Disclaimer: I am finally posting about our trip to Canada, while we are currently on a trip to Wyoming. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!
Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)
June 11-15, 2023
Canmore to Banff, Alberta, Canada
Daily Mileage: 22
Site: A712
Duration: 4 nights
Cost: $55/night
Weather: Sun & rain (70-80, but down to 40 in a.m.)
Cell Coverage: 1-2 bars Verizon & 1 bar TMobile
Day Two (Moraine Lake)
After our visit to Lake Louise, we boarded the tour bus and headed over to Moraine Lake, about 20 minutes away. We hiked the Rockpile Trail that leads to the "Twenty Dollar View." (The image used to grace the back of the Canadian $20 bill.) Not surprisingly, the scene is one of the most photographed places in Canada. I took more than my share of photos, but was surprised that so many other visitors were more interested in getting selfies with the lake in the background than of the lake itself.
Moraine Lake, which is nestled in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, is a glacially fed lake. I was so awestruck by the iridescent turquoise color, which was much more impressive than that of Lake Louise. The hike wasn't difficult, but it was hot & humid, so I was eager to return to the lodge for a cold drink before catching the bus back to Lake Louise Ski Resort.
Note: Moraine Lake is only accessible by shuttle bus unless you are a guest at Moraine Lake Lodge, in which case you may drive your car and park in their private parking lot.
Rockpile Trail
Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks
The only wildlife spotted on this outing
Happy hour back at the campsite!
Beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. It's a beautiful place. I'd love to go back someday!
DeletePretty pics! Both Moraine and Louise are great spots. We used to go to them before the buses started but now there's so many people. In the winter you can cross-country ski out the road to Moraine and my hands almost got frostbite once doing that. I kept going and then when I turned around it was freezing ... ugh. Love the color and your pic there at the lake. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. I really enjoyed the outing to both lakes. There are a lot of people at both, but I still felt like Moraine was less touristy. Maybe. I'll bet, in spite of the frostbite risk, it's a beautiful place to cross-country ski! I've never tried that, but I have snowshoed and downhill skied.
DeleteI'm loving all these posts about your Canada trip. Just lovely and the color of that water is amazing! And, of course, I love the mountains. Thanks for sharing these, Les! Will look forward to your pictures of your current trip. Take care!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear this, Kay. It was such a memorable trip and I didn't want to skip sharing about it here, even if it is over a year late! Mountains, lakes, rivers and oceans are my love language. :) I'll try to get to my current trip's posts before 2025!
DeleteOk. Those photos in the middle of Moraine Lake are stunning! The color of the water, the peaks around it, it's all breathtaking. What a wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteHelen, aren't those photos incredible? No filter or processing of the colors. That's exactly how the lake appeared to me! It was such a great trip, and I'm having fun re-living it as I post these photo essays. Thanks for reading!
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