Lake Louise Banff National Park

We arrived at Lake Louise Campground after a pleasant 43 mile drive from Banff up the Bow River valley.  We had no reservation, but that was not a problem.  We arrived about 11:00 and picked a site at the farthest end of the campground, way back in the boonies.  While setting up camp two young rangers stopped by to alert us that a male and female grizzly bear had been crossing the campground every day, right by our site.  Sweet!  Unfortunately, the male was amorous, and the female was not interested, so they had been a little testy.  About that time a more senior ranger drove up and suggested (ordered actually, but Canadians are very polite) that we relocate  a ways back down the road, so he could close that section of the campground.  Bummer!  Ironically, the campground filled later in the evening, and they reopened that section to all the late-comers.  We never did see the bears.

Our camp at Lake Louise

Most of the sites here are double sites.  When we set up there were plenty of vacant sites, so we were fairly confident we would have the site to ourselves.  WRONG!  Both nights we were here neighbors parked next to us in the afternoon.

Parade of rentals arriving at dusk

The Chateau Lake Louise was also built by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a destination for the wealthy tourists of the early 20th century.  Lake Louise was named for Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, Duchess of Argyll and the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria.

Lake Louise and the Chateau

Anyone up for a paddle on the lake?

Matilda was very popular with the tourists.  She ate it up!

Dorcas likes to take pictures of flowers.  I like to take pictures of Dorcas 

A Gray Jay poses on a post 

It was a little chilly on the pond

The two ladies in my life are very photogenic

Chateau du Lac Louise

A view from the road to Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake is a short drive from Lake Louise, and is a very scenic and popular destination.  Have you ever witnessed parking lot rage?  Most of the tourists were at the edge of the lake near the parking lot.  The ground in that area was packed with melting ice and glazed and very treacherous.  We hung there a while watching the tourons venture out on the thin ice.  Eventually we hiked up onto 'The Rockpile", a terminal moraine, which was much less crowded and offered great views of the lake.

A view at Moraine Lake

Matilda likes to perch

Lake Moraine is known as the Valley of Ten Peaks, so-named for the ten prominent mountain peaks surrounding the lake.

Idiots on ice, with The Rockpile on the left and Mount Babel in the background

Moraine Lake AKA the Valley of the Ten peaks

No shit!

Banff!

On Tuesday we left the Stoney Nakota Casino under sunny skies, and we cruised up the Bow River Valley.  As the day progressed temperatures rose into the upper 70s.

The Banff Parkway

Matilda likes overlooks

The Banff Parkway has a dozen or so wildlife bridges across the highway.  There are many more wildlife culverts under the highway.

A wildlife bridge

Entrance gate at Banff National Park

We have enjoyed a number of discounts and cost savings opportunities on the this trip.  For one, the cost of diesel is only a little over half what it was when we did this trip 6 years ago.  Then it averaged around $4.25 per gallon; this year it is around $2.40 per gallon.  Second, the Canadian dollar is weak.  $1.00 US is worth about  $1.35 Canadian.  Sweet!  And finally, this year is Canada's 150th anniversary.  Normally, admission to the national parks is $9.80 per person per day.  This year the entrance fees are waived.  We will be in the National parks for about 8 days.  Do the math; we saved a bundle.

The view from downtown Banff

The town was named Banff after "Banffshire", the district in Scotland which was the birthplace of two Canadian Pacific Railway directors, Lord Strathcona and George Stephen.

We camped for 3 nights at Tunnel Mountain CG.  Tunnel Mountains was so named because the railroad intended to build a tunnel through the mountain.  Ultimately, they decide it was more economical to route the railroad around the mountain, but the name remained. 

Our camp at Tunnel Mountain GC in Banff

It was a nice day, and we explored the downtown Banff area.  We walked to Bow Falls and hiked the Fenland Trail, a short loop along the Bow and Spray Rivers

A hike on the Fenland trail

Bow Falls

A posing Magpie

The Upper Hot Springs

Later in the day the clouds rolled in and it started misting rain.  Rain and snow were predicted.  We toured the area at the Banff Springs Hotel as a light rain began to fall.  The Banff Springs Hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to create a destination for a fledgling tourist industry.   William Cornelius Van Horne, president of the railway, was quoted as saying "If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists."

Banff Springs Hotel

"Semper Eadem" is Latin for "Always the same" and was the motto for Queen Victoria I.  I can relate.  I hate change.  

A carpet in the Banff Springs Hotel lobby

On Wednesday the snow began to fall.  We headed out for some sites that were mostly indoors.  We visited the Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada.  

The cave

Remember tenting?

In the afternoon, the snow began falling very hard.  You can't beat a chicken burrito and black bean chilli at the Coyote Grill on a snowy afternoon.

YUM!!!

A highlight of our trip was a visit to the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site, where there were a number of examples of indigenous species mounted for exhibition

The Banff Park Museum

Dorcas poses with more dead animals

Our coach has never seen snow before.  In fact, I doubt it has ever seen temperatures below freezing. Viva La Florida!  Matilda appears bewildered, but not unhappy.

Poor coach!

Before we could move, someone (Dorcas) had to clear the ice and snow from the top of the slide outs.

Dorcas is a brave girl.  Don't fall!

Our last day in Banff was a nice one.  We visited Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka.

Red Chairs at Two Jack Lake

The columbia ground squirrels say goodbye

Video of the Week: A Hot Toddy?

When we arrived in Banff yesterday it was 78 degrees and a beautiful sunny day.  Not so much today.  This morning the temperature plunged to 30 degrees, and it began snowing.  Dorcas and I spent much of the day exploring some sights in Banff.  Then I asked Dorcas if she was ready to go home ....

Click here to see her response

.... and now it's hot toddy time at our cozy home on the road.  Dorcas is happy.  Life is good.