Escapees November-December 2023

us to the water’s edge at dawn where we joined a small crowd of people with phones and cameras capturing the sunrise as the distant peaks slowly lit up. Rental canoes were lined up on the shore waiting for customers, and people from all over the world strolled along the path that embraces the lake. Two “tea houses” offer refreshments to hikers who venture into the hills high above Lake Louise. We hiked up a steep trail to the Lake Agnes Tea House. The fl oating slabs of ice in Lake Agnes were chilly reminders that winter was not long gone. Unfortunately, we discovered the Tea House doesn’t open until early June, however it is a delightful hike. During the summer months, everything necessary to serve visiting guests is hiked in by staff workers who live at the Tea House! As we hiked back down to Lake Louise, the vivid turquoise of the lake peeked out between the dark trees. This color is created by sunlight glancing off the “glacial fl our” (rock that has been fi nely crushed by glacial movements) that is suspended in the water. Vibrant, aquamarine-colored Moraine Lake is next to Lake Louise, and during the earliest part of spring, between avalanche season and tourist season, the scenic road to Moraine Lake opens exclusively to non-motorized vehicles. How fun it was to have the road to ourselves as we bicycled over the mountain and down to Moraine Lake. The jaw-dropping view of the jagged peaks behind the lake grew ever larger as we descended to the water’s edge. This famous view is affectionately known as the “Twenty Dollar View” because it was featured on the back side of the Canadian $20 bill in 1970 and 1979. It is, perhaps, the fi nest mountain view we’ve seen anywhere. Truly a “million dollar view.” With in fl ation, it’s easily worth a billion or more! A few miles from Lake Louise, the beauti ful town of Banff is as quaint and charming as the Rockies are tall and stately. Horse drawn carriages take people on sightseeing trips through town, and the graceful stone turrets and leaded glass windows of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel evoke a feeling of yesteryear. Just 25 miles southeast of Banff is the much quieter town of Canmore which has a network of paved walking paths all around town. Both towns offer a variety of camping options.

Kootenay National Park Although we went to Canada’s Rocky Mountains to see snowcapped alpine scen ery, one of the biggest highlights during our month in the area was the many sightings of big game animals. Our fi rst sighting was a group of bighorn sheep lazily crossing the highway at the entrance to Kootenay National Park about 145 miles north of the border! These unhurried sheep were just the begin ning. We soon discovered we were in bear country when we spotted black bears eating dandelions right by the side of the highway. The fabulous outdoor pool at Radium Hot Springs was another unexpected surprise. Although it looked like an ordinary outdoor swimming pool nestled between towering mountain peaks, the water felt like a hot tub as we stepped in. The air temperature, under gloomy skies, was in the 40s, but the water was so warm we had to get out periodically to cool off. Steam rose from our bodies, and we couldn’t wipe the grins off our faces.

“…during the earliest part of spring, between avalanche season and tourist season, the scenic road to Moraine Lake opens exclusively to non-motorized vehicles.”

At Numa Falls, wildly rushing water crashed over cascades of rocks at lightning speed. Then, a hike to the Paint Pots took us through the woods to the edge of a bright orange muddy swamp. Dipping a fi nger ina “paint pot” of orange mud, we fi nger-painted a heart on the bark of a tree, good until the next rainfall. At Marble Canyon we hiked up to a pretty viewpoint where we found a pair of bright red Adirondack chairs offering us a seat to enjoy the view. Pairs of chairs like these are scattered throughout Canada’s National Parks! Ban ff National Park Next to Kootenay National Park lies Banff National Park, the fi rst National Park established in Canada, and we were quickly mesmerized by the snowcapped mountains fi lling every view. Famous Lake Louise lured

46

ESCAPEES Magazine November/December 2023