May 17, Banff and Lake Louise, AB - Surprise and Disappointment

 

 

May 17, 2015.  The surprise was the eatery recommended by Chris and Susan. The disappointment was Lake Louise.  There, the storyline is revealed in the first paragraph.  No reason to read the rest of this.

Are you still here?  Well, okay, you asked for it.

We began the day later than usual because we planned to travel only about 100 miles from Calgary to Lake Louise with a stop over in Banff.  The drive was reminiscent of the Colorado Rockies; snow-covered mountains, small in the distance but growing larger and larger as we got closer.  Banff is the only incorporated town within Banff National Park.  It began as, and remains, a tourist attraction.  It was settled in the 1880s by the Canadian Pacific Railway.  It was named by the President of the railroad in honor of his birthplace in Scotland. Today, it serves as a base for people who want to get away from the cities and enjoy the outdoors.

About an hour northwest of Banff is Lake Louise.  I described it previously as among the most beautiful places on earth.  I believe that but today's visit was a disappointment.  I remember it being a sparkling turquoise lake resting in a valley between shimmering snow-covered mountains capped by a knock-your-eyes-out blue sky.  It could be a Swiss postcard.  It is that beautiful.

But, not today.   The lake is still frozen except around the edges.  White ice covers 99 percent of the water.  The color of the lake was indecipherable. Worse, the sky was blanketed with white clouds which blended with the snow on the mountains and the lake.  Instead of distinct colors, it became a mishmash of white and off-white.

The most entertaining thing about the lake was the droves of tourists, many from Asia, taking pictures of one another and themselves.  Selfies were the order of the day.  Several had selfie sticks which they used to take group photos on their phones.  I couldn't leave without taking a picture of the picture takers.  Do you know what the two-finger gesture means?

The surprise was the place we dined for lunch.  The Storm Mountain Lodge is very much like the Baldpate.  It was built in 1922 and continues to serve lodgers and diners today.  On the recommendation of old friends we backtracked from Lake Louise about 20 miles to lunch there.  Annie had a salad and I had barbecue.  No mock surprise, please.  Both were excellent.  There was a hummingbird feeder outside the window next to our table.  We felt right at home.

The tunnels you see above are wildlife crossings.  And, wildlife is abundant.  We spotted two moose (or is it mooses?), elk, deer and a brown bear.  Well, actually Annie spotted the bear.  I believe her because several cars had stopped along the highway to observe.  She said it was bigger than the grizzlies we saw in Denali years back.

We have decided to move west again tomorrow.  We will stop somewhere short of Vancouver Island tomorrow night.  We don't know where.  But, then, that's what makes these trips fun.

Tune in tomorrow if you want to know.  The journey continues.