The Rocky Mountains

Lake Louise

At Lake Louise is a trail up a mountain called Big Bee Hive, which gives a spectacular view of Chateau Lake Louise and the valley. Yes, I climbed up there, and it wasn't all that difficult.

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Chateau Lake Louise

The Chateau from ground level. It's a very nice hotel, but there are waaaay too many tourists running around all over. People not actually staying at the hotel, that is. Like me.

Taken from the path that runs around the lake

Canoes on Lake Louise

Looking toward the end of the lake.

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Moraine Lake

This is the spectacular picture that you see everywhere, because everyone takes the same picture from the same spot. Moraine Lake is a fantastic blue colour because of the minerals in the glacial water.

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Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park

A beautiful lake with a trail that completely encompasses it, and an awesome-looking resort lodge.

Looking across the lake from the lodge

Looking at the lodge from across the lake

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Takakkaw Falls

This is in Yoho National Park. It's a spectacular waterfall, the second-highest in Canada. The road to this location is extremely windy. It's the only time I've ever seen tour busses reverse up switchbacks because there's not enough room for them to make the turn.

What you can't see in this picture are all the tourists getting wet at the bottom.

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Johnston's Canyon

Between Banff and Lake Louise on Hwy 1A (the scenic route) is Johnston's Canyon, which features a long boardwalk pegged mostly to the side of the canyon. It's a "don't-miss" experience for sure, in more ways than one.

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Natural Bridge

It's like some kind of natural bridge, but with treacherous gaps, slippery algae-covered sides, and raging whitewater underneath. It's perfectly safe to walk around on though, right?

I wouldn't let my kids walk out there.

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Icefields Parkway

The very picturesque drive from Lake Louise to Jasper is called Icefields Parkway, and for good reason. You'll see many many glaciers, and it passes by the infamous Columbia Icefield.

View of the valley from partway up a steep windy climb.

It's called the Crowfoot Glacier because it's shaped like a crow's foot. Get it?

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Columbia Icefield

Of course everybody stops at Columbia Icefield. Where else do you get to take a bus out onto the surface of a glacier, and get out and walk around?

The Athabasca Glacier. Not that long ago, it was right up to the highway, but it's receding quite quickly.

They take you up onto the glacier on a big bus.

Although they look clean from a distance, glacial ice is really pretty dirty, as you can see here.

This is what they used to drive up onto the glacier. Steel tracks and no shocks made for a bumpy ride.

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Water, Nature's Rock-Carver

It's amazing what rushing water can do to solid rock, given thousands of years.

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And Then The Earth Moved...

You can almost picture the ground cracking and rising to become this jagged-edged mountain just outside of Banff.

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Banff

We spent almost a week in Banff, doing day trips to the various scenic spots. The Banff townsite is an excellent place to base your activities, being a fairly easy drive to just about everywhere, and featuring some good shopping, and very good restaurants.