

  1. http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/peyto.html Alpine Club of Canada - Peyto Hut
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-08-04. Petyo Hut Information