Banff National Park

Day 26 Alberta Canada

Today we leave the US. Only a short two hours north and we will be in the land of Canadian bacon and French translations. The total drive time today is almost seven hours, taking us several hundred miles north, then east into Banff National Park.
We left promptly at 8:00am, and wished we had left earlier. The road up to Logan Pass already had heavy traffic and construction. This turned out to be only a minor setback, and we made it through the pass and out of the park in under and hour and a half. The real trouble was crossing into Canada. We thought the border patrol would be easy to deal with, and we would cross without a problem. But this guy. We pulled up to the border patrol booth, and the officer inside was brutal. He immediately started grilling us, he bombarded us with at least twenty questions. Ranging from where we lived, what our relationship was, to when the last time we wore handcuffs was. He even tried to trap us by first asking us we had any weapons, then rephrasing the question to make that include bear spray, which he could see we had through the rear window. It makes sense he would have to be that way, not even a smile or have a nice day.
Once across the border we filled up on gas, about 30L, and at only $1.14/9 a liter! With a full tank we would easily make it the 400 kilometers. And with the speed limit of 110 kph we arrived in Calgary, Alberta within a couple hours. Hungry for something familiar we stopped at a taco bell which tasted just like home. Ah the comforts of home.
Back on the road we arrived at Banff National Park, unfortunately we would have to pay the entrance fee, and unlike the US Canada charges per person per day. So for the four days we would be in Banff and Jasper it was roughly $80. On top Of that was the cost per night to camp. Each night cost about $27. Bah! Canada. Although the campground was very cool. We arrived at the campground, which was completely surrounded by an electric fence! And at the crossing point for vehicles was a giant electrified bear guard, similar to the cattle guards but much larger. They took wildlife seriously here, they even had wildlife overpasses on the freeway so animals didn't cross the road. Our campground had free showers! And unlimited firewood, we just needed an $8 fire permit. It was one of the better campgrounds so far.
I forgot to mention that it had been raining the entire day. We set up camp in the rain, built a fire in the rain, and ate fritos chili boats in the rain before finally going to bed in the rain. Canada.

Day 27

It rained all night and shows no sign of breaking. We are still going to go ahead with our 20k hike today, a little rain can't stop the spirit of adventure! We suited up in our best rain protection gear, which is pretty slim on my part, I forgot to pack a waterproof jacket. Oh well, to late now.
The hike we settled on was to take us into the backcountry of Banff, allowing us to get as much from the park as we could in the single day we have here. The trailhead was near a river they call Paradise Creek, I suspect it is only a river because of the unnaturally harsh winter the northwest experienced. It was a beautiful river, and hinted to the type. Of hike we were getting into. Another beautiful hike along a river through the forest to a lake. The only difference in this hike is that it continues past the lake into a small loop around a meadow, and past some waterfalls.
The first 8k we gained 400m in elevation, and arrived at a small glacier fed lake. The only way I can describe the color of this lake would be to compare it to the "Glacier Freeze" flavor of Gatorade. They actually got the color spot on. The color reminded me of the deep blues and greens we saw at Havasupai Falls. The only difference was the cold temperature and the giant glacier in the background. Mesmerized by the lake I didn't notice my pack was not balanced properly on the rock I set it on, and watched as it plunged into the lake. IPad and all. I quickly recovered it, pulled the iPad out as quickly as possible, dried it with my shirt, and put my trust in Apple. We hiked on.
My fear and frustration quickly faded as we continued to climb, and crested at the base of a glacial rockslide that the trail picked through. Progressing further we heard heavy thunder rolling across the valley, catching us off guard as we saw no lightning. As we rounded the bend it suddenly made sense. The first Avalanche caught us off guard. Snow poured from the cliffs like water, only when we heard the thundering crash as it hit the rocks thousands of feet below it's epicenter. Safely several kilometers from them we had a fantastic view. Every ten minutes another roar, as thousands of tons of fresh snow cascaded down the mountains. The sight was spectacular, making the hike in the rain more than worth it.
After thirty minutes or so of watching avalanches, we continued toward Horseshoe Meadow, and the Giant Steps. The Giant Steps are just like they sound, massive slabs of flat stone, stacked in steps with water flowing and falling one to the next. The meadow was a severe disappointment, just a small loop with trees obscuring the views of the mountains. And the avalanches we could hear echoing down the valley.
Finishing our hike we decided to head to famous Lake Louise, to sit in the lobby of the hotel, reading, and hopefully using their Wi-Fi, as my IPad survived the bath. Apple wins again. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Lake Louise was stunning! The water even more blue than Havasupai, the glaciers as a backdrop, and framed by towering mountains, and the greenest pine trees. No wonder they built a five star hotel here. Which as it turned out had no free WiFi, so it looks like this post along with Glacier, and probably Jasper will have to wait until Saturday when we are in Vancouver. We did enjoy a sandwich from the hotel deli, and enjoyed the comfort of the lobby. They even had a wine bar, selling Mark West Pinot Noir for a substantial $79 a bottle. I guess that answers the Vino 100 problem. We should have marked our product up 1000%. Snap, if only we had thought of that sooner. Kidding, kidding. But the prices at this wine bar were exorbitant.
On the way back we made a quick side trip to Moraine Lake, a smaller glacial lake with a massive moraine blocking the far end, hinting the size of the glacier that used to be there. While Zach was off photographing the lake, I snuck into the hotel, past the small registration area, and into the communication center for the hotel. Once there I let y'all know I was going to be unable to post till Saturday. I quietly snuck out through the kitchen. Back to camp, and off to bed. Jasper tomorrow.

MILEAGE:

Driving-

This trip: 308
Total: 3465

Walking-

This trip: 13.5
Total:174