Day 10 April 29th Lake Louise to Jasper

 

 



cloudy, drizzly Lake Louise

Today was the first day of our 

our coach with snow falling

holiday when we did not have clear blue skies when we woke up.  It was cloudy with sleet/drizzle and so looked very different from our room window.  We were booked on the trip leaving the hotel at 0930 and so we had breakfast and packed by then.  The intention was to stop at several sight seeing spots 

the snow made the pines true Christmas trees

on the way to Jasper where we 

North Saskatchewan River

would arrive by1730.  The show must go on and our driver/guide took us through the passes and river bed led routes to several viewpoints where we stopped and admired the mist 

Another frozen waterfall

and valleys but could not see the peaks.  The snow did make the endless pine 

the Athabasca glacier

trees seem more attractive.  The lakes we passed were all frozen as were climbing steadily during the day.  We eventually arrived for lunch at the Athabasca ice fields/glacier centre which we had visited before.  the food was awful at the 

us on the glacier

visitor centre and the trip to the glacier held nothing special for us with our trip to Fox Glacier in New Zealand being far superior in that there you actually were allowed to walk on proper glacier ice. (See our 2013 and 2014 blogs). 

When  we left the glacier we 

grizzly bear

experienced our highlight of the day because along the side of the road was a large grizzly bear who stopped for a time and took no notice of us before slowly ambling off.  He seemed to perform for us and I include a video of some of the time.  

osprey

One of our love to see moments for this trip was thus achieved.  We carried on and then saw an osprey sitting above its nest and 

elk grazing as train passes

then just before we reached our hotel a group of elk were grazing.

The friendly bear

We have now settled into this log-cabin styled hotel and having eaten are preparing to retire before looking forward to tomorrow's adventures.  Today will be a hard act to follow.

 The waterfalls on the Athabasca River







   

Day 9 April 29th Lake Louise



night time view

 Today we
have as a free day at Lake 

early morning view

Louise.  It was a clear crisp night and the window view was good.  Again we have been so fortunate with the weather, in the morning it reached 19C and we wish we had brought more summer clothes!  There are paths along the side of the lake and we wanted to       

Christine along the path

have a wander along some.  We went to seek advice at the hotel reception 

frozen waterfall

and were told that along one side was relatively clear as long as we took care.  We decided to go for it, and so we gathered some warm clothes as snow was everywhere.  Soon however we were taking outer layers off as it was too warm.  We    

the hotel from across the lake

walked on the slushy, meltingsnow quite gingerly for about a mile and came to a frozen waterfall which was

Our room has a white towel on the lower section 

pretty amazing. We gained pretty good views of the backdrop to the hotel.  We gradually made our way back to the hotel, had 


soufflé shed with Christine

some lunch and refreshment before deciding how to spend the afternoon.

Christine on the lake

  Some people were beginning to walk on the frozen lake and as intrepid adventurers we decided to give it a go.  We passed the souffle shed and had to take another picture.  It was quite difficult to get onto  

me on the lake

the lake but once we were on it, it was mostly easier walking.  I'm not sure what Christine's mum would have said if she knew I had taken her daughter onto a 

the overflow river from the lake

frozen lake.  It was a first for both of us.  We made our way back by a different route and found the overflow river from the lake which was not flowing too fast because of unmelted snow but eventually runs into the Atlantic.  We then wandered a bit round the hotel complex, did a bit of shopping and then returned to the room.  Tonight we are going to eat at a bistro, one of the many restaurants on the site. 

Day 8 April 27th Banff to Lake Louise



mountain from road

It was yet another good start to

castle mountain with rail line

the day as we packed and got ready for our 0920 coach to the Lake Louise Hotel via several interesting viewing places (it all looks goods to us with the natural backdrops).  The road we travelled went for some stretches alongside the railway line we used to arrive at Banff and so some places photographed may look 

avalanche at Emerald Lake

familiar but taken from a 

Emerald Lake still frozen 

different angle.  We stopped at Emerald Lake but it was still covered with ice and snow and was not its usual sparkling self.  There had been avalanches around the lake because of the warming weather and we were advised not to adventure too far.  There were a stack of canoes ready for use but 

the natural bridge

Can you canoe? not yet!

they were not going very far at the moment.  After a bit of fresh air (it was about 18C) we returned to the coach and travelled to a place where the Kicking Horse river had gouged a natural bridge which was quite something.






our room with a view

We soon arrived the 

Souffle shed

impressive Fairmont Lake Louise, booked in and settled into our room.  The room overlooks the lake with a fantastic view.  The lake here is again frozen and will not thaw until after we have left.  There has been a considerable amount of snow as is shown by the building we have called the soufflé shed.  We had a wander round what is quite a large complex with shops and restaurants.  It is 3 miles from the village.  We then unpacked, had a meal and are now retiring to our splendid room.








