July 23, 2011 - Lake Louise

The morning started a little late, but the weather did not do as expected based on the forecasts we had seen or heard the day before. At 7 am, it was clear in the campground. At 8 am, it was raining in the campground. But, the fearless travelers did not let that bother us in our search for new adventures and animals not seen in Mississippi except in zoos!!!

So, after breakfast, the three of us piled into the car and headed north towards Lake Louise in search of beauty, glaciers and large hotels. Everything that we had read indicated that you should get to Lake Louise early since parking is limited. So, we got on highway 1 – the Trans Canadian Highway. We were making extremely good progress when, suddenly, there was a massive traffic jam. We all thought that it could be an animal sighting because in the Smoky Mountains when someone sights an animal, everyone stops to see it (or them as the case might be). Instead, we finally saw a sign which indicated that there was bridge construction ahead. Since we didn’t know how far ahead, we got off highway 1 and went over to highway 1A. The speed limit was lower, but we were not backed up in traffic on a major highway. AND – highway 1A was supposed to be a mecca for wild animals. In fact, there frequently were signs indicating that there were bear in the highway. NOT!!!! We decided that all of the animals from this Canadian National Park have headed south on vacation looking for warmer weather before winter sets in at home. Either that or they are on strike in Canada!!! No animals on the highway.

When we got to Lake Louise, we went first to Moraine Lake. And, as advertised, there was no parking to be seen. Jimmy let me and Travis out at the lake while he went parking space looking. At the end of his first lap around the parking lot, he had reached a fairly high level of frustration. Hence, Travis and I became frustrated. He said to head on out and he would continue looking for a parking space. Travis and I decided to dawdle so that we were not seeing things twice once Jimmy found a place to park. On his second circuit of the lot, he was waiting for someone who was backing out of a space when someone behind him passed him and drove into the space. It was definitely lucky for that person that I was not in the car. They would have moved. It actually worked out better for us, because he got a really close space.

He caught up with us at about the second marker. We proceeded on the trail around the lake with Travis taking large numbers of pictures. There were people canoeing – some who knew what they were doing and many who did not. I thought that we should have rented a canoe. But, when they told me that the incapable canoeists had to sit on the middle seat – and then they told me that was me – I decided that we should not rent a canoe because I would probably turn them over out of spite. The lake was formed by a glacier. At the foot of the lake (closest to the parking lot) you could actually see the pile of rocks that would have been deposited as the glacier receded.



From Moraine Lake we proceeded to Lake Louise to see the Fairmont Lake Louise hotel and the lake. Lake Louise was also a glacier lake. We didn’t walk around it. Instead, Jimmy and Travis watched the other tourists and took pictures while I walked up to the hotel and bought lunch at the deli!!! There were roast beef as well as turkey with brie sandwiches, chips and water (the sandwiches were huge, so I knew that they could be split between three people). We found a bench overlooking the lake, put the umbrella up to protect us from the rain which had started again, and enjoyed a marvelous lunch. There were a number of birds who thought that they should be invited to dine with us, but we shooed them away and enjoyed watching the people go by. Once finished with lunch, we walked to the back side of the hotel where a wedding was about to begin. We didn’t see the bridal party, but the guests were starting to arrive. The interior of the hotel was much more modern than the Fairmont in Banff. But, we decided that some of the suites on the top floors of the hotel would provide superior views of the lake. Now, what they would cost is a different question entirely. The gentlemen greeting guests outside were dressed in Tyrolean attire, which kind of seemed out of place at the Lake Louise locale, but would have been perfect in Banff.



After walking back to the car, we headed back to Banff – deciding immediately to take highway 1A right off rather than getting involved in another traffic jam. Of course, when we rejoined 1 at the exit where we had left 1 earlier in the day, the traffic was moving at the speed limit going both east and west.

Back at the rv park, we all freshened up and headed to the gondola ride and dinner at the top of Sulphur Mountain. Since there is a Starbucks there, I took my computer with the intent of cleaning out emails and paying some bills on line. Of course, the wifi was slow, so I only got the emails cleaned out and the most essential of the bills paid. Jimmy and Travis took the laptop back to the car while I got in line for our prepaid tickets. When I got to the window, I was told that there would be a 90 minute wait for a gondola. The people buying their tickets at the window next to mine were told it would be a 60 minute wait. So I figured it was probably somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. Our tickets for the gondola ride and dinner were found, and off to the end of the line we went. I am sure that some of you do not know that I am afraid of heights. 35 minutes after getting into line, we approached the door of the gondola. The attendants told me that I should sit on the bench away from the door. I really don’t know what difference it made since it was glass all around, I just didn’t have to worry about the door popping open on the way up!!!

I survived the ride up. In fact, I was looking down for animals, Travis was taking pictures and Jimmy was watching the people who were hiking to the top of the mountain. I went directly to the restaurant to get a time for dinner only to be told just to show up when we wanted to eat, but earlier was better that later since they started seating with the best view out the panoramic windows. Then, up to the observation deck on the top of the building for more pictures and more hugging the inside wall for me. From the point where the gondola stopped, there is a plank walk which takes you across the ridge to a higher point where Canada’s Cosmic Ray Station had been located. The Cosmic Ray Station was eventually replaced by a weather station. You just walk down a bunch of steps across plenty of flat patio areas and up a bunch more stairs which have plenty of stops along the climb to catch your breath and enjoy the view. Then, you are at the top of the next peak. No, I didn’t go all the way, but Jimmy and Travis did. When they rejoined me, we trekked back to the restaurant and enjoyed a really nice prime rib dinner. After dinner, we were ready to go back down the mountain. I was definitely not as afraid as I had been going up, but there were a couple of times when I grabbed the bottom of the seat!! I was not nearly as bad as the sweet little lady who was supposed to be riding the gondola up. She did not want to have to get off at the top – she just wanted to get on at the bottom and ride right around and down the slope. Of course, that is not how the gondola works – you get on at the bottom, off at the top, get on again at the top and get off at the bottom. A really nice park worker rode the gondola with her so that he could override the rule about having to get off at the top. We did not see nor hear the lady again – well, we thought we might have heard her scream once or twice, but we weren’t sure.



One thing I did learn was that, if you hike up the mountain – which is free to do, you can ride the gondola down free. I guess that they figure if you made the trip up, you deserve the free ride down. We saw lots of people walking up. The path was well maintained, but there was cutback after cutback after cutback. Without the cutbacks, it would have been a really hard climb.

More tomorrow!!!