When I visited Abraham Lake in the winter I was blown away figuratively and literally. The beauty was incredible and the wind almost pushed us over. Recently I went on a hike recommended to me and we lucked out with weather. It was amazing to experience the difference in seasons out in David Thompson Country. During the winter months the water gets blown to the shore creating stunning shapes of drifted ice. In the summer, the waterline recedes making you feel closer to the mountains and beautiful colored water.
Abraham Lake is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Edmonton. Located in David Thompson Country, this relatively untouched area is best known for the methane bubbles found in the lake during the winter time. With the amazing National and Provincial Park's Alberta has, this area gets overlooked in the summer months. If you want a calmer, more back country feeling adventure, this is a great place to explore.
As you approach the lake there are a few highway side pull offs. These two images were taken at a road that takes you off the highway, aptly named Windy Point.
If you go in the winter know that the landscape around this lake forms a wind tunnel. Make sure you dress accordingly for this.
We hiked Vision Quest Scramble, which was a trail recommended to us to try out. The reviews on All Trails said it was stunning and would be a 5/5 except that the decent was intense, making it more of a 3 or 4 out of 5. For the first time in our experience a trail was exactly as advertised. It started with an intense vertical ascent that didn't stop until the summit. We knew on the way up that this vertical would mean an aggressive trip down, but that didn't stop us. I think we said "wow that view" 40+ times on the way up. The blue skies and blue lake kept us motivated on the trek. It was about 4 hours round trip, with a break at the top for snacks and a rest.
We met a couple guys that thought about doing the extra portion of this hike. This summit is more rock climbing than hiking. They made it part way up but then thought better of it given the conditions. If you opt for this section, remember that you still have a long decent down and you will have some shaky legs. If you have hiking poles, they are definitely recommended for this hike.
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