Lake Louise – Alberta

Arriving at Lake Louise in Canada’s Banff National Park, we’ve now traveled north of the 51st parallel. In our first few camps, the first chore we did was to get the air conditioner going. At this camp, we’ve fired up the heater because of the night’s sub-freezing temperatures. To be fair, our camp elevation is above 5100 feet, so not all the drop in temperature is due to our northward migration.

Gang at the Lake View Lounge.
Anne, Deb, Fred and Sally stopped in the Lake View lounge for a glass of wine. One of Anne’s bucket list items as been fulfilled.

Lake Louise in Banff is spectacular. Although there are many larger lakes in the park, Louise’s size emphasizes how a glacier creates and then feeds the lake’s water system. With ten-thousand foot mountains towering above each side, the u-shaped valley is anchored by the aqua colored lake. Opposite the glacier sits the world-famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Hotel. It has expensive rooms, expensive restaurants and expensive shops. Surrounding the hotel, thousands of tourist have come from around the world to snap selfies along the lakeside. A casino or two would make the scene perfect.

Red canoes in front of hotel.
Canoes are one of many way to explore Lake Louise.

This is the second Canadian National Park that we’ve visited so far and it seems that Canada manages them as luxury resorts and not a chance to commune with nature. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of trails into the back country and you’re free to climb the mountains, but you have to offer the initiative to do so. I’m glad that we got to experience the Canadian Rockies. They’re an awesome subject for a photographer.

Clouds on mountain tops.
After an afternoon shower, the clouds cover the mountain tops surrounding Lake Louise.

We’ll be spending another day here. Fred and I are going to throw fly lines at the Bow river this morning. Then since it’s Fred and Deb’s nineteenth anniversary, they’re going to try for a romantic window side table at the Fairmont’s swankiest restaurant. I’m sure that you’ll join us in wishing them congratulations. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be dining at Mickey D’s.

Tomorrow we head thru Jasper National Park on the Ice Field road before heading back down on the plains and a little town called Hinton. They have WiFi there and I won’t have to sit in the visitor’s center as I’m doing now. I’ll post more from there.

jw

2 thoughts on “Lake Louise – Alberta”

  1. Somebody in that group – not Fred – needs to practice smiling for photos. Fred looks happy – maybe he just caught a big fish?

Comments are closed.

Discover more from On the road with Jim

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading