Lake Louise

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Today we were only travelling a short distance, into the Banff National Park to visit the Lake Louise area. As the weather forecast was better for the morning, we decided to drive to the Lake Louise Gondola to visit Mount Whitehorn, the area's ski resort. Here we purchased tickets to ride on the chairlift up to the Interpretive Centre. As we soared over the mountainside our eyes were scanning the ground below for bears. This area is where one of the largest population of female grizzly bears in Banff National Park reside and they can often be spotted from this lift. Not today they couldn't, but we enjoyed our ride and the view on our arrival at the top was breathtaking. We could just make out Lake Louise, a very small patch of turquoise, with the famous Chateau Louise hotel on it's shoreline, at the base of Mount Victoria. We visited the Interpretive Centre to learn all about the bears and other wildlife seen in the park and would have liked to hike along the only open trail, but the bear warning signs suggested only hiking in groups of 4. So we returned down the mountainside, still looking for bears, but again with no success.



Bear hunting is hungry work, so we called into Lake Louise village for lunch at a local bakery. Then, at last, we drove to Lake Louise and parked in one of the many parking lots. A short stroll and there it was, the beautiful turquoise-coloured lake and the imposing Fairmountain Chateau hotel. It was very busy here, but we walked along the lakeside trail and gradually the crowds thinned. It is 1.2 miles to the far end of the lake, where we observed rock climbers and amongst loose rocks, several golden mantelled ground squirrels. On our return to the hotel, we saw the trail sign for the Lake Agnes tea-house hike and decided to walk a little way along it, to get a better view of the lake from above. Well of course that meant we eventually walked the whole 3.4km (2.1miles) uphill trail! It was still a little slippery in places, with lying snow, but we gradually climbed up and up, firstly passing Mirror Lake and then at last reaching Lake Agnes. Here we thankfully found that the little wooden tea house, a replica of the original one built in 1901, was still open. We really enjoyed our tea and biscuits, we felt we had earned them.

The descent was soon much quicker - must have been the chocolate biscuit and we were soon on our way to Lake Moraine. Parking here is very difficult so is best attempted either early or late, but as it was now after 6pm we had no difficulty. A short stroll took us to the Lake,but the best view is to be had by following the rockpile trail up to a series of viewpoints on top of a massive heap of boulders. Here ten peaks are in view and it is one of the most famous views in the Rockies.

So by the end of the day we had walked over 11 miles, but what marvellous and wonderful views and sights we had been privilege to see. Our day then ended on a further high, when on our return journey to Field, we saw one mountain goat, 5 deer and the topping on the cake, another black bear! He/she was on the railway line we cross as we enter Field, but soon moved off into the trees. What a day in the Rockies.

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