Thursday, 29 September 2016
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Bull Elks
September is mating season for elks so lots of signs and some personal accounts of bulls being aggressive and chasing cars / people. This makes some of the trails a bit tricky so we are having to pick our walks carefully. However the bull pictured previously just posed for the camera and turned around to show off his best profile!
Athabasca river
Beautiful location of the Alpine Village lodges in Jasper overlooking the Athabasca river.
Monday, 26 September 2016
Glacier Skywalk
This glass bottom observation platform suspends you over the serene Sunwapta valley below.
Columbia Icefield
Walking on the Athabasca glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield. The glacier is shrinking at an alarming rate!
Sunday, 25 September 2016
Lake Louise to Jasper
Tomorrow (Monday) we depart for Jasper along the Icefield Parkway, where we hope to stop to see a glacier on route - and hopefully a bear! Keep seeing warnings and closures but not the real thing.
Lake Moraine
Drove on to Lake Moraine on Sunday afternoon for our second(short) hike. This is a view of the lake having scrambled up to the top of a view point. The top of the lake is supposed to resemble a wolf head, but I think you can only see it from above.
Little beehive
Decided to trek an extra 1km (additional 105m elevation above Lake Agnes) to the top of Little Beehive and rewarded with great views of Lake Louise and the Château.
The big beehive viewed from mirror lake
The big beehive is a mountainous rock rising above mirror lake. Elevation 2895m.
Lake Agnes tea house
Reached it! Time for a sit down, a cup of tea and a sandwich. Lake Agnes is located 4 km from Chateau Lake Louise, where we started, at an altitude of 2098 metres (6885 feet). The tea house sits on the shore of lake Agnes and was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1908. Now privately owned, the was restored in 1981.
Route to Lake Agnes tea house
On track to the tea house. There is no vehicular access so the staff take up the daily consumables on their backpacks. Larger more durable items are transported by helicopter.
Lake Louise
1st sight of Lake Louise this morning. We made an early start to trek up from here to Lake Agnes tea house.
Saturday, 24 September 2016
Lake Louise
Tidbits about Lake Louise:
- The temperature of the Lake during the year averages from one degree Celsius to five degrees Celsius.
- The altitude of the Lake is 1731 metres (5680 feet) above sea level.
- The dimensions of the Lake are 2.4km long by 1.2km wide and 83 m deep.
- The Victoria glacier is 9.6 km from the Chateau Lake Louise.
- The upper glacier is 60 to 90 metres deep and the lower glacier is 122 to 152m deep.
Bow Valley Parkway
Driving to Lake Louise along the picturesque Bow Valley Parkway. Didn't spot any wildlife but did see some spectacular views.
Sulphur pool - Cave and Basin
Original source of the spring. It contains hundreds of Banff snails, which lives no where else in the world but in the warm springs on Sulphur Mountain.
Cave and Basin
Last day in Banff before we move on to Lake Louise and so we visit the cave and basin where the hot water Springs were discovered. Various individuals tried to establish a claim so the Canadian Government of the time created the first national park in the Rockies.
Friday, 23 September 2016
Sunshine village nr Banff
Short drive out to Sunshine Village, a local ski resort. Looking at options for which descent is the most exciting/ foolhardy!
Vermilion Lakes
View of Mount Rundle from the Vermilion Lakes. One of the most painted and photographed views.
Banff centre
This is one of the main shopping Streets in Banff with incredible views of the mountains at each end.
The Hoodoos
What the heck is a hoodoo? Over Thousands of years the snow melt and wind have scoured the glacial material that makes up the ridge we were standing on creating deep and narrow gullies. These hoodoos were once partially protected from erosion by caps of harder rock material which acted like umbrellas for the pillars.
Thursday, 22 September 2016
Two Jacks Lake / Whyte Museum
A quick stop off at Two Jacks Lake before lunch followed by a visit to the Whyte Museum on Bear Street Banff. An interesting history of the mountain area and it's trailblazers - the latest ones are pictured below!
Lake Minnewanka and Two Jacks Lake
Thursday 22nd September: Visited Lake Minnewanka (which means spirit Lake)and walked part way around the lakeside to Stewart's canyon. We weren't able to continue further as we lacked bear spray and didn't fancy the $25,000 fine. One of the camp sites nearby was closed as a bear had attacked one of the tents. The lake is beautifully still, clear and turquoise in colour.
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Wild animal warnings
Keeping an eye out on our travels for the dangerous wildlife. A couple of walking trails close by are closed due to bears!
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Abseiling window cleaners at the Banff Springs Hotel take time out to give us a wave.
Sulphur Mountain Banff
A family on tour selfie on top of Sulphur mountain (2451m). We took the Banff Gondola to the top rather than take, what is classified as, the moderate!! 5.5km trail to the top. We did walk the 0.6km boardwalk along the top of the mountain to the 1903 weather observatory, where our selfie was taken. The remnants of the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station National Historic site is adjacent.
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Hidden Ridge, Banff
A young visitor to the resort.This one came right up to us. Earlier an elk appeared but kept it's distance.
Hidden Ridge Resort, Banff
Left Ottawa very early this morning to fly to Calgary for our adventure in the Rockies. It was 25°c in Ottawa yesterday. Today we drove through a snow blizzard and a temperature of 0°c after picking up the hire car. However, Pauline and Cath were comforted by the heated rear seats in the Hyundai Santa Fe. We have now arrived at our first resort, in Banff.
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