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“Pic of the Week”, June 28, 2019: Peyto Lake, Alberta
One of the classic symbols of the Canadian Rockies is Peyto Lake, which is situated adjacent to Icefields Parkway, the road which connects Banff and Jasper. Peyto Lake is a popular stop with travelers who enjoy taking in this panoramic view from Bow Summit.
The lake is glacier fed, the glacial silt giving it a lovely milky turquoise-green color. It sits at 1860 m (6100 ft) above sea level.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance)
Jun 27, 2019
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.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Banff National Park’s best Short Hike — Moraine Lake Rockpile Trail
Moraine Lake is located a few miles south of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, in one of the most scenic and breath-taking locales of the Canadian Rockies. In the winter the lake is buried under a thick layer of snow and not accessible by car. The road leading to Moraine Lake is a popular cross-country skiing destination once enough snow has accumulated for the Park Service to groom it, but the skiing trail ends well before the lake because of high avalanche risk within its valley. During the summer months (June – Sept) Moraine Lake is popular and busy, even though it doesn’t thaw out until late June. Parking is limited so it’s best to arrive early. The lake …
Tagged Banff National Park, lake, Moraine Lake, Rocky Mountains
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Banff
The Cave and Basin National Historic Site is a small site just outside the town of Banff, but is important to Canadians because it was a catalyst to the formation of Canada’s first national park, Banff National Park.
Historic aspects
The Cave and Basin is the lowest of nine sulphurous hot springs, arranged in three groups, on Banff’s Sulphur Mountain. The water is heated geothermally at a depth of about 3 km (2 mi) and escapes to the surface at these sites. The Cave and Basin is the only natural cavern in the area big enough to comfortably accommodate groups of people.
Humans have inhabited this region for at least 10,000 years, back to the retreat of the massive …
Tagged Banff, Banff National Park, Cave and Basin, hot springs
.All Trips / Central Canada / North America
A visit to the Historic Banff Springs Hotel
Situated in the heart of beautiful Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world famous Fairmont Banff Springs stands like a castle dominating the pretty alpine town of Banff, Alberta. Nestled between Mt. Rundle, Tunnel Mountain and Sulphur Mountain, it offers some of the best alpine scenery in the world. It’s just a short 10 minute stroll from the hotel along the beautiful Bow River to the Banff townsite, where a large number of shops, restaurants and other services are located.
Fairmont Banff Springs is a year-round luxury resort that offers access to activities as diverse as horse-back riding and golf, to superb skiing in the winter. The hotel has been serving guests for more …
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site.
Today we’re going to visit Western Canada’s oldest Natural History Museum, the quirky yet fascinating Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. I first visited this museum as a boy decades ago and it’s one of the few things around that hasn’t changed over the years.
Situated at a prime location in Banff, beside the Bow River at the corner of Buffalo St and Banff Ave, there’s a large building constructed of logs, the Banff Park Museum. It’s been declared a national historic site because the museum’s original exhibits are still on display, a collection reflecting an early (some might even say “primitive”) approach to the interpretation of Western Canada’s natural history. Also, the architectural style and detailing of …
“Pic of the Week”, October 17, 2014: Black Bear, Banff National Park
This is one of my favorite wildlife photos from this past year. The bear was wandering in the ditch along the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, foraging as he went. He didn’t seem to mind my stopping beside the road, rolling down the passenger window and snapping his picture. Seems almost posed, but he was actually moving at a pretty brisk pace. When he came across a berry bush, he’d stop and suck all the fruit off — almost like a living vacuum cleaner — then move on!
(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Banff National Park: Hiking Tunnel Mountain
As summer is upon us, I thought I’d feature another walk from the Canadian Rockies, this one directly accessible from downtown Banff on a trail that’s been around almost as long as Banff itself has. The hike is up Tunnel Mountain, a misnamed place in that there is no tunnel and this “mountain” is really just a large hill when compared to the size and grandeur of the other Rocky Mountains peaks around it (it’s the smallest mountain by Banff, but definitely still a memorable peak). There are wonderful views to be enjoyed from much of the trail, reason enough to make this a worthwhile hike.
The original name given to this peak by the natives was “Sleeping Buffalo Mountain” (because the …
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Banff National Park: A visit to beautiful Boom Lake
In a region where every turn of the road brings an even more beautiful view, it’s hard to pick favorite spots in Banff National Park. I’ve recently grown very fond of the area near Castle Junction, off Highway #93 on the road to Kootenay National Park and Radium Hot Springs. The ascent of Hwy #93 from the Bow River Valley gives grand views of the mountains and forests, brings you near the treeline and hanging glaciers, and provides easy access to some great high altitude trails, such as that to Boom Lake.
Boom Lake’s trailhead is located behind the Boom Creek picnic area parking lot a few kilometers west of the TransCanada highway. The trail crosses a bridge over Boom Creek and begins …
