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.

Alberta Trip - Day 9 - Lake Louise, Fairview Mountain Hike

Gabe at Fairview Mountain, Lake Louise.

On our second last day in Alberta we did our toughest climb. This was up Fairview Mountain from the Lake Louise parking lot. We started relatively late so, of course, the parking lot was full. We had to park way down the road on the shoulder with all the other late comers.

The Fairview Mountain hike is over 10 kilometres long (return) with an elevation gain of 1013 metres. That's almost twice as tall as the C.N. Tower (at 553 metres).

Like the Sulphur Skyline hike in Jasper it starts in the trees. An hour to an hour and a half in the trail starts to open up as you pass the tree line. Shortly after, at 3.7 kilometres, you hit Saddleback Pass. That's where we took our first break.

After Saddleback Pass the trail goes seemingly straight up for the next 1.4 kilometres. It's very difficult with loose rock and steep slopes. Sometimes you even lose sight of the trail. We passed a group of four girls who threw in the towel part way up and headed back. Yeah, it's that hard.

We reached the summit around an hour later. The view from the top is incredible. You can see the surrounding mountain peaks including the ones that lead down to Lake Louise below.

As with our Sulphur Skyline hike we saw a rogue chipmunk up top looking for snacks. The little critters are everywhere.

Though I don't quite remember now, I'm assuming we snacked up top because we spent over an hour there. I'm sure we weren't taking pictures the whole time.

The trip down took a little under 2 hours. At around 6:00 p.m. the sun was getting low in the sky. Still we hung around Lake Louise a little longer taking pictures of the lake and famous hotel. Little known fact - Lake Louise is named after Queen Victoria's fourth daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta. As well, and quite obviously, the province of Alberta is named after her.

For dinner we headed down to Banff, some 40 minutes southeast on Highway 1. We decided to eat at Saltlik a steakhouse on Bear Street not far from Wild Flour where we had breakfast a few days earlier.

At Saltlik we all opted for beef, delicious Alberta beef. I had the Certified Angus Beef 10 oz. prime sirloin while some of the others chose the 10 oz. Blue Cheese California cut striploin. There are no bad choices here.

None of the dishes come with sides. You have to order them separately. We chose the scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese and mixed veggies to share. All in all a great way to end the day.

Alberta Trip - Day 8 - Town of Banff and Peyto Lake

Peyto Lake, Banff National Park.

Today was a relatively slow day for us. We spent the morning doing laundry at the town laundromat. While we waited we had breakfast at Wild Flour Bakery on Bear Street. They have such cute names for streets in Banff.

After finishing our laundry we decided to walk around town. Of course we had ice cream when we passed the COWS ice cream shop on Banff Avenue. It's a bit pricey at $6 for two scoops. But with 16% butterfat it's really tasty.

We walked along the Bow River towards Bow Falls next. The mosquito situation was really bad there. There were more mosquitos here than when we were in the back country for some reason. Weird.

At the falls you had a decent look at the iconic Banff Springs Hotel which overlooked it. We didn't go in. We just admired it from afar.

After spending some time by the falls we headed back to our vehicle which, by this time, had a $30 parking ticket on it. Technically we were only supposed to park for two hours. We were there five. No excuses. Our next destination would be Peyto Lake an hour north on Highway 1 and 93.

Peyto Lake is a bright, blue-green, glacier fed lake in Banff National Park. Like all glacier fed lakes it gets its colour from "rock flour". Rock flour consists of fine-grained, silt-sized particles of rock, generated by grinding of bedrock by glacial erosion.

On the day we went it was threatening rain in the afternoon. So the colour of the water was muted. The viewing platform is only a 10-minute walk from the parking lot. Very close. But not much of a hike if that's what you were looking for.

We left Peyto Lake by around 7:30 and got back to Lake Louise Campground (where we were scheduled to spend the next three nights) 40-minutes later.

I can't remember if we checked in and set up our tents first or if we grabbed dinner. We were pretty hungry and at a loss of where to go to eat. Lake Louise Village was nearby. So we decided to go there. It's not really a village, but a small strip mall. It seemed to have only one restaurant the Lake Louise Village Grill & Bar, so we went there.

