Alberta Trip - Day 10 - Moraine Lake, Eiffel Lake Hike

Moraine Lake, Valley of the Ten Peaks.

On our last full day in Alberta we visited Moraine Lake. Similarly to the day before when we were at Lake Louise, we got a late start, and, as a result, ended up parking way down the road because the lot was full.

Unlike the previous day where we hiked first, we started off taking pictures around the lake. The striking blue water is incredibly beautiful. Really amazing.

We decided to do the Eiffel Lake hike out of Moraine Lake. The trail splits off from the Larch Valley trail and takes you to a glorious alpine lake with a panoramic view of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. It’s 5.6 kilometres one way with an elevation gain of 370 metres. I think we went a bit further than that though.

Some of the guys weren't really keen on going on this hike. It was near the end of our trip and we had done some tough hikes (either distance-wise or in steepness). People were tired. Really tired. But it was our last day and we'd have plenty of time to recover after we returned home. So I suggested we go for it.

Compared to the other hikes we did this one was relatively easy. We started off going uphill before it levelled out. For the most part the middle of the hike was relatively flat going through the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Since it's pretty much open there you get a wonderful view of the mountains and wildflowers. It's really lovely.

2-1/2 hours into our hike the others wanted to turn back. We were so near our destination of Eiffel Lake I wanted to push on. So I said I'd run on ahead and catch back up with them on the way back.

The final run along the trail was further than I thought it would be. I was hot, tired and sweaty by the time I got to the point along the trail just past the lake I wanted to get to.

I started snapping pictures of Eiffel Lake with the Valley of the Ten Peaks in the background. Fifteen minutes later Peter, Emily and Gabe showed up. They had decided to follow.

Again they were glad they had come. The pictures we snapped from our vantage point behind the lake were great. We met up with Yvonne and Lewis shortly after. They were waiting patiently for us to come back.

Dinner was early at 5:30 p.m. We took a suggestion from Adrian Lee who posted on Facebook that we should try the nearby Baker Creek Bistro on Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A). It's less than 15 kilometres (20 minutes) from the Lake Louise Campground where we were staying. There's a lodge at Baker Creek if you need accommodations too.

The food at the restaurant was a bit pricey. The mains ranged from the mid to high $30's. Since I had steak the night before I opted for Bison Short Ribs for $34. This time the entrées were served with vegetables sides. The others ordered the 10 oz. Rib Eye Steak and Bison Stroganoff. I have to say my Bison Short Ribs were amazingly tasty.

Back at our campsite after dinner we started a campfire. There were piles of free wood scattered around the campground. I noticed our new neighbours on the next site sitting at their picnic table in the dark with only candles lit. So I went over and mentioned about the wood. They said they didn't want to pay $8 a day for it. I walked back to our site without saying much. I had no idea we were supposed to pay for the wood. They never said anything about it to us when we checked in. How embarrassing.

Anyway, back at our site we brought out the Grizzly Paw beer we bought the evening before in Banff and Lewis, Gabe, Em and I sat around our picnic table to play the card game she brought along. I don't remember what it's called, but there are two sets of cards that range from 1 to 100. The number 1 cards and number 100 cards are placed on the table.

Each player is dealt five cards and has to play at least two each turn by placing them in either ascending order from 1 up or descending order from 100 down. You pick up as many cards as you play then it's the next player's turn. The idea is for everyone to try to get rid of their cards. You win if everyone has less than 10 cards left over in total.

After playing a bunch of times over the duration of our trip this was the only time we succeeded (with 7 cards left unplayed). Of course we took a souvenir photo.