From Lake Louise, we followed the Moraine Lake Road to reach the Valley of the Ten Peaks. As you can tell from its name, it is a valley crowned by ten mountains. It also contains Moraine Lake, another glacially-fed lake that has a surface are of 50 hectares.
Once upon a time, this valley was secluded and was known only to the Stoney First Nations people who consider this a part of their original homeland. An early explorer of the region, Samuel Allen, chanced upon them (because his guides were Stoney peoples) and named the peaks numerically after the native language words for the numbers one to ten (Heejee, Num, Yamnee, Tonsa, Sapta, Shappee, Shagowa, Shakhnowa, Neptuak, and Wenkchemna). Some of them retained these names, but most have been renamed after noteworthy individuals, including Allen himself (Fay, Little, Bowlen, Perren, Tuzo, Allen, and Deltaform). Aside from these main peaks, there are several others that are visible from within the valley as well.
Most people considered this to be the most stunning and the best section of the Canadian Rockies. Judging from the huge crowds and the full parking lots, we did not doubt it. We also later learned that the scenery from here has been immortalized at the back of the 1969 and 1979 issues of the Canadian twenty-dollar bill. It has also been widely used as the background picture and wallpaper for several phone apps, website homepages, and video games.
Seeing it in person is a lot better. Though the photos, even the professional ones are able to capture the vivid colours on print - the sparkling turquoise waters of the lake, the snowcapped mountains, the alpine greenery, and the bright blue skies with floating fluffy clouds – no amount of equipment and technology can quite grasp what one can see with the naked eyes. When you are there, somehow, everything is more alive, as if the raw energy of these natural wonders is transmitted to your very core. The colours appear more distinct and the details are more obvious, especially the reflection of the peaks in the water and the play of lights that subtly changes as the sunlight also changes throughout the day. It is simply mesmerizing!
The lake’s name, like that of the valley, speaks for itself. Near the lake is a geologic feature known as a moraine, which refers to a deposit of earth and stones carried by a glacier, in this case, the Wenkchemma Glacier. They say that the best time to see the lake is between the months of June and July when the waters are at its bluest. This is when the lake reaches its crest after the first heavy meltwater of the year. One has to keep in mind that due to the elevation, this area has long winters and the waters are frozen for almost half the year.
As I stared at the scene in front of me, I told my travel mates that I couldn’t quite make up my mind as to which lake was more beautiful – Lake Louise, which we saw earlier, or this. They both have the most captivating iridescent blue colour, courtesy of their glacial origins, and they are both surrounded by majestic mountains. But Lake Louise is bigger and has a glacier in its backdrop. Moraine Lake, on the other hand, has ten jagged peaks in the background. And without a modern structure in site (like the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise), it possesses a more naturally raw allure. I still couldn’t decide.
Aside from enjoying the view, it seems that the most popular activity over there is canoeing. One can rent a boat and paddle the entire length of the lake. In fact, on the day that we were there, it was hard to photograph the lake in its all its pristine and unadulterated beauty. I had to wait for the right moment to make sure I don’t get any paddlers in the picture.
Another popular activity is hiking. There are at least five trails available for short hikes for those who do not intend a full plunge into the wilderness. There is the Rockpile Trail, popular among day visitors, which starts from the parking lot and ends in the viewing platform where one can have the best view of the lake and the mountains. Another is the Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail, which is an easy stroll along the lakeshore. Then there’s the steep Larch Valley Trail, named after the large trees that grow along the path. This trail is best taken in autumn when the trees turn into a colourful palette of reds, oranges, and yellows. This trail also leads to more trails that take you to higher peaks.
For a walk along a predominantly flat path, it is recommended to take the Consolation Lake Trail that leads you to, as you might have guessed, another beautiful lake. If one wishes a bit of challenge, one can try the Tower of Babel Trail that leads uphill on scree (a mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain). This is for more adventurous and physically fit hikers as this requires more effort and endurance. However, one will be rewarded with a sweeping view of both the lake and the valley at the very top.
We did a pseudo-hike, that is, a bit of clambering up the rock piles and a bit of walking along the lakeshore. If I remember it correctly, all three of us were wearing slippers…not exactly the perfect footwear for hiking. Nevertheless, we had a grand time.
The bonus was our encounter with some native wildlife up close – ground squirrels, chipmunks, pikas, birds – that all seem to be quite comfortable with the crowd of humans around them. We did not spot any grizzlies, though, which was quite fine, considering that we wouldn’t be able to run away for our dear lives if we had ever seen one.
Next time, bring hiking boots…or at least wear runners, not slippers, we told each other.
Photo Credits:
Paul Zizka, banffandbeyond.com, Shelley Danielle, wpmegamenu.com, Anne Boulerice, Shontel Kivlehan, Marie-Josee Alary, Brittany M. Thiessen, Ann Wynd, ramblers.ab.ca, pc.gc.ca
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