The restaurant was kind of run down. It's run by Chinese people which is kind of odd for that area. Their website says they offer an affordable alternative to other eating establishments in the area, but I can't quite agree with that. A simple 5-ounce burger starts at $10.95 and goes up from there. A plate of chicken fried rice goes for $15.95. You could get something similar in Toronto for 1/3 the price.

Later, at our campsite, we faced a bit of a predicament. Technically we were only allowed to set up two tents. Up until that point the six of us had been sharing three. Emily and Lewis slept in the van.

Alberta Trip - Day 7 - Sulphur Skyline Hike, Jasper

Sulphur Skyline trail at Miette Hot Springs, Jasper National Park.

After a restful sleep we met up for breakfast in the main lodge at the Mountain River Lodge just outside the entrance of Mount Robson Provincial Park in B.C. Like I mentioned, breakfast was included for Gabe and I who stayed in a room at the lodge, but the others had to dip into our collective fund ($15 each) to have theirs.

They had two different appetizers. I had a delicious poached pear with a biscuit while I believe the others had something (can't remember what) topped with berries. Then we were served two poached eggs wrapped in bacon on top of English muffins with pieces of pineapple and honeydew on the side. They were tasty. Our beverages consisted of coffee and orange juice.

We sat at a large table in the dining room along with a few other guests. There was an older couple from the U.S. and another couple from Australia. It was nice to have a chance to chat with them about their experiences to this point.

After eating I walked out onto the large porch surrounding the main lodge to find a number of hummingbirds buzzing around the feeders they had out there. There were so many of them. We quickly fetched our cameras to take photos and videos of them. It was incredible. I've never seen so many in my life.

We hit the road before 11:00 heading east along Highway 16 towards Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park. Along the way we stopped for pictures of course. We got there around 2:00 p.m. local time (losing one hour after crossing the border from B.C. back into Alberta).

We had considered visiting the hot springs, but decided to do the Sulphur Skyline hike instead. The hot springs just looked like a crowded outdoor swimming pool.

The hike would cover 8 kilometres round trip with an elevation gain of 700 metres. From the top you can see the Fiddle River, Utopia Mountain and Ashlar Ridge (according to the sign at the trailhead).

For the first 1-1/2 hours you're hiking below the tree line. After that it opens up and you can see more of the natural surroundings. This is where you'll see an oddly placed large white boulder and when the climb truly starts in earnest. From this point on it takes another hour to the top.

The view from the top is spectacular. You get a 360º view of the surrounding mountains. On the day we went the skies were blue and dotted with fluffy white clouds. Incredible.

We had lunch at the top eating the sub sandwiches we bought earlier. I had strapped my sandwich to the outside of my camera bag. While I was taking pictures, a rascally chipmunk attacked it after I left it sitting on the ground. He didn't get much mostly chewing through the saran wrap only.

It's funny how there are chipmunks everywhere. Even places above the tree line where no vegetation grows. I guess they rely on hikers who willingly or, in my case, unwillingly feed them.

Our second case of "lost and found" happened on the mountain. We had been on the mountain top briefly when another group of hikers joined us. They were visiting from the Czech Republic. On the way up they had found Emily's smart phone which she had dropped. She was understandably happy to get it back.

Earlier in the trip Lewis had lost his new iPhone at the Vancouver airport. Someone found it and was going to ship it back to him.

I guess there were two more incidents regarding lost and found hats too. I had dropped mine along the trail from Whitehorn to Rearguard along the Berg Lake trail and had to backtrack to find it. And I had found and returned a gentleman's hiking hat along the Snowbird Pass trail when we hiked that.

On our way down the Sulphur Skyline trail we encountered a couple of groups of young big horn sheep. One group avoided us, but seven others walked right by so close you could touch them. This was around the big white boulder. Of course we snapped away like crazy with our cameras.

We finished the hike around 6:30. After that we hopped back on Highway 16 for the 1-hour drive to Jasper for dinner. Along the way we saw a few elk munching grass along the side of the road. Of course we stopped to take pictures before hopping back into our vehicle and continuing on.

