2016 – Oh Canadian Rockies!

Jon:   A relatively short drive north from Glacier National Park’s east entrance brought us to the US/Canada border. We did our best to answer the border guard’s questions about employment and where we live. This was the first time in our travels when someone deeply inquired about a home address and employment. Apparently unemployment and living out of a car are not the norm – go figure.

Glacier’s northern neighbor is Waterton Lakes National Park . Like Glacier, Waterton has beautiful mountains and lakes. However, the Prince of Whales hotel and its backdrop were of key interest to me. The Swiss chalet-style hotel is perched on a hill overlooking Upper Waterton Lake and is surrounded by mountains on three sides. It’s beautiful combination of architecture and landscape that’s well worth a visit.

The mountains to the west became more rugged on the northerly route, while the plains provided a stark contrast. We booked a room at the Stardust Hotel in Pincher Creek as a rest point on our way toward Banff. The town was charming and the kind hotel staff provided ideas on nearby scenic gems and an alternate route to Banff. We enjoyed the hotel so much that we added a second night.

I’ve started buffering others’ must-sees, as we all have different likes and tastes. However, the hotel owner’s advice was spot-on. We made a stop at Lundbreck Falls, checked out the massive Frank Slide where 82 tons of Turtle Mountain’s face gave way covering the town of Frank in 1903, and ended up driving the suggested alternate route toward Banff. The latter proved to be one of the most beautiful drives during the North American portion of our travels and really showcased the Canadian Rockies. Glaciated mountains towered over the highway and big horn sheep were plentiful along the way.

We arrived in the bustling tourist town of Banff. It’s filled with interesting buildings and surrounded by beautiful mountains. The Parks Canada administration building sits on a small rise at the edge of the main street running through town and looks like a small castle nestled into the mountains and the Banff Springs Hotel is impressive in both size and design.

We purchased a pass for Banff and Jasper National Parks and made our way to Two Jack Campground and Lake. An evening drive provided more sheep sightings bringing the total around 40. With the late sunset and our campsite near the lake, it was easy to absorb the area’s beauty. I felt naïve that I didn’t know there were mountains this beautiful in North America. That’s saying a lot considering I’ve lived in Colorado over a decade, visited Alaska three times, and just drove a fairly comprehensive tour of the Western US. I was in my element.

We left Two Jack and drove to Lake Louise. We’d heard much about the lake and the hotel there. The lake terminates at the base of a large glaciated peak with an impressive icefield perched high above. Certainly beautiful, but a bit of a letdown based on all the hype. I felt the same about the Chateau Lake Louise. Over a century old, I had expected more. Sadly, it’s been remodeled to the extent that it looks fairly contemporary. Furthermore, the throngs of visitors were too much for us. The day was not a loss though.

It’s fairly easy to ditch the crowds in National Parks. Simply start walking. That’s exactly what Amy and I did. We hiked to an overlook and shared the view with just one couple. We opted to continue our trek and ascended the opposite mountainside from where we’d been. We passed a waterfall and alpine lake before topping out on Little Bee Hive Peak. Aside from few others, the rewards were views of the lake, a nearby ski resort, and other surrounding mountains. We met a friendly couple from Australia, shared travel stories, and swapped cameras for pictures – another reward for leaving the pushy, lazy, hordes behind.

After a solid hiking day, it was time to head to the evening’s accommodations. We’ve stayed in eclectic places along the way including pyramids in South Africa and a “gypsy wagon” in Australia, so Amy sourced a covered wagon for two nights. With rain in the forecast, a place with some wiggle room sounded better than the back of the car. We bumped and bounced down a forest road to reach our accommodation at the Beaverfoot Lodge where the wagons were circled and ready for our arrival.

Other wagon guests warmed our spirits making up for the cooler temps and rain. We met a couple from Spain, a small group from the UK, and two young ladies who gave us the inside scoop on the place. We could expect horses later in the evening and one of the managers, Dan, had some cool dogs that might visit as well. With our Spanish friend, Marc playing the ukulele, a good fire, Dan stopping by with a dog, and the horses coming in, things couldn’t be much better. Add the mountain views and we were pushing perfection.

The next morning brought wind, rain, and cold. To kill the day, Amy and I checked out another waterfall and headed to the town of Golden, British Columbia. We sampled Poutine, French fries mixed with cheese curds and gravy. It seemed an interesting combo, but I’m now a fan. We returned to the wagons where we met a young couple, Chris and Kristen, from Calgary. We braved the rain and our friends from Spain soon joined in. It was fun watching our Spanish companions try their first s’mores – instant love with wide eyes and smiles. Some more ukulele and quality conversation took us into the wee morning hours.

With somewhat better weather, our attention turned to the north – Jasper National Park. We headed up later in the day via the Icefields Parkway, but not before revisiting Lake Louise with clearer skies (still just so-so) and checking out Moraine Lake – absolutely beautiful with remarkable turquoise water. Driving the parkway provided more of the mountain views we’d grown to love in the area. Rocky peaks with hanging glaciers and waterfalls had become the norm. There is no lack of scenery there.

We made several stops on the way to Jasper including Peyto Lake and Athabasca Glacier. The glacier flows from the Columbia Icefield, which is the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains. Sadly, the glacier is rapidly receding. It is still impressive, however, and I longed to be exploring up higher. Alas, the mountaineering gear remains in storage – you can’t bring it all.

Waking to decent weather after a rainy night, a drive to Maligne Lake seemed like a reasonable plan. Amy had interest in the lake and I learned that the road leading in was known for wildlife. Almost immediately after turning onto the road, we spotted a large buck dear. We saw elk as well. The highlights, though, were the black bears. The first encounter was upsetting as people left cars, were running along the road, and crowding the bear. I chose to leave the area and not be part of the chaos. We were rewarded by another bear that we didn’t have to share with the fools we left behind.

We hiked the lakeshore before driving out and seeing more bears. The afternoon was spent wandering the charming town of Jasper before heading east. While leaving, a huge bull elk stood along the highway and crossed right in front of us as if to say goodbye. Our time in the Canadian Rockies was ending. We left with a sense of awe for the scenery and wildlife. We continued east and the mountains turned to hills, the hills turned to prairie. The Rockies may be behind, but other adventures still lie ahead.

(Dates: June 14-21, 2016)