100923 Lake Louise & Banff

Sun/Weather – I woke up early and got on the road right away. I had two hours of sunshine before it became mostly cloudy, which it stayed for the rest of the day. It sprinkled on me a couple times, but no rain, though.

Color – I drove through my favorite part of Jasper/Banff parks late yesterday afternoon and early this morning. There was incredible color from golden birches (along with the usual snow-topped mountains and incredible vistas) on this part of the drive. Too bad the sun wasn’t really good either time. Next time!! (That’s what I keep telling myself, that this is just my first trip, the one where I hit the high points, so I know where I want to spend more time next time I come.)

Lake Louise – Drove to Lake Louise. Stopped and saw the lake. Beautiful, for sure. All the canoers on the lake spoiled the view a little when I first got there. Had lunch at the Fairmont Chateau Hotel right on the edge of the lake, in the Lakeview Lounge. They sat me next to a huge window with a great view of the lake. I had a very good crab and corn bisque. (This one goes on your list of recommended restaurants, Laura. Be sure to ask for a table by a window.)

Moraine Lake – I drove up to this beautiful alpine lake. It’s higher up in the mountains. Windier. It was a lot colder there. Just as I got there, however, the sun came out and shone on the lake, showing its incredible aquamarine color. I took some pictures fast, then left. It was too cold for me. The drive there and back was great, though. More fantastic vistas.

Banff – In the afternoon I drove down Hwy 1 to the town of Banff. There are bridges over the road with trees on them, that I found out later are wildlife crossings. They said that they have been a success, many fewer animal/vehicle accidents, so they were building a couple more of them. Banff is a lot bigger than Lake Louise. I drove around town a little, spent a little time at a city park, Cascade Ponds, then drove the Minnewanka Loop. This city park is surely the most beautiful I have seen. Snow-covered mountain views [photo right], and a view of an amazingly long waterfall [photo below] falling down the nearby mountain. There were more incredible views on the Minnewanka Loop [photo above], and a mama bighorn sheep and her young one visited with me for awhile, hoping for a handout, I'm afraid. I stopped at the Safeway store, but didn’t end up buying much as everything was so expensive. Last thing I did was to drive to/by the Vermillion Lakes, a marshy area with mountains in the background. I joined a few other photographers as we all stood around, waiting for the sun to occasionally peek through the clouds. Next time I will spend more time in this town.