Lake Louise - The Ultimate Wow
/Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest national park, was established in 1885. The park encompasses 2564 sq mi (664 sq km). We lost an hour as we crossed back into Alberta and made our way to one of Banff’s gems…Lake Louise.
We made a quick stop at the Visitor Center to pick up some maps then headed to the campground. We were hoping to find a site in the marked ‘FULL’ Lake Louise Campground. Incredible as it may sound, we secured a site for the night. Thank goodness Blanche is a camper van and only 18’ long because anything longer would have been out of luck on this particular day. We were warned from the git-go that we’d hear trains all night. It’s been the norm lately… we were getting used to it.
The campground is unusual in that it has an electrified bear fence along its entire perimeter. It reminded us of the Liard Hot Springs Campground along the Alaska Highway at which we’d stayed previously.
After getting settled in our small, but adequate campsite, we decided to take a ride up to the lake, but were discouraged from doing so by the camp attendant because of the traffic and lack of parking, especially mid-day. He suggested instead a hike along the Louise Creek Trail ~1.5 miles (2.6 km) which would end up at the lake. Access was through the electrified fence via a man gate not far from our campsite .
The trail was lots of up, but most pleasant to walk along the creek on a well-trodden path. We passed a very large forest troll in deep thought sitting alongside the river. He never even noticed we were there. We just kept on walking.
We’d never visited Lake Louise before so we weren’t quite ready for the absolute awe we felt when we first saw the lake… brilliant blue-green and crystal clear with a backdrop of mountains. We were gobsmacked. We snapped photo after photo from all different vantage points. It was beautiful no matter how you looked at it.
Our ultimate goal in hiking up to the lake was actually twofold. First, we wanted to see the lake, of course. Second, the Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise sits on the lake’s edge. We were hoping to have lunch there. The hotel is as splendid as you’d expect. I checked room rates in case we could sneak in a night there as a splurge. $1100+/night + GST… lunch seemed a good alternative.
Since we had no lunch reservations (what’s new?), we weren’t sure we’d be able to get a table. A sign by the restaurant entrance suggested scanning a QR code to make a reservation with Open Table. We did so and lo and behold about 20 minutes later we were texted that our table by a window with a view of the lake was ready. Oh my! The view was outstanding.
It was hard to concentrate on the menu with such a view before us, but we managed. I ordered ahi tuna and David ordered spring salmon. We shared bites and enjoyed the best of both dishes… beautifully presented and scrumptious.
Luckily, the 1.5 mile return walk was downhill.
Our son, Brennan, had told us about the Lake Agnes Tea House. He and Hannah had climbed the trail to the tea house, thought it was awesome and suggested we try it.
Established in 1901 by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a refuge for hikers, the Lake Agnes Tea House is the oldest tea house in Canada. They’ve been serving tea since 1905. It was rebuilt in 1981 by Cynthia Magee and her family still own and operate it.
The next morning, we set out early to snag a parking place at the Lake Louise parking lot ($21/day… no options). The saving grace of the expensive parking fee was that all the fees go do the maintenance and upkeep of Lake Louise.
The lake was calm and beautiful once again on a cool, brisk morning.
After a few photos, we set out on the Lake Agnes Trail, a moderately strenuous trek.
It was cold and we were bundled up. It’s a steep uphill slog on a well-defined trail through thick forest. Every once in awhile the lake peeked out far below and we could see Blanche in the parking lot.
We were not alone. Tens of people were trekking up the mountain trail with us. Most folks were breathing hard, plodding slow and easy… other than that one guy who was running and was up and coming down before we were halfway to our destination.
We stopped at Mirror Lake for a brief rest stop… only 1/2 mile (.8 km) to go. Lots of people had the same idea. The Big Beehive rose tall and regal before us.
A Clark’s nutcracker perched on a No Fishing sign was watching the crowd hoping for a snack.
A waterfall greeted us near the end of the trail.
As we climbed the last few yards, we noted two long, steep flights of wooden stairs that led up to the tea house. More up! We hoped the tea was worth all this effort. It was.
Once there, we congratulated each other that we had climbed to an altitude of 7005’ (2135m) with an elevation gain of 1205’ (368m). No wonder we were out of breath. Time for tea and scones! We chose an indoor table and noted that the options for tea varieties seemed endless. Freshly baked scones and banana bread complimented our hot drinks. The sit-down felt great.
We wandered around the grounds of the tea house, Lake Agnes calm and peaceful footsteps away.
Cheeky Steller’s jays joined the Clark’s nutcrackers watching for, begging for, and sometimes outright snitching snacks to the consternation of some of the visitors.
We relished the notion that going down the trail would be much easier than the travail up had been. Not only was it easier, but it was significantly faster with less shortness of breath. We noted that most everyone on the descent had a spring in their step and smiles on their faces. David suggested we turn around and do it again. It sounded like a great idea (as if!), but I reminded him we had still had some miles to make in order to find a campsite at Banff for the night.
Down the scenic highway we sped to Banff townsite, beautiful views all the way.
A giant-sized Banff sign welcomed us to town.
We wended our way through the town’s busy streets. It’s similar to Jasper and other ‘park towns’, pleasant enough with lots of shops, tour opps, restaurants and bars and a lively pedestrian mall. With lots of trails, paths and parks, the town seems to encourage walking and bicycling.
We ended up a few miles out of town at the Tunnel Mountains Village 1 Campground which fortunately had several empty sites to choose from. Free shuttles run to downtown Banff on a regular schedule and leave from the campground bus stop. The return trip is $2, a bargain based on the lack of parking and traffic in town.
We heard no trains this night, but coyotes yipped till early morning. Not sure if I prefer coyote yips over train rumbling and whistling, but it did remind us of cool nights in Las Vegas when we crack the windows open and we can hear the coyotes yip, yap and howl till early morning.
David had done a bit of research of things to do in Banff and one that topped the list was the Art in Nature Trail, a loop which stretched along both sides of the Bow River. It was a cool, crisp morning as we crossed the Nancy Paaw Pedestrian Bridge over the Bow to begin our walk.
Some art pieces were simply creations on a cross-cut slab of wood. Others were larger and more complex. Some pieces were merely words for reflection or a famous quote about nature. Here’s a sampling of our favorites…
We followed the trail until it met the Bow River Falls Trail, then climbed up the stone steps and down for a view of the falls.
We retraced our steps, admiring again some of the artwork we’d seen. We crossed under a bridge and wondered if Blanche could have made it. It would have been mighty close… it’s just about her height. Good thing we didn’t have to try.
There was so much more to see and so much more to do in Banff, but we were antsy to move on. We saw so much more than we have the time or space to share. It’s the kind of place to which we’d like to return as a destination, not just a pass through.
Next time, a little detour to a Royal Museum and the largest dinosaur in the world. Pretty irrestible, huh?