This area is where we became mountain and lake lovers 10 years ago. The massive glaciers, beautiful silt blue lakes and mountains are beautiful here in the glorious rockies of Alberta. It rained a lot while we were in Banff, so we spent time shopping and getting lots of souvenirs. We splurged and bought really good hiking boots for this years’ trip through the mountains and our upcoming summer through Montana, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. We spent a day in Banff trying out the bikes along the famous Legacy Trail that connects Banff to Canmore. We rode to the beautiful still Vermillion Lakes.
We had a memorable trip hiking to what we both consider, the most beautiful turquoise glacier lake ever, Peyto Lake. We saw the lake half frozen, and half beautiful glacier blue. It was crisp and cool and magnificent to see again. Bow Lake was just starting to melt. We took the Lake Louise gondola for views of the beautiful lake and mountains. Then to the infamous Lake Louise and the Fairmont. What a beauty!
We learned that this has been a very cold and wet spring in the Canadian Rockies which explained why most of the lakes we saw were partly frozen over. Another beautiful lake we visited was Moraine Lake. Banff NP has made 5 wilderness overpasses for the animals to safely cross over the Trans-Canada highway. Look closely at the pictures, they blend into the natural environment.
We drove through the Kootenay National Park and took a great hike to see the Marble Canyon river. The way the glacier rivers cut through those canyons is just amazing to see. On the way to another famous hot springs, the Radium Hot Springs in Radium, B.C., we passed the Continental Divide, where water flows two directions, to the Atlantic & the Pacific. The hot springs were set against the side of a mountain, a lot more rustic looking than the pools at Miette or Banff. The day was gloriously sunny and warm, we even got some tanning time that afternoon.
Also on our way to Radium, we stopped on the side of the road to record a black bear having lunch on dandelions.
On the way back, a grizzly was hanging out.
We got in some more hiking at Johnston Canyon, then spent some time at the Banff Historical Society Museum and the Cave and Basin Historical Site, the origin of the national park system. On our way back to the campground, we came across a bachelor group of big horn sheep.
There were lots of grizzly bear warnings around the town, because there are only 60 in the area and the wardens are really trying to educate the public about bear safety. The town hosted a bear townhall awareness night at the community center, so we went to make sure we were as safe as we could be on our various hikes. It just so happened that a reporter from the Canada Broadcast Company (CBC) was there and interviewed us. It was a brief interview, but fun to be on the evening news.
Check us out at: www.cbc.ca/calgary
Click on Video, scroll down or page to, and click on Calgary at 11 June 11, 2014. We show up at around 19 minutes in. Pretty cool… Our 15 seconds of fame!
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