Leaving Calgary behind, we resumed our reconnaissance of Mother Nature by driving back to the park.
Our destination was Lake Louise. No visit to the Rockies would be complete without a stopover at Lake Louise. It is the crown jewel of the Rockies and in more ways than one, its poster child. In fact, every single calendar featuring the Canadian Rockies is top-billed by Lake Louise, and I am going to bet my bottom dollar that this is the most popular postcard sent by tourists back to their families and friends. And why not? It has all the elements of a picture-perfect scene – the unbelievably vivid turquoise waters of the lake surrounded by breathtaking snow-capped mountains. In fact, it is so perfect-looking that it is hard to believe it is even real.
That was what I felt when I first cast my eyes on the scene. The beauty that I imagined from looking at photographs was one million times magnified there. It was so surreal that I started wondering whether I actually walked into a picture, just like in the movies (Remember the scene when Mary Poppins jumps into the chalk painting with Bert and the kids and are transported into a fantasyland of penguins and carousel horses…or the one when Lucy crosses the threshold from wardrobe to the enigmatic winter scene in Narnia…or the one when Dorothy opens the house door and beholds the technicolour Land of Oz?) All I could do was stand and stare, too mesmerized to say anything.
However, this place is by no means a secret to be uncovered only by those who stumbled upon some kind of magic. On the contrary, it is a popular tourist destination in the Rockies with thousands of visitors flocking there every year to immerse in its wild grandeur.
It was not the case many centuries ago. The area was first inhabited by the Stoney First Nations people and they called it Ho-Run-Num-Nay (lake of the little fishes). It was only in 1882 when it was “discovered” by a railway company surveyor. Two years later, it was established as a construction camp for workers of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was renamed Lake Louise in honour of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter of Queen Victoria and wife of the Governor General of Canada.
There are actually two Lake Louise communities. The first one, known as “the village,” is directly off the Trans-Canada Highway. This is the commercial hub where one will find the information centre, a small mall, a grocery store, some restaurants, equipment rental shops, and gift boutiques. The second one is known as the “Upper Lake Louise,” where the famous lake and the iconic fairytale castle-inspired hotel, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, are located. This was where we went, because really, this is what you need to see.
The lake, at an elevation of 1,731 metres, springs from the Victoria Glacier on Mount Victoria, the peak rising above its western end. It is framed by several other mountains – Mount Temple, Mount Whyte, Mount Niblock, and Mount Whitehorn, whose sides provide miles of terrain for skiing. No wonder it is considered Canada’s second largest ski area and one of the largest ski resorts in North America.
Its sparkling turquoise water flows into the Bow River and is home to small fish species that survive year-round in its cold temperature – cutthroat trout, bull trout, and mountain whitefish. To give you an idea on how cold it is, let’s just say that this lake freezes in the winter and doesn’t thaw until the beginning of June. You wouldn’t want to swim in this frigid lake, unless you are participating in the annual “Lake Louise Polar Bear Dip” held on Canada Day, where polar-bear-wanna-be-humans test their endurance against the rarely-above-five-degrees of lake water. Most brave souls last only for seconds before they come out shivering and asking themselves “What in the world were we thinking of?
We definitely did not go there to swim, but we did not have enough time either to do anything except for walking around and taking pictures. There were two activities I would have loved to do – canoeing and hiking.
In the summer, one can rent a canoe from the Chateau Boathouse and paddle in the glacial waters while immersing in the alpine scenery. There are also several walking trails that originate from the Fairmont Hotel. Three are fairly easy to do in about an hour, from what I read from the sign.
The Lake Louise Shoreline Trail is a four-kilometer flat trail that goes around the lakeshore and offers a spectacular view of the water and the mountain peaks. At the very end, you get a glimpse of where the silt is being deposited by the glacier, which gives the lake its bright blue-green colour. You also have the option to climb a steep hill where you will be rewarded by magnificent views of the hotel and the runs of the ski resorts. You will also have the opportunity to walk underneath towering quartzite cliffs, and if lucky, even see some rock climbers tackle the steep rock faces.
The Fairview Lookout Trail, on the other hand, is a 45-kilometer hike that starts from the boathouse and involves a bit of climbing that eventually leads to a viewing platform.
But the most popular is the Lake Agnes Tea Trail. Though it involves a steeper climb, there are two set of wooden staircases and a waterfall view near the end. The final reward is, as you may have guessed from its name, is the opportunity to indulge in a sit-down meal or some tea with goodies at an old house overlooking another lake, Lake Agnes. The teahouse and lake were named after Lady Susan Agnes MacDonald, wife of Canadian Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. In the late 1800s, she visited this lake and fell in love with it.
Since we could not have tea at the Lake Agnes Tea House, the next best alternative was to walk a few meters to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, the famous luxury hotel that sits on the famed shores of the lake, adding some Old-World charm to the rugged Rockies.
It was originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in 1890 for discerning guests, at around the same time that its “sister hotels,” The Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec were established, all sharing their signature Scottish baronial “castle” design. Over the years, fire ravaged some sections, but they were rebuilt and renovated to its present shape.
This historic landmark hotel is lavish both from the outside to the inside. It features grand spaces with finely-crafted decorated details, well-appointed luxury suites, elegant restaurants and bars, and a relaxing spa.
There are several dining options within the hotel – an Italian restaurant with an open-concept kitchen, a formal dining room offering Canadian cuisine, a Swiss fondue restaurant perfect for those “après-ski” winding down moments, a breakfast place, a lakeview lounge, an Alpine-themed restaurant that cooks food from locally-grown produce, and a deli. We chose the lakeview lounge. We wanted some light appetizers paired with some cocktails and enjoy them while taking in the postcard perfect views of Lake Louise.
I told my travel buddies that next time, I wouldn’t mind splurging on a three-day retreat at this hotel – a luxury suite, a spa treatment (or two), sit-down meals, scenic hikes, a relaxing boat ride, a drink by the lake. It would be totally worth it. It would be a taste of my ideal retirement life – in a cozy cottage by a lake as beautiful as this, enveloped by soaring mountain peaks and majestic glaciers!
Photo Credits:
kayak.ca, Wild Water Adventures, Jackie & Sonny (Flickr), Matthew Roth (Flickr), planetware.com (Lana Law), banfflakelouise.com, alltrails.com (Stacy Pickard), nationalparkreservations.com
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