In Jasper we tried Famoso again. If you remember we tried going there before, but they were busy so we ended up at Earls Kitchen + Bar across the street. This time they had tables available. We split five pizzas between the six of us. That was enough to satisfy our hunger.

Leaving at close to 10:00 we had a long drive ahead of us. We had booked a loft-suite at the Banff Inn (in Banff of course) some 4-hours away. We'd be taking the Icefields Parkway 93 and Highway 1 back. All in complete darkness. So, obviously, we couldn't drive as quickly as during the day.

Bedtime was late. The six of us had to share one bathroom and everyone had to shower. Unfortunately we couldn't sleep in because they had a firm check out time of 11:00 a.m. Tomorrow would be a slow day.

Alberta Trip - Day 6 - Rearguard Out

Emperor Falls, Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Provincial Park.

After a late night of trying to shoot the stars we packed and left Rearguard the next morning. We'd be hiking the whole way back to the parking lot in one go - 22 kilometres with all our gear.

We left at 10:00 in the morning. It was a bright, sunny day. Beautiful.

I didn't take as many pictures on the way out as on the way in. The gear was weighing me down and I didn't want to keep taking my camera out and putting it away.

It was a tough slog. The trip, mostly downhill, was killing my toes which repeated hit the inside of my hiking shoes. As well, the extra weight of my pack walking on the uneven ground was really doing a number on my ankles.

Our first break was at Emperor Falls, 6 kilometres and 2-1/2 hours in. We had a sit down and a small snack and were back on the trail.

The worst of the downhill trek was next, from Emperor Falls to Kinney Lake where it drops over 600 metres in 9 kilometres. We stopped for lunch here eating whatever food we had leftover.

I had a chance to talk with a ranger here. I was curious as to how often they had to rescue hikers/campers. She told me they did an average of 2 helicopter evacuations every shift. I actually never asked her how long a shift was though.

She mentioned that helicopter evacuations cost $1900 per hour and that the provincial government covered the costs if you were a B.C. resident. They could fly you out for something as seemingly trivial as a sprained ankle. Of course if you were stuck 20 kilometres in you'd never be able to hike out.

I think I also asked about bear encounters. She said they weren't uncommon. But that attacks on humans rarely happened.

After our break we hit the trail one last time. The last leg would be 11 kilometres long. It never seemed to end.

I believe we made it out by around 7:30 p.m. We were hungry and tired. The café at Mount Robson Visitor Centre was closed so we got ice cream bars from the gas station there. The closest village was Valemount. We headed there to try and grab dinner.

Valemount is tiny. Located 1/2 hour south of the park on Southern Yellowhead Highway (5) it's population barely breaks a thousand. The choice of restaurants is slim. The choice of open restaurants at 8:30 at night even slimmer.

The first place we tried was a pizza joint. It didn't look very inviting. And, as it turns out, it wasn't. After we walked through the door they said, we're closed (even though the sign out front stated they were open until 9:00).

So we walked across the street to a Korean restaurant, called appropriately enough, Korean and Japanese Restaurant. I know... a Korean restaurant in a town of 1,000? There wasn't much else that looked appealing.

I ordered Japchae with beef. It was tasty, but I believe, a bit over-priced at around $18 or so. Emily had fried rice which came in around $17 (before tax and tip). We were hungry so we couldn't afford to be picky.

It was nearly 10:00 p.m. by the time we self-checked in at the Mountain River Lodge (back on Highway 16) close to the park entrance. After three days in the bush we decided to pamper ourselves a little.

Emily had booked a small cabin for four there, plus a room for two at the main lodge. Gabe and I took the room while the others shared the cabin.

After a hot, relaxing shower to wash away the grime we visited the others before hitting the sack at around 11:30.

Alberta Trip - Day 5 - Snowbird Pass Trail

 Reef Icefield, Mount Robson Provincial Park.

After enduring a rainy night we woke to blue skies. We would be spending two nights at the Rearguard campground, so we didn't need to pack our tents which was great.

