International Log Jam

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June 22nd 2011

Published: August 25th 2011

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Two Canadians Eh

Bow Valley Parkway

Lake Louise. What a gong show.

Banff was pretty bad for the "tourist trap" - but nothing compared to pulling into the parking lot of Lake Louise and the assault of tour buses that ensued. We got out of our car, made our way to the waters edge and just stood there dumbfounded at the number of people. And the uh, diversity in the people. Baby strollers. High heels. Dogs in purses. Screaming kids. Seniors with walkers. Large groups of peace signing foreigners. You name it, they were there. Trevor's words exactly: "And... The International Log Jam begins!"

We left Banff at 7am and drove to the lake along the Bow Valley Parkway - a "must do" according to our guide book. We would concur. The parkway runs parallel to the main highway, but the speed limit is lower and it just seems more serene; more peaceful. Wildlife was abundant along the parkway. And so were the stupid tourists. We were fortunate to see two little grizzly cubs, and a man with a death wish. Buddy actually got out of his car and got between the cubs and their mama (who were on opposite sides

Lake Louise

of the road) - who does that?! A card carrying member of The International Log Jam, that's who.

So. Lake Louise. The plan was to hike, this time *hopefully* minus any potential cougar and/or bear attacks. We chose the Plain of Six Glaciers trail because a) the views were supposed to be stunning, and b) it seemed like a good idea at the time. The guide book said 90 minutes each way. "Ok" we all thought, "90 minutes is doable." The guidebook lied. It took us 6 hours round trip! First of all, Sonja is from Holland. Holland is flat, not mountainous (or bear infested). And second, well, we didn't realize we were signing up to climb a fleepin mountain! I thought we'd chosen more of a "leisurely" stroll in the pristine and calming wilderness. Not so much.

The trail took us alongside the lake and then up between the mountains at the back of the lake. And the entire time I was thinking "Please don't let there be a bear. Please don't let there be a bear." You can bet I had my trusty bear spray ready to go. We even did "practice" runs - where Trevor

Plain of Six Glaciers Hike

Looking back at Lake Louise on the way up. This was when our spirits were still high and we believed the tea house was just around the corner.

would yell "Bear!" and we'd see how fast I could reach it from my pack, fumble the safety off, and successfully aim it anything but myself. Yep, that's how special/paranoid/slightly off I am. The highlight (aside from there not being a bear) was the tea house on the mountain at the end. Really quaint, homemade, and much appreciated after, you know, climbing a mountain. The lesson learned: when a guidebook says the views are awesome, that is secret mountain climber code for "your bum is really going to hurt tomorrow" and "good luck with your knees."

In spite of the unexpected strenuous physical activity, we really enjoyed Lake Louise - even though it was slightly irritating that we had to share it with the League of Nations. We definitely see the irony in being annoyed with all the tourists at a tourist destination (where we ourselves are tourists too), but still - it would have been nice without the baby strollers, high heels, or conglomerations of Japanese peace signs. It's doubtful we'll ever return to there, but as we are citizens of this fine country, it felt like a rite of passage, much like swinging by Timmies for

Moraine Lake

a double double or passing Yogi Bear in the woods.

Stop number two: Moraine Lake.

The guide book said it was close to Lake Louise, and though much smaller, absolutely worth every bit as much time. We'd second that notion. The lake was stunning. If your thing is to see a gorgeous, turquoise colored, mountain backdropped, glacier fed lake, then this is the one for you. Definitely the thing dreams and postcards are made of! And surprisingly, even though it was only about 20 minutes from Lake Louise, The International Log Jam mostly seemed to have passed right by. We'd peace sign to that.

And, that would be that for Lake Louise.

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