Summer of 2023: Lure of the Rockies…From Calgary all roads lead to Banff zipping past flat prairie land, along the gentle foothills that soon metamorphose into jagged peaks, the Three Sisters ( Canmore) and other equally interesting sobriquets of the four national parks in the Canadian Rockies…. Banff National Park (Canada’s first national park) Jasper National Park, Yoho and Kootney.

When friends from across the border (Seattle) suggested a week long road trip, Calgary-Banff-Lake Louise-Columbia Icefields-Jasper and reverse, we agreed. It did not matter if this would be our, 2023, 7th Banff visit or 4th to Lake Louise. The exception was Jasper (last visited in 2015), Peyto lake and Johnston and Mistaya Canyons.

2023 Itinerary: 1: Bow Lake 2: Herbert Lake 3: Peyto Lake 4: Mistaya Canyon 5. Johnston Canyon 6. Sunwapta Falls 7. Columbia Icefields 8. Weeping Wall 9. Jasper Town 10. Medicine Lake 11. Maligne Lake

May 31st: A clear day packaged in a stimulating ambiance of lavish aqua skies and a hassle free drive on Trans-Canada Highway 1. Thankfully the air was smokefree from temporarily lulled forest fires. 

Canmore

One can take a detour via Canmore, 25 minutes before Banff, or just drive straight on to Banff. We followed the straight route as our friends were eager to be in Banff. For us a familiar landscape and an opportunity for relaxed back seat drive. (IMPORTANT: Banff National Park requires a pass, to enter the park, that can be acquired online https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/ or in person at the toll booth)

We check in at Hotel Ptarmigan on Banff Avenue or the Main road (booking done online), a quick breakfast and we were out. Friends for their touristy stuff… the Banff Gondola ride and Hot Springs (booked online), the Cave & Basin National Historic Site, Hotel Fairmont Banff Springs and walk along Bow River. For us it was the Banff Park Museum, a missed opportunity on previous visits. It seems luck or memory was not in favor as the Museum was closed. It is open from Thursdays to Mondays and this was a Wednesday.😁

Compensated with a walk through the Farmer’s market, opposite, to ogle at artefacts, paintings and hand made jewellery, fresh vegetables and fruits etc.

The four of us are no ‘hikers’ so it was easy approachable sites and spots for us including Lake Minnewanka…On first look it is another ‘blue dot’ nestled in the valley till Google informs that this 21 km long and 142 m deep ‘Lake of Spirits’ for the Stoney Nakoda First Nation is the second longest lake of the Rockies. The shore boasts of ‘archeological sites and documented artifacts’ dating 14,000 years ago. A continuous stream of tourists by private and public vehicles zoom in, some the serious types taking the cruise while others dawdling or walking the trails leading to Stewart Canyon carved out by Cascade River flowing into the lake. If one looked closely the people appear familiar hopping along the underlined routes. The Minnewanka surroundings is supposedly a core area for Grizzly Bears and a wildlife hotspot for wolves, cougars, red squirrels and snowshoe hares, Elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. All we see is a deer along the forested road on return journey.

Lake Minnewanka

Back on Banff Avenue, closed to vehicular traffic for the summer of 2023, for a pleasant stroll. The invigorating mountain air-fuelled-hunger pangs prompted us to look for safe options. Indian food. The two popular Indian restaurants, Masala Authentic (Bear Street) and Saffron (Wolf Street) had long lines so the third option was Indian Curry House (Banff Avenue). It was assuaging hunger pangs versus quickness as Curry House food was no gourmet meal.

A leisurely after dinner walk along Bow River and back to hotel to rest for next days drive to Lake Louise.

Day 2 (June 1)….Johnston Canyon and Falls, Lake Louise, Peyto Lake.

A slight drizzle was no damper for a brief stop at Johnston Canyon and Falls, midway between Banff and Lake Louise. This is a popular stop in Banff National Park for its short, easy trails through deep mountain canyons sprinkled with waterfalls. We walk along the Creek catwalk and with no raincoats or umbrellas had to terminate our hike at the Lower Falls. The gurgling waters, lush mossy green cover, wild flowers and Old Man’s Beard Lichen …a natural canvass to be appreciated. The weather did not impact our experience of the surroundings except for missing out The Ink Pots* and the Upper Falls. (The Upper Canyon Falls trail takes approximately 2-3 hours and just under 6.0 km with a gentle elevation). *https://www.travelbanffcanada.com/hike-ink-pots-banff

Lake Louise … a quintessential aqua gem in picturesque settings. The clouded skies shaded the waters but no matter the color or number of visits the Lake is still high on its nonpareil quotient. The topping is high tea at Fairmont Château Lake Louise though the on going construction was bit of an inconvenience.

We had to miss Moraine Lake, 14 kms from Lake Louise situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, as it was accessible only by public transport. https://www.banfflakelouise.com/experiences/moraine-lake

Peyto Lake was the hidden gem ( for us)

It was onwards to Lake Peyto, the drizzle continuing as we follow the tourist traffic from the parking lot to the Lookout. It was worth the effort. What pushed me on were the greetings of encouragement from fellow climbers and returnees with ‘you will not regret’. Onwards and upwards and there in all it cerulean glory the Lake glistened down below from the Lookout. In the previous years we somehow had given it a miss and now I wonder at my folly. Peyto or Pay-Toe, located west of Lake Louise , is named after Bill Peyto, a park guide of early 1900s. The Lake, fed by the Peyto glacier, has maximum depth of around 90 m turning into Mistaya River before merging into the North Saskatchewan River at Saskatchewan River Crossing.

