The Iceline trail is more commonly used descending from the hut, making a great loop trail. Early in the summer, the trail can be difficult to follow and an ice axe might be required to safely cross some of the steep snow slopes. From the Takakkaw Falls parking lot, the trail rises about 600 m (2,000 ft) and descends about 100 m (330 ft) over 11 km. Most of the elevation gain takes place within the first couple of kilometers. It usually takes 3–5 hours. Drive up the Yoho Valley Road as described above. A visitor can leave their car at the parking lot beside the Whiskey Jack Hostel, just before Takakkaw Falls. The trail starts a couple of hundred metres north of the hostel. Climb the trail up the hillside above, through the forest to the left of a giant avalanche slide path. After 1 km there is a junction for a side trip to Hidden Lake to the left, and a couple of hundred metres further, a junction for Yoho Pass and Yoho Lake to the left. Keep right at both of these intersections. The trail continues rising, then levels out and follows well-developed trails on moraine on the northeast side of the President Range, before dropping down to the Little Yoho River and the Stanley Mitchell hut. Winter routes The information below describes the character and difficulty of the undertaking, but is inadequate for planning or carrying out the trips themselves. Refer to Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies by Chic Scott, or Summits & Icefields: Canadian Rockies by Chic Scott for complete access information Two routes are commonly used to access the hut in winter: the Little Yoho Valley approach, which gives access from the highway in a long one-day push, and the less common multi-day Yoho Traverse across the des Poilus Glacier from the Wapta Icefield. Both routes are serious undertakings, and as a result this hut is used much less in the winter than in the summer months. On the Little Yoho Valley approach, the road to Takakkaw Falls is not plowed in winter, and must be skied. The first 5 km are normally trackset. After arriving at the Takakkaw Falls, the route follows the one taken in summer. The ascent from the highway to the hut is approximately 700 m (2,200 ft) over 23 km. Allow a full day for this approach –