Today we would be attempting the Snowbird Pass Trail. That is, if we were allowed on it. It's closed until July 1st because the caribou have their calves in the area that the trail goes through. Fortunately today was July 1st, Canada Day.

At the start of the trail we were met by a sign that said "Snowbird Pass Trail will be close until July 1st" and underneath on duct tape "The trail is open to toe of glacier (Robson Glacier), approx. 3 km from here". We headed out unsure of how far we'd get.

I can't really describe the hike other than it was long and the scenery along the way was incredible. We followed the river that flowed from Robson Lake behind Rearguard Mountain. It's fed by the magnificent Robson Glacier that comes off the back of Mount Robson. Thankfully, when we got there, the trail was still open. We continued on.

The trail is pretty much flat and level at the beginning. But near the glacier it goes up and through some narrow, loose rocky areas. You really have to be careful.

The views as you walk are wonderful. Besides the mountains and glacier you see small waterfalls and, if you're lucky, wildlife.

Of course there are a number of marmots along the way. We saw a few mountain goats in the distance on the side of a mountain. That was pretty neat.

We arrived at Reef Icefield some 12.5 kilometres away around 6 hours after starting. It's a huge 25 square kilometre glacier separating B.C. and Alberta. Very impressive.

Since the sun was starting to set we hurried back towards our campsite completing the journey in just over half the time it took us to trek out. A little less dawdling and stopping to take photos. And we were trying to keep up with Gabe who took off like a flash. Maybe he wanted to get back early to eat.

After dinner Peter and I headed out again. This time only as far as the Berg Lake campground. We wanted to take night shots with stars in the skies. Unfortunately it didn't quite work out.

One reason is that it stays light until really late out west. Another was because of the bright full moon. It lit the sky behind Mount Robson which was pretty neat looking. But it kept the skies fairly bright even past 1:00 in the morning when we finally decided to pack it in.

Alberta Trip - Day 4 - Whitehorn to Rearguard

Berg Glacier coming off Mount Robson.

Day 4 started off wet. It was grey and overcast. After breakfast we packed camp at Whitehorn and continued along the Berg Lake Trail towards Rearguard.

This hike would also be 11 kilometres long. But, unlike the first day, we'd be climbing more. Especially at the beginning. We'd immediately be hiking past three waterfalls - White Falls, Falls of the Pool and Emperor Falls.

We started hiking at 8:30 a.m. By 12 noon we had made it to Emperor Falls 5 kilometres away. This is where we took a much needed break. Over that distance we had climbed 518 metres in elevation all with our packs on.

After 20 minutes of snacking and taking pictures we hit the trail again.

The skies started clearing 1-1/2 hours later. By the time we hit the southern tip of Berg Lake at 2:30 p.m. the sun was shining through the scattered clouds again. It really brought the blue-green colour out of the lake.

The water looked so inviting we decided to test it. Gabe went first taking his shoes off and wading in. The rest of us followed. Being glacial melt water it was extremely cold. We didn't last too long before dashing out.

Along the way we saw some cute Marmots by the aptly named Marmot campsite. The Berg Lake campsite would be next with 26 camp pads. We headed on to the more secluded Rearguard campsite 22 kilometres in (from the parking lot). By the time we arrived thunder clouds had quickly moved in.

We set our tents up as fast as possible barely finishing before the rain came down. And it came down hard.

We boiled water in the rain and ate our freeze-dried meals from Mountain Equipment Co-op. The thunderstorm had passed, but a steady rain continued. We called it an early night and headed to bed.

Alberta Trip - Day 2 - Icefields Parkway

Athabasca Glacier

Day 2 started early for me. The call of nature woke me shortly after sunrise. And what a wonderful sunrise it was.

After relieving myself I quickly got my camera out and started shooting pictures. First I went to the nearby banks of the Bow River across from our campsite and took a few pictures of the morning rays kissing what I believe to be Grotto Mountain in the distance.

Next I walked the camp road out to Middle Lake. No mosquitos at this time of the day, only beautiful scenery.

