Eiffel Lake

I was up early checking out the weather to determine the best course of action. I found that it was very foggy but I could see blue sky above me. I decided to head out and hike to Eiffel lake. I drove to the trailhead at Moraine Lake. The lake was a gorgeous color.

From Eiffel Lake

I headed up the trail after taking a few photos of the lake. It was up a series of switchbacks. At the top of the switchbacks I was disappointed that I didn't have a good view of the lake but the view of the Faye Glacier was great. Also the jagged snowy peaks were beautiful. It was quite overcast. However as I approached Eiffel Lake blue sky opened up overhead. I was so lucky. I also saw more of the marmots on the way. On the way down, it started snowing a little. That was quite funny. Especially when I bumped into a couple of hikers with bare butts on the trail as they changed pants. It was really quite a busy trail for that.

At the bottom I did another walk along the lakeside to try and get a nice photo of Moraine Lake. It was such a beautiful color. The only downside was the helicopter. They were upgrading one of the trails and it was flying back and forth with supplies.

Icefields Parkway

I woke to a rainy and very cloudy day. I had hoped to do several hikes as I headed south on the Icefields parkway but the weather put that in doubt. As I drove through the deep glacial valleys much of the scenery was obscured by cloud. Needless to say I as a little sad as I hadn't spent much time taking photos on the way up. I stopped and checked out the Athabasca Falls which were pretty impressive and I saw a coyote right on the road.

From Icefield Parkway

Luckily, the Columbia Icefields were not covered by cloud. I took a few photos, spoke to the information desk and headed out to hike to Wilcox Pass. It was a nice hike. The views of the glacier were good but the cloud was closing in. As I approached what I believe was the end of the trail the drizzle of rain turned into a gush. I also heard a loud crack which was either a big avalanche or thunder. I took this as a sign to head back. On the way back I spotted some big horned sheep on the hillside. They were too far away for a photo but I could check them out with my scope. There were also lots of pretty wildflowers on the way. On the way down it stopped raining and I started questioning my decision to turn around. As I got to my car it started pouring down so it turns out that I did make the right decision. I drove in the rain for quite awhile. I had to cancel my plans to hike in various other areas. On the upside, I spotted a "bear jam" - a bunch of cars pulled over to check out a bear. It was a black bear walking parallel to the road. It was pretty cool.

Check out the rest of the full size photos here or view the mini slide show below.

Plain of Six Glaciers

From Plain of the Six Glaciers

On the way up to Jasper I did an awesome hike called Plain of Six Glaciers. As you would have guessed you see six glaciers. I didn't count them but there were many. I linked this hike with a hike to Lake Agnes. There were two tea houses on the way but they were so busy that I didn't get anything at them but they looked fun.

It was a long drive to Jasper - not in distance but in time. However, the glacier views along the way were awesome. I can't wait to check some of that out on my way back. I did see mountain goats on the way to Jasper as well. In Jasper I saw an elk right by my hostel.

Hikes from Castle Mt in Banff Canada

I have to start this blog day out with a rant. I know that Johnston Canyon is a busy place and lots of people are enjoying hiking in the area. However, a few things really spoil it for the rest of us

1- Hiking while listening to music with your friends is not fun for the rest of us trying to hear the wildlife.

2- Puffing on a cigarette while walking on the trail is unpleasant for those of us wishing to enjoy the forest smells.

3- Acting as if the trail is there for you and you alone is inconsiderate.

Now about day 1 hiking in the Castle Mountain region --

I met up with Bev and Steve in their hotel yesterday. They enjoyed greyhounds on their balcony and then we went out for a nice meal. We arranged to meet at my hostel in the AM to hike. We went up to Stanley Glacier and hike it. It is 8.4 km roundtrip with an elevation gain of 395m. It was pretty with snow covered mountains around us.

From Hikes from Castle Mt

We saw a marmot on the way which was nice. I took a tumble off the trail and have a big bruise to prove it. All and all it was very nice. Afterwards we went to Johnstone Canyon where we viewed the Upper and Lower Falls. Bev and Steve headed back to their Banff Lodge and I went up to the Ink Pots. They were nice and I talked to a few Canadian teachers up there.

Heading back to the hostel I saw two black bear cubs on the side of the road. I was in my car and they were pretty close. Woo Hoo is all I can say