Lake Louise – Day one
There are two roads from Banff to Lake Louise. Canada 1 is a four lane divided freeway. Canada 1A, which was probably the first road, is a more scenic, two lane road with curves and elevation changes. There are also no fences meaning the road shares the area with wildlife. Part of the road is even closed early in the morning two for two months in spring to prevent accidental encounters with wildlife. We came to see wildlife so the choice was obvious.
Shortly up the road we saw two mule deer. The road was very nice. Wide two lanes with excellent surface. Lots of tall trees on both sides. In places the forest was extremely dense. Lodge pole pines so close together they looked like a box of stick matches laying on its’ side.
Hwy 1A.
This section was split with forest between lanes.
About half way to Lake Louise we came to a parking lot for the trail to Johnston Falls. We walked up a slot canyon formed by the stream. The walls of the narrow canyon were pretty much vertical most of the way. Much of the trail is on a catwalk attached to the canyon wall.
This is early into the canyon. You can see the walls closing in upstream.
Lower Johnston Falls
There is a bridge across the stream that leads to this tunnel, carved several thousand years ago by the stream which then carved the stream bed deeper leaving the tunnel way above the base of the falls.
People entering tunnel.
At the other end of the tunnel is a small ledge. Here is the view(no zoom).
Sue on ledge.
Leaving ledge
On our return down the trail we passed four different people with dogs. We also passed a lot of people. More than I have sometimes seen on the trail to lower Yosemite Falls. Sign at bottom trail says that nearly a million people a year take this trail.
Up the road we had a photo op. This is Storm Mountain.
Next we saw one more deer.
A few miles further we reached Lake Louise junction. 35 miles of wildlife corridor and we saw three deer and four dogs. Oh well.
It is very early in the ‘summer’ season. There is still a lot of snow around. The campground is pretty much clear but there is snow blocking some internal roads and camp sites.
Our campsite
The main view draws, Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, are higher than the campground. The road to Moraine lake opened yesterday. We knew there were no trails open there but we wanted to see the lake. The road up was clear and dry but with snow on both sides all the way getting deeper as we got higher. The only thing not snow covered at the lake was the parking lot (most of it anyway). That includes the lake which was snow covered ice. What there was of it. This lake is totally fed by snow melt and there has been little of that at that elevation and above. So the lake is basically a frozen pond right now.
Moraine Lake
On to the jewel of the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise.
Again, too soon and too cold.
Lake Louise.
We hiked around the lake a ways to get a shot of the hotel. Another past railroad destination lure
The inside is very impressive. Very grand and VERY upscale. Fun to see but would not want to participate.
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