Exploring Banff

 

We had to get up early to meet our tour bus for Lake Louise and Lake Moraine.  We met the van at a hotel in Canmore at 8:30, which is approximately an hour’s drive from where we parked the RV.  Very early for a couple of travelers.  Alex, our driver, thanked us for being early.  We had one more stop to make in Banff to pick up the remaining passengers.

We were impressed with our driver’s safe driving and recommendations for getting the best pictures.  When we pulled up to Lake Louise, we were maybe 300 feet from the lake.  Definitely a better choice than trying to drive ourselves to find a parking spot around a mile away.  No fuss, no muss.

Here are a couple of pictures from when we first arrived at Lake Louise.  The first gives a sense of how many people were there and the difficulty in taking a picture it presented.  The crowds were due to the popularity of the spot and the three-day weekend encompassing Canada Day.  July 1^st is Canada Day which is their equivalent to our Independence Day celebrations.

Too many folks in the picture

Ahhh! That's better.

We did manage to get a selfie eventually.  Plus, here is Beverly from a different angle that shows the hotel, Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau, in the background.  There’s also a photo of the front entrance of the hotel.  You can book your room here for a paltry $1,700 Canadien per night or up to $2,800 for this 5-star experience.  If you prefer, you can stay a short quarter mile away at the 3-star Lake Louise Inn for only $550 to $950 per night.  Nope, think I’ll stay in the RV.

Lake Louise Selfie

Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau

Hotel Front Entrance

The color of Lake Louise and Lake Moraine comes from the glacial silt that is washed down from the glaciers.  Most of the silt settles to the bottom of the lake but the rock flour is so fine it stays suspended in the water.  It is this ‘flour’ that reflects the greens and blues from the sunlight giving a turquoise shade of the water.

Beautiful color set against the snow and sky

Our next portion of this tour will be to Lake Moraine which is at a higher elevation.  Again, our driver suggested the best pictures are obtained by climbing the Rock Pile.  As you can see from the photo, this is indeed a rock pile that is aptly named, but it does have steps that are strategically positioned.  We wondered if we could make it to the top and were relieved to see we were not the only ‘old’ folks struggling.  This fellow was asked many times if he was okay.  He always politely responded that he was just taking a breather before continuing to make the climb.

Oh boy, here we go!

Everyone needs a breather now and then

Once again, Alex came through for us.  Indeed, the best pictures are found at the top of the climb.  The views were fantastic, and we only wish the two-dimensional pictures could show what we were viewing with our eyes.

Beautiful, and the view is nice too!

Moraine Lake Selfie Time

Crowded on the Rock Pile too

Once we descended the Rock Pile, we took a picture at the lakeside to remember the difference between the two viewing locations.

Lake Moraine the view from up top is much better!

Well, looky here, if it isn’t my ole buddy from Canmore.  Who says these guys are mean and ferocious.  He was so glad to see me, he gave me a fist bump.

Friends forever, jus sayin!

After the tour was over, we returned to Canmore where Beverly and I had a flatbread pizza at a patio table.  We could spend our time enjoying a lazy lunch and people watching before preparing for a second tour of the day.  This tour was named Banff highlights and Wildlife Tour.  We left Canmore early to find a parking spot next to the train station where the tour would pick us up.

After securing a spot, I noticed some Porta-Potties close to where we parked.  What I did not notice was the proximity to the railroad tracks, that is until it was indelibly stamped into my memory bank.  You have never experienced anything like it.  The facility was about 20 yards at the most from the tracks.  When the freight train came barreling through and blasting its horn, the entire porta-potty vibrated and shook like crazy.  Of course, not being able to see, I thought I was a goner and the train was coming through that door any minute.  All I could think about was the headlines that would read, “Dumb American Used Wrong Bathroom at Wrong Time.”  After my heart rate settled back down, I cautiously exited and to my immense surprise, realized I was still alive, although quite shaken up literally.

Finally, it was time to board the van for our excursion and thankfully my mind and body both had time to settle back down to their normal state of anxiousness.  Katie our driver was originally from New Zealand.  She had visited the area before and fallen in love with it.  She moved back to Banff as soon as she could and provided wonderful details as we moved from place to place. 

The first place we stopped was up a mountain that provided a beautiful view of Banff town and surrounding area.  This prompted Beverly to announce that she would build a house there because of the view.  Of course, this is only about the umpteenth place she will have a house.

Thanks Katie, that's Banff town behind us

Great place for a picture window in the new house.

Moving on, she pointed out some avalanche scars on the side of this mountain.  We are in avalanche country and there are signs everywhere warning of the possibility of avalanches.

Two big scars to right of center

We stopped at Lake Minnewanka.  This is the only lake in Banff National Park that allows motorized boating.  All other lakes allow only kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding.  We did not see any power boats, but you can see the beauty of the area.  There was a boat at the dock that offers sunset cruises.  Since the sun does not set until well after 10 PM, we decided to skip the boat ride.

Picture postcard

Katie likes taking pictures as much as driving

Our next stop took us back up in elevation to a spot that had a hoodoo.  Who knew that Banff in Alberta Canada had a hoodoo?  I thought Bryce Canyon was where you went to view hoodoos.  Like I said before, we learn something new all the time.

Bow River with hoodoo left bottom

We did see wildlife on the tour.  We saw elk and mountain sheep.  We even saw elk mamas and babies.  Katie showed us some areas marked in red tape.  This was to let hikers know that the mamas and babies are in the area.  It seems the mamas are aggressive and protective of their territory for a period of time after the babies are born.  So, the message of the red tape is go around and leave the elk to themselves.

Mountain Sheep, pretty scruffy looking

Elk right outside the van

Mamas and babies, don't mess with me

One of our last stops on the tour was at the Bow River Falls which are located right in the town of Banff.  The temperature was cooler at this place due to the colder water running through the area.  Beverly pointed out this is another place she would build a house to live.  So, for the umpteenth and twentieth time we have another place to have a house when our ship comes in.  See you down the road.  We’re moving to Calgary in a day or two.

Thanks again Katie