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Rocky Mountains
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Lake Louise & Chateau reflected in waterOne of the biggest highlights of the trip has to be the 2-day Banff - Jasper Icefields Parkway / Rocky Mountains trip. Our first stop was Lake Louise (& Victoria Glacier), the most photographed and visited lake in the Rockies. You can get a fair idea why when you visit it. We took advantage of facilities in the very posh Lake Louise Chateau (rooms are $600 - $1300 CAD / night - equivalent to approx 300 - 650 UK pounds).

Then it was off out on the Icefields Parkway with stops at Crowfoot Lookout, Mistaya Canyon (for lunch), Big Bend Lookout towards Cirrus Mountain to the most amazing part of the Rockies - the Columbia Icefield - of which Athabasca Glacier is one of several that descend from it. We went for a hike a little way up the glacier. Amazingly this is now the 3rd glacier I have walked on! :-) The Columbia Icefield is something like the size of Vancouver and apparently everyone in North America could stand on it shoulder-to-shoulder. Not sure how true that is, but be assured that it’s pretty big nonetheless :-)

Via a stop at Tangle Falls (another waterfall!!!) and a walk through Maligne Canyon, we ventured to the night-stop of the evening near Athabasca Falls - a rustic, wilderness lodge without running water. Definitely a night of being one with nature ;-) We had a bonfire with the hope of being able to see the Northern Lights. Most people had retired by 1am, Rod & I did wait until the fire had burnt out at 2am, without any joy. The sky had became too cloudy unfortunately. 

The journey from Jasper back to Banff along the Icefields Parkway was nearly as packed. The first stop of the morning was Athabasca Falls, then Goat Viewpoint overlooking the Athabasca Valley (it was still about -2'c at this point) and Strutfield Glacier before stopping for a hike up Parker Ridge for views over the Saskatchewan Glacier. On the way back down it began snowing.... Further stops of the day were the beautiful Peyto Lake and Moraine Lake / Valley of the 10 Peaks before arriving back in Banff.

Intro | Rocky Mountains | Southern Alberta | Toronto & Niagara | Vancouver to Banff | Vancouver | Vancouver Island | Whistler