Banff National Park Part 1: Lake Louise

Banff National Park – Canada’s oldest national park. It has been a dream of ours for several years to visit this place. Finally, we have arrived. After setting up camp in Lake Louise, the northern part of the park, we hopped on the bikes and rode the 1.5 miles into town. It’s a very small town — a little market, a few shops, a few hotels and restaurants, a couple gas stations, and that is it. We explored the town by bike in search of craft beer. At the hostel which happened to be the fanciest hostel I have ever seen, we enjoyed a pitcher of hefeweizen from an Alberta brewery.

We knew ahead of time that trying to find parking at either Moraine Lake or Lake Louise (the lake itself, not to be confused with the town of the same name) any time after 6 am was a nightmare. Parks Canada offers a shuttle to both lakes but even the shuttle tickets sell out. Luckily, we booked our shuttle tickets about a month ago so we were set.

Moraine Lake is nicknamed the Jewel of the Rockies. And yes it is worthy of the name. There are at least 6 mountain peaks that appear to rise from the lake, towering over the landscape, creating a backdrop that is just incredible. And the bright blue color of the glacier-fed lake contrasts with the gray granite of the mountains making it look like, well, a jewel. We hiked the Consolation Lakes Trail which goes around the back side of the range surrounding Moraine Lake. The path less traveled – it felt nice to get away from the crowds that just hop off the shuttle to create content for their Instagram feed. After eating lunch by the lake and walking the Lakeshore Trail, we hopped back on the shuttle and were back at camp in about 20 minutes. Very convenient.

You can kayak at either Moraine Lake or Lake Louise but we decided to avoid the crowds and kayak at Bow Lake instead. Bow Lake doesn’t get as much hype as the aforementioned lakes but I think it is just as spectacular. Even more so when you get there early and there is no wind and the lake is so calm it is glass. The reflection of the mountains and glaciers along the lake’s shore creates one of the most stunning visuals I have ever witnessed. We literally had the entire lake to ourselves. Such a cool experience. One of those memorable days 🙂

For my Lake Louise solo bike ride, I decided to do the Icefields Parkway. This ride was tough because of all the up, down, up, down. After climbing up to Bow Summit, I decided to go down the other side so I ended up having to do both the front and back sides of the 1000 ft climb – ugh 🙂 The views along the highways are nice but the best part of the route was an unplanned detour to Peyto Lake and Glacier. A steep little 0.5 mile climb to the parking area where the road ends and you get some great views of forest – ugh 🙂 But then I noticed the paved pathway which I followed and was rewarded by a large viewing deck and spectacular views of Peyto Lake, Peyto Glacier, and several other peaks for as far as the eye could see. Definitely glad I made the detour. Back to the highway and now it was mostly downhill all the way back to Lake Louise and camp.

Next we took the shuttle to Lake Louise — the actual lake 🙂 It is beautiful, but holy crap, the crowds. Most people are there just to get the obligatory photo to prove they “saw” Lake Louise and then hop back on the shuttle. The other big draw is the Fairmont Chateau which yes is a wonderful hotel, but just seems out of place for somewhere that should be celebrated for its natural beauty. We were there to explore and explore we did. We hiked the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail up to the tea house at the foot of the glacier. We had tea and cake at the simple tea house in the middle of the wilderness — so cool. It was built as an outpost for mountaineers leading expeditions to the summit of the nearby peaks. While eating lunch and admiring the close-up view of the glacier, we saw and heard several large chunks of ice break off the glacier and tumble down the mountain. The thunder-like sound takes at least a full second to travel before you hear it. Amazing but also a little depressing when you realize how fast all glaciers around the world are receding. We hiked back down and reached the lake shore in early afternoon. The sun, now higher in the sky from when we started, made the lake and surrounding area look more stunning.

Because of the proximity, we decided to couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do a day trip to Yoho National Park. We hiked around Emerald Lake in the morning. There is a quaint lake lodge with several cabins. While it is not as fancy as the Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau, it has a nice, warm feel and blends in with the natural surroundings. We actually enjoyed the serenity and simpleness of Emerald Lake more than Lake Louise. Next we drove Yoho Valley Road to its terminus at Takakkaw Falls. The road is very steep and narrow in areas and has a couple of crazy tight switchbacks. The turn is so tight, full-size trucks had to back up to make it around the bend. Takakkaw Falls is incredible — one of the tallest falls in all of Canada. It is so powerful you can hear it from nearly a mile away and the spray travels about a half mile. Definitely worth the drive. On the drive back to Lake Louise, we got caught in a heavy rain and thunderstorm. And then an hour later, it was blue skies again. Wild.

On our last full day at the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park, we hiked to Bow Summit from Peyto Lake/Glacier. I’m glad Emi was able to see Peyto Lake and Glacier too. On the drive to the trailhead we spotted a black bear munching on buffalo berries. We stopped along the side of the road and watched him for several minutes. He was only about 30 feet away. Such a beautiful animal but I’m glad we were in the safety of our car 🙂 On the trail up to Bow Summit, we spotted a marmot. It was a nice, cool morning so I guess all the critters were out. The view of Bow Lake and Crowfoot Glacier from the summit made for a nice end to our Lake Louise stay.

Next stop, the town of Banff and the southern area of Banff National Park. It’s a big park, we need more time to explore 🙂 Stay tuned…