We have wanted to visit Lake Louise for years. We dreamed of honeymooning in the area, but we couldn’t afford anything more than our basically free (and really wonderful) Door County honeymoon. I was a little concerned that my expectations would blunt the beauty of Lake Louise, that it couldn’t possibly live up to everything I wanted it to be.
We arrived at Lake Louise after getting our tire work done, so we happily rolled into town late in the afternoon, feeling so thankful to have six dependable, air-filled tires get us there safely. We strolled through the crowds to the edge of the lake and couldn’t help but stop and gape. I doubt anyone walks up to the edge of this lake and continues on his way without trying to take in all the beauty. Lake Louise is another turquoise gem, encircled with a fancy hotel, forested hills, and glacier-covered mountain slopes. Bright red canoes glide through the milky water smoothly as their paddlers squeal with delight at the setting. Warm early summer sunlight makes avalanches cascade down the sheer mountain face across the lake, silent in their distance from most people. The setting is truly idyllic.
Lake Louise’s fancy hotel. In the background, you can see the area we rode the chairlift!
We hiked for a few miles along the gentle path snaking along half the shore. According to my guidebook, this trail is the busiest in the Canadian Rockies. We had wanted to do a bigger hike into the mountains to see more glaciers and a remote teahouse, but the trail was closed due to numerous avalanche warnings (as was true of many trails in the area during early June). After our hike, in the bright afternoon sunlight, we sat on a bench to contemplate the scene. For at least half an hour we watched all sorts of people stroll by us, listening to their many languages. I didn’t expect to enjoy this beautiful mountain scene so much when accompanied by crowds, but when I look back on the week, that peaceful afternoon of people-watching and gorgeous nature-watching was one of my highlights.
Hannah and Nic drove down to our campground in the RV, and Luna and I took the scenic trail route back to burn off some energy. Many highly-inhabited areas of Banff National Park are carefully protected against bears, or, carefully set up to protect the bears from humans. The Canadian verbiage makes it difficult to know exactly who needs protecting more. In Lake Louise, the tent campground (adjacent to our RV campground) is surrounded by an electric fence. Areas where pedestrians must cross through the fence are marked by Texas gates, electrified gates with handles that are safe to touch. Luna and I had to pass through two Texas gates on our run, and it was a little nerve-wracking to hold her at a distance from the door while maneuvering the handle open and then closed once we had passed through.
We continued exploring at Moraine Lake the next morning. Once again, upon approaching the lake’s bright turquoise waters, this time rimmed with some remaining ice, we had no choice but to stop and stare. Just a short distance from Lake Louise, this lake is a quiet contrast to its bustling big sister. We climbed a huge pile of rocks to get a better view, and my pictures speak for themselves.
Moraine Lake
With daily views of grizzlies promised, we rode the Lake Louise chairlift partway up their huge ski area. We didn’t see any grizzlies, even after passing through another Texas gate to do a short hike. We watched rain showers move up the valley towards us and were pretty soaked on the ride down. With views of Lake Louise and its backdrop of mountains, no one complained about the chilly rain.
We left Lake Louise and headed up the Icefields Parkway, a scenic road leading through the mountains to Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper. Even with low clouds and rain, we stared at our surroundings in awe. The clouds gave the mountains a mysterious air, their lofty peaks rising to unknown heights.
We broke up the drive with a short hike to Peyto Lake, perhaps the most turquoise of turquoises. Nic particularly loved Peyto Lake, and he thinks it’s the most intensely colored lake he has ever seen. A few kilometers down the road, the Icefields Parkway deposited us in front of the Columbia Icefield, a huge expanse of glaciers. We arrived in a light drizzle that quickly turned to a heavy rain right when we decided to take the short hike to the toe of Athabasca Glacier. We turned back to our warm and cozy RV and settled in for the evening. The bustling Icefields Centre allows RVs to camp in their huge parking lots for free, so we made ourselves a hot dinner, enhanced Hannah’s classic movies education with Dirty Harry, practiced our crocheting, and enjoyed our rainy glacier views. Hannah mostly experienced a more civilized version of camping than is typical for us with nightly access to real hot showers and nice bathrooms. Our parking lot night, albeit not completely “in the wild,” was a great example of more typical accommodations. The rain subsided a bit in the morning, allowing us a chilly and dryish hike to the glacier. We continued our drive north towards Jasper, stopping to see a few powerful waterfalls on the way.
Hood trouble in front of the Athabasca Glacier.
Are you having fun with me today? 
Thanks for all the photos and descriptions of your time in Banff and Jasper. It was great reading. xoxo
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Paul and I honeymooned at Lake Louise in the big fancy hotel and also Banff Springs Hotel. It was at the end of March and was a skiing vacation. Most of my vacations up until then had been camping ones so it was fun to see how the other half lives while enjoying incredible scenery. It is fun to see your pictures and be reminded what a great area it is. How nice that Hannah could join you!
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