Day 7 April 26th Banff hot water springs



cave through  which the railwaymen came

Today we had nothing

pool filled by mineral water

booked and so we

are on our own.  The weather again was good, dry, sunny and warm although there was snow all around.  We decided to visit some hot water, sulphurous springs which had been developed during the early part of the last 

pool is fed by stream

century for their curative 


outside pool with minute snails

powers.  The cave where they originated was discovered by some railway workers as the tracks were being laid but had been used by first nations for time immemorial.  The railwaymen wanted to develop them commercially but the government saw the advantages and bought them out and initiated a national park.  The sanatorium/hospital was very successful and much used but things have now changed and the place has become a tourist attraction but does not appeal like the gondola ride we visited yesterday.  The hydrogen sulphide aroma is certainly overpowering after a time.  We came out of the cave and went to a visitor centre which showed the history of the site in film and then went to the outside pool which can no longer be used by humans as it is home for an endangered species of snail which thrives in the mineral conditions and human contamination would threaten. 



We then walked along a viewing walkway to see the surrounding spectacular mountains before walking to town and catching a bus to the hotel.



eastern chipmunk

 We had a late snack lunch and we were joined by a local eastern chipmunk which was very 

view from pub patio

pleasing.  We then arranged to have our evening meal in a local German style pub which again was a pub with a view.  It was cooling down in the evening and so we ate inside.  We are back in our room and as it is our last night here we have to pack before our quite early start for Lake Louise tomorrow morning.  More about that tomorrow.  Our stay here has been great, the only blemish has been that the wifi has been problematical but we have coped.

 

 

 

Day 6 April 25th Banff including gondola



one of our engines

Today also began bright, clear,

Fairmont Castle Banff Springs

warm and sunny at least at the altitude where we began it in our hotel in Banff.  I have included a picture of one of the three engines which pulled us from Vancouver over the height of the Rockie pass.  Quite impressive and I got into trouble for holding 

Bow River falls

everyone up on our coach as I went to get the photo but

bear paw prints in phone box

worth it!  I also include a picture of our lovely hotel, the Fairmont Castle Banff Springs which is situated on the outskirts of the town.  We slept well but had to be up by about 0700 for a coach trip which was leaving at 0805.  Our first stop was at nearby Bow River falls which is a bit picturesque and had a phone box in which a bear had left his paw prints!  After a few minutes we moved on to the 

the cable car in action

gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, 

top of gondola ride

just outside Banff in the national park.  There was snow at town level but at the top of the gondola ride the snow thickness was much greater and there was a dramatic drop in temperature.  The ride was very smooth and  well organised and the views on the way up and at the top were breathtaking.  There is a webcam on the area at the top which I had looked at in the days before we left home - the 

Banff seen from mountain top

weather then was very misty and dismal with poor/no view.  We 

the observation station in the distance

were so lucky that our day was clear and we could see for tens of miles over stunning mountain ranges.  There was a good walkway from the top centre to the very top of the mountain where there was a 

descending in the cable car

station observing/measuring cosmic rays hitting the earth.  We did the walk but there was nobody at the station.  After getting back to the top docking station we had a coffee (Starbucks are everywhere out here) had a quick look at the exhibition and gift shop before making the descent.  I took a couple of short videos of the amazing landscape.

 

 

    

Lake Minnewanke

We had certainly had a wonderful time but soon we were back on the coach to discover more of this beautiful area.  We visited two lakes which are frozen but now beginning to thaw and went to an area which had geological peculiarities of standing pillars called the "hoodoos".  We then 

the "hoodoos"

returned to the hotel for lunch and reorganisation time before we took a walk along

downstream of River Bow

the Bow river into Banff town.  We crossed a footbridge which showed the water still frozen in parts. 

upstream of River Bow

We have been lucky to see so much snow because of the late cold winter.  Christine found a new friend in the town and we stayed to have a pizza dinner.  We caught a bus back to hotel after what had been a truly incredible day.  We felt so fortunate to have been able to experience it.

Christine's new friend

Day 5 April 24 Kamloops to Banff



osprey & chick on nest

Another clear, bright sunny

calm,still lake

but early day dawned for us.  Our alarm went at 0500 as we were due to be picked up from the hotel at 0645.  As dawn arrived the weather looked perfect with no wind but slightly cooler than average UK weather.  We were soon on the way and it was not long before we were out amongst the 

mountains from train

beautiful, dramatic scenery and shortly our delicious breakfast was served.  As the

part of the original track - now replaced

morning went on and we travelled towards the heart of the Rockies it was apparent that this would be a day of mountains, lakes and rivers in remarkable natural settings.  The photos do not do justice to what we witnessed but I hope they give a sense of our journey which I would recommend to 

frozen lake, beginning to thaw

anyone.  The railway line (and now the roads) followed by the side of 

mountains beyond frozen lake

rivers as we gradually increased our altitude.  There were lakes, settlements and mountain ranges continuously along our route which made for good viewing from the observer carriage.  More snow appeared as we went on and eventually it was lying by the tracks but we were still travelling in glorious sunshine with hardly a cloud.


"castle" mountain

Eventually, after going through a couple of spiral 

another lovely lake

tunnels, we came to the continental divide and we started going downhill with the rivers flowing in the same direction as us.

I will add more photos of mountains to give further tasters. After more food we arrived at Banff station and were transferred to Banff Fairmont hotel which looks rather splendid and hopefully I will show it in tomorrow's blog.  We left the Rocky Mountaineer for now and were tired when we arrived about 1900 and after sorting ourselves out and having a coffee, I found I could not get onto the wifi and so will have to post this tomorrow.