Lake Louise/ Banff / Jasper

Leaving Okanagan Valley we head to Banff via Glacier National Park. Amazing drive through/over Rogers Pass. This area has the most avalanches in Canada so road had lots of tunnels and sides of mountains where you could see damage. Pretty cool. Stayed the night in the Glacier NP at campground by a roaring glacier fed creek.

Then it was off to Lake Louise. This is my third time here but this vista never gets tired. We hiked up to the Lake Agnes tea house which I have never done before. After the very steep 3.5km climb a hot choccie and scone is a very nice little treat. Quite an amazing tea house - all staff live above the kitchen, but one of them needs to pop into town every few days to lug up more supplies. There is one helicopter drop during the year which provided them with most of their dry ingredients. Everything is made from scratch up there though so was very yummy! Oh and the view is not bad either...

Lac Louise

Agnes Lake

Hot chops, scones and choc cake - lucky we did the hike up

 

After our night at Lake Louise we head to Banff, but not before having a peek at Lake Morraine. Very cold morning but what a view.

 

Very weird coming back to Banff after doing the ski season back in 2004. Love this little town in the middle on Banff Natonal Park. Huge mountains surround it making you feel very insignificant. Managed to get a little snap off my old place on Otter Street. Ah the memories - although I have to say they are a little hazy so was nice to reaquaint myself.

Ah the memories

 

Meet up with Alex (an old friend from Grants MS days) on our second day in Banff. She is over here doing Avalanche engineering. Pretty important job as we found out - 15 Canadians die a year from them. Spent day sipping proper coffee, walking around Bow River and general gas bagging.

 

Alex and her co were off on a 4 day hike starting at Sunshine Village (Banffs main ski resort) so we joined them for a couple of Km's and then went off on our own through these amazing alpine meadows.

Leaving from Sunshine Village

Off they venture on their 4 day hike

Very curious

Looking over the three lakes in the Sunshine meadow

 

Decided we would head on up to Jasper along the Icefields Highway and so glad we did. What an amazing drive. It was getting pretty late when we started it so spent the night here in Bow Glaciers presence. Amazing.

 

Woke up to a minus 3 degree morning (hello - its summer!!) and continued along the amazing highway - an absolute must!

Coming up to Columbia Icefields

Athabasca Glacier

Black bear on side of road

 

Spent day walking around an amazingly clear lake and checking out these canyons. Another night with a massive fire - loving the no fire band!

 

Headed back along the highway taking a right before Banff which took us though Kootenay NP. On our way to Panaroma Mountain Village as Grant is playing at the Grey Wolf Golf Course which is the second best course in Canada. Thinking we might also splash out and spend a night out of Sheila. Feel like I am cheating on her...

Grant will be doing the next post on his day of golf. in his words, the best designed course he's ever played.

 

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