Banff National Park - Canada
Driving down the Icefields Parkway from Jasper National Park to Banff National Park I felt so blessed. It in fact took me that long, that after reaching Lake Louise it was almost dark and snowing anyway. Yes, snowing, at the End of September. As I got told it is not normal to snow as early as this year. Thanks to climate change I guess… Oh poor nature, what are we doing to you… But let’s not get to deep into that topic and show you the beautiful views our nature has to offer instead.
Btw. since my first visit in September 2019 I visitied again in June 2020. It was stunning to be able to explore even more without the snow therefore I added some new photos to this blog. On top of the mountains it sayed of course, but I didn’t get that high.
Bow Lake
At Jasper I already saw first snow, but when I reached the bow lake it started snowing really hard, so I had to move on after a short look at it. The stop was definitely worth it.
This picture was taken in June a year later not far north the Bow lake.
Lake Louise
I actually visited Lake Louise three times the first visit. First when I drove by it on my way from Jasper to Banff, where it was all misty and rainy and shortly after started snowing. The second time shortly after the sunset and the third time on my way driving west to see it once with sunlight. I can’t even decide how I liked it more, because it all had its charm. Judge yourself 😊
First visit, all mysterious covered in fog.
Second visit after a night full of snow.
Loved the moodyness.
I had a hard time picking which pictures to upload, so I hope you are okay with some more ;)
View out of a posh restaurant in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Third day about 3 days apart with almost all the snow melted. The greenish water shows way better with the sun out.
But at the same time there is so much more traffic on the lake ;)
I visited another few times while the second road trip. This time it was almost empty and not full of tourists, as it was still in the middle of Corona and the travel restriction between the provinces was just lifted a day before. The pictures from the seconde visit below.
This time I was able to hike up a view point over the lake and as you can see it was stunning. We even got to see this cute animal.
Moraine Lake
Almost like with Lake Louise but I only visited Moraine Lake two times at the first visit and I somehow prefer it over Lake Louise. Both are stunning, don’t get me wrong! I somehow liked that there is no big hotel build directly beside the lake and it is less crowded due to limited parking space. Which also means, that if you want to go here, weak up early, like I did for the sunset at 4 am to still get a parking lot. But in case you miss the chance to get a place for parking, then you can also take the shuttle, either from the highway or from Lake Louise. I did the later for my second visit.
Stargazing and wayting for the sunrise.
The sun was rising and here you can spot some of the people on this small hill and beside the water waiting for the sun to come up befind the mountains...
... but well, the clouds decided to join the scenery short before the sunset, so no nice colored pictures this time ;) Still beautiful isn't it?
View from the small hill over the lake.
Winter scenery...
... but I came back a few days later and almost all the snow was gone, the sky was blue and gave a view with beautiful colors!
Isn't this one of the cutest kids ever? 😉 Love the hat!
Splash, I catched this stone hitting the lake surface randomly but liked the result 😊
On my second Rocky Mountains road trip I actually visited Moraine Lake only once. There were no cars allowed and you needed to hike 3,5 hours up the street if you wanted to see it and 3,5 hours all the way back down. That ment it was a day trip and it was not possible to go for the sunrise. Still it was strunning with even less tourists this time. Following the never pictures.
Johnston Canyon
Around an hour to get to the upper falls on the way passing by the lower falls and then the same way back. It was one of the first days without snow and an easy hike because most of it is a man-made way and not just a path through the woods. Sadly, the cement path makes it less like a nice hike and filled with loads of people, because it is easy to access. Still, I enjoyed it and went all the way up while loads of the tourist stopped at the first waterfall. They missed out, even though after the first one the way is not cemented and steeper. But isn’t that the fun of it 😉
The canyon beside you, you walk on some sord of grid walk attached to the rocks.
Frozen tree trunk, I really liked the look of it.
The lower falls. You can actually get near to them through a bridge and this is how they look up closed by with frozen ice around it.
The upper falls, definitely higher than the first ones.
What a unique rock formation around this canyon combinded with ice and snow.
Columbia Icefield
Just at the border from Jasper National Park to Banff National park you can find this impressing glacier.
Abraham Lake
We could acutally drive down this lake as it was almost non existent. These pictures are from the summer visit. In winter this lake fills up a little an freezes fully with bubbles trapped in the lake. I saw pictures of it and sadly couldn’t make it in person. Is seems that the dried out surfice trappes the air and releses it slowly when its freezing through. But also in summer it was great to visit. We camped nearby in a free camping spot.
This is by the way the van we slept in the whole trip apart from two nights we had in two different hostels for a shower and some cooking. Gladly some camping spots had showers as well 😉
This waterfall was just beside the Icefield Parkway.
Canmore
I spend a couple of days exploring the Banff National Park, while sleeping in Canmore nearby because it was cheaper to get a hostel there than in Banff or at Lake Louise. If you have a car, I would recommend doing the same, Canmore is a cute town and you quickly get to diverse beautiful spots.
Banff
Honestly we didn’t spent much time in this city. We had lunch and visited some places around it like the Lake Minnewanka and the nice Banff Springs Hotel.