The rain and the elevation turned the short 10 minutes hike into a surreal experience. We were unaware of an upper parking lot and drop of point for elderly & handicapped visitors to eliminate the walk. Though we did not need it but it is always good to know when one wants to fill our bag of ‘places -to-see-in-a-day’.

Before the viewpoint, to the right, one could see visitors braving the hazardous terrain clicking selfies and Instagram shots.

From here we move on towards Bow Lake (24 miles from Lake Louise). The Lake gives way to Bow River that meanders through Calgary onto the Oldman River and then Hudson Bay. We stopped to view the Crowfoot Glacier (shaped like a Crowsfoot), the Wapta Icefields, Crowfoot Mountains and Mount Thompson.

By now it was time to break journey and we did that at Saskatchewan River Crossing (79 kms from Lake Louise). Along with being the meeting point of 3 rivers, the mighty North Saskatchewan, the Howse and the Mistaya, this point was the route of the Fur Trade in the early 1800’s. From here the Fur Traders crossed the North Saskatchewan River, following the Howse River to the Howse Pass into what is now British Columbia. The interest for us was the Crossing Resort, a sprawling Motel at the junction of Highway 93 (the Icefields Parkway) and Highway 11 (the David Thompson Highway), a stover before Columbia Icefields. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_River_Crossing,_Alberta)

Online the resort had seemed a favourable place but by the time we settled in our rooms (6pm) and went looking for something to eat, we were judgemental about our choice. The only food available were cold sandwich rolls as the main dining room had closed down after the last tour bus had departed. An employee at the facility, living opposite our rooms and probably listening to our loud mouthed cribbing, offered to let us use her microwave. According to her cooking facilities are not allowed in guest rooms and she being a Manager had a microwave oven in her room. Another situation saviour was the spectacular alpine location and that too within 30 minutes from most major attractions.

Day 3…We enter Jasper National Park (Toll mandatory) for Columbia Icefields, Sunwapta Falls, Weeping Wall, Jasper Town.

Weeping Wall……or the “mountain that cries”. Located at Cirrus Mountain, the Weeping Wall is a 100 metres high mountain wall with water cascading in a series of waterfalls. The main fall is called Teardrop.

Sunwapta Falls, a hidden gem along the Icefields Parkway, is a breathtaking landscaped 62 foot waterfall right off the road. Sunwapta or “turbulent water” to Stoney First Nation, carves its way through the mountains and feeds into the Athabasca River, is a great hiking area with upper and lower falls to explore. The Upper falls are easily accessible from the parking lot and a great viewpoint. The Lower falls, a short 3.2-kilometer (2-mile) hike down the trail, leads to the riverbank. The cold frothy waters deter most visitors including us and we too watched the flowing waters from a vantage point of the viewing bridge. If you desire to see more canyon and waterfalls, simply follow the well marked Lower Sunwapta Falls hiking trail. We did not linger too long as our friends were in a hurry to reach the Icefields.

Columbia Icefields… 128 km (80 miles) from Lake Louise the glaciers or Ice fields, straddling Banff National Park and Jasper National Park feed six major Glaciers…Athabasca, Castleguard, Columbia, Dome, Stutfield and Saskatchewan. Parts of Columbia and other Icefields are visible from the Parkway. This was our third visit and we could feel the slow eroding climate change effect. An added attraction is the one-kilometre interpretive glass Skywalk along the cliffs of the Sunwapta Valley for incredible glacier landscapes. Our friends had booked the Ice Explorer bus tour for the walk on the thick 25,000 year old ice of the Athabasca Glacier. We had done this on our first visit in 2013 and highly recommended as it is an experience in itself, a memory to be preserved.

Day 4 Jasper Town. It was an excited foursome as we drive into this quintessential picturesque mountain town preserving its frontier town persona. This is what differentiates Jasper from the glitzy commercial Banff with its art galleries, theatre and resorts.

Jasper has its share of parks, historical buildings, galleries and beauty spots such as the Instagrammable Maligne Lake, to name a few. But Jasper feels eternal because it is a scenic stop for Canadian National Railway line. This is one of the reasons why the town wants to preserve it identity rather than compete with Banff. Since our last visit, 2015, new construction has taken place but it still seems a laid back town to relax after a days nature revelry, exploring the ravines and peaks of Jasper National Park..

We drive to Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake and somehow the the sheen seemed to be missing. Maybe it was the looming scepter of the forest fires or the burnt trees between Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake. The blackened trees are the result of the Excelsior wildfire in 2015. Probably after our 2015 visit. I remember the area being much greener and we had stopped to admire this shallow 7 km long glacial fed lake part of the Maligne Valley watershed. We did see some wildlife this visit.

This majestic 22 km long lake is the second-largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. The grey skies shadowed the azure blue waters and I felt foolish for all hyperbole before coming. It is still a bustling tourist attraction with hikes, boat tours to the Spirit Island, kayaking, canoeing, biking, fishing and the 44 km Skyline Trail that starts from Maligne Lake to Jasper town.

It was turning into a lake tour as we drive towards town and to Pyramid Lake, a super calm, kidney-shaped lake at the base of the iconic Pyramid Mountain and a ten-minute drive from Jasper town. The closeness makes it easily accessible for summer and winter sports. We walk around, across the bridge to the island encased by soaring peaks all around it.

Back to town and rest before the return journey.

A straight drive from Jasper to Calgary (4 hr 30 min (412.5 km) via AB-93 S and Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1) with coffee break in Canmore.

A hectic whirlwind five day trip.

*Banff and Jasper Park Passes…..The daily pass expires at 4 pm the following day. If looking to enter multiple times or staying longer, consider the Parks Canada Discovery Pass  for unlimited admission for a year to all the national parks in Canada.