We had breakfast, packed up camp and hit the road by 9:00. We'd be taking Highway 1A (Bow Valley Parkway) to the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) and up to our final destination outside Mount Robson Provincial Park in B.C. (just across the Alberta border).

The Bow Valley Parkway runs parallel to Highway 1 (the Trans Canada Highway) between Banff and Lake Louise. It's smaller (two lanes), slower and affords a better chance of seeing wildlife by the side of the road.

We were rewarded for our decision to take this more scenic route with a black bear sighting. It's not hard to find wildlife along the highway. Just look for a ton of cars stopped on the shoulder of the road and that's where they'll be.

Just north of Lake Louise Highway 1/1A heads west. Take Highway 93 North (Icefields Parkway) and you'll head towards Jasper National Park and the Columbia Icefield/Athabasca Glacier.

We stopped at a number of places along the highway to take pictures - at Crowfoot Lookout (to see Crowfoot Glacier) and Bow Lake. We all took our shoes off and stepped into the lake to test the waters. It was freezing! Glacier meltwater is so cold!

Though Peyto Lake was nearby we headed up to the Columbia Icefield afterwards because we were short on time. While there we went on a short tour of the Athabasca Glacier. For $54.95 you can take an Ice Explorer half way up the glacier where they'll let you walk around for 15 minutes.

If you're a CAA member you can get 20% off the price. Technically they were only supposed to give us a discount on the member ticket and one guest. But they were kind enough to give us a discount on all our adult tickets.

Walking on the glacier was neat. Though, it would have been nice to get a little more time up there. I guess the longer you stay there the more trouble you're apt to get into. It can be very dangerous on the glacier if you're not careful.

We finished our tour of the glacier at quarter to six. After that we headed up to Jasper 1-1/2 hours away to grab dinner.

Our first choice was Famoso the pizza chain on Patricia Street, but they were a bit busy so we walked across the street to Earls Kitchen + Bar. Between the six of us we had three Field Mushroom Fettuccinis and three Mediterranean Linguinis. Not very original are we?

After dinner we hit the road again. The Icefields Parkway ends in Jasper. From there we headed west on Highway 16 for a 1-1/2 hour drive to Mount Robson Lodge just past the park entrance (in Valemount, B.C.). We arrived at 10:00 p.m. to a swarm of mosquitoes.

In preparation for our intensive backcountry hike the following day we repacked our gear and redistributed the food before hitting the sack.

Alberta Trip - Day 1 - Bow Valley Provincial Park

Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park, Alberta.

My friends and I took a trip out west to Alberta to see the Rockies. Our plan was to stay 10 days and do a combination of backcountry camping, car camping and staying at motels and lodges.

We flew into Calgary on the morning of the 27th of June. Emily borrowed her brother's SUV and picked me up at Peter's place (where I had spent the night). We then picked up Gabe and headed to the airport Park'N Fly. The plan was to park there for one night and have Emily's mom pick up the vehicle the next day when she returned from out of town.

The flight was uneventful. I slept most of the way (which I usually do). I didn't sit with the others since we all checked in early online. I took whatever seat they assigned me.

Upon arrival at YYC we met up with Peter's wife, Yvonne, and nephew, Lewis. They had come from Hong Kong, via Vancouver.

Emily and I took the Allied Limousine van service into town to pick up our minivan which I had reserved from Enterprise. They were supposed to drop us off at a nearby hotel, but the lady driver was nice enough to drop us off right at the car rental place.

After doing the required paperwork we took the Chrysler Town & Country van to the airport and loaded everyone up. It was surprisingly roomy fitting all our luggage and camping gear and all six passengers in. We had a lot of stuff.

We headed into town to grab supplies at the local MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop) before grabbing lunch at the burger joint across the street (I believe it was the Holy Grill). We ate inside because it was too hot and sunny outside.

After lunch we hit the road taking Highway 1 out of Calgary to our campsite at Bow Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country some 80 kilometres away.

We had two places to set up our three tents. Technically we were only supposed to have one tent per place. So they charged us and extra $27 or so.

We then spent the rest of the day hiking the trails of the park. Most were relatively short and flat. A good warm up for the rest of the trip.