Banff

Post date: Jun 29, 2016 5:47:02 AM

I slept through the night but I just could not bring myself to get up. I finally crawled out of the sack at 0700, and cleaned myself up in the nice facilities.

The plan for the day was to hike the Johnston Canyon Lower and Upper Falls. After that I planned to head to Lake Louise and see what I could kick up.

Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon was pretty cool. At the Lower Falls there is a tunnel that you can walk through to stand within 20 feet of the falls. It's pretty wet in there.

One thing that I can't explain yet is the color of the water. It's a grayish blue color. I'll have to research that later.

So, that was a quick hike, and it was about 1100. I mounted my steed and headed for Lake Louise.

Lake Louise

Wow! I thought that Johnston Canyon water had a cool color. Lake Louise has the most blue water I have ever seen! Ever. You look across the lake and see a small glacier nestled in between two mountains. It's very picturesque. Maybe that's why it's like the most popular place in Canada to visit.

After seeing that, I just had to stick around and hike the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Dripping sweat, I slogged up the 300m ascent in the first mile. Talk about steep. There are probably 20 switchbacks up the side of that mountain. Then, it levels off for about to miles all the way to Eiffel Lake. Along the way, there is a point where you can view all ten peaks in panorama. It's a magnificent view. While taking in the scenery, a small avalanche of rock slide occurred high up on one of the peaks across the valley. It sounded like a jet flying overhead and lasted for about 20 seconds. It was so cool to witness and was a fitting end to the trek. I turned back and headed to the bike. Total hiking distance today, 13.5 miles.

Back at bike, I ate dinner and decided that I was going to camp in the Columbia Icefields tonight. In the morning, I'll do the Glacier Adventure at Athabasca Glacier and head to Prince George, BC. The scenery along the way to the Icefields is beyond words. It is by far the most spectacular mountain scenery I have ever seen. The Canadian Rockies are magnificent. Period.

It just so happens that Icefields campground is tent only, and it's right across the road from the skywalk. It's Monday, so I'm betting on the grounds it being full. Hah! There were two sites available. As I was scoping out one site, a dude from the Canadian Army offers me a site that he has reserved for free. Bonus!

I pitched camp and made a fire. It's been a good day. Tomorrow awaits!