Canadian Rockies

After Waterton Lakes, we drove through the rain to the Town of Banff.  Banff National Park was the first national park in Canada, and the town is in the center of it all.  It is also a prime ski area in the winter.  Our home for the next two nights is the Mountain Home B&B, just two blocks from Banff Avenue -- the main shopping/restaurant thoroughfare.

Lake Louise

Unfortunately, the weather has turned cool and with off and on rain.  Highs are only in the low 50s.  There is very low cloud cover which makes seeing the mountains, especially the tops, impossible.  There is a mountain at the end of Banff Avenue that we never did see in the three days we were in Banff.

While the Town caters to tourists, it has lovely "mountain chalet" architecture along the main street and a lively vibe.  It also has a lot of fantastic hikes, lakes, and waterfalls within an easy drive.  One of the nearby areas that people tend to visit is Lake Louise.  The Town of Jasper is about 3 hours or so up Route 93, also referred to as the Icefields Parkway.  The area stretching between Banff and Jasper is the heart of the Canadian Rockies and probably the most visited.  Banff National Park and Jasper National Park are both located here.

Moraine Lake -- perhaps the best view we experienced

Because of all the rain in Banff, we drove north and west to Lake Louise and drove a portion of the Icefields Parkway up to Bow Summit.  Fortunately, we drove past the rain and the sun even popped out for a bit.  We still had a lot of low cloud cover, which obscured a lot of the mountain tops.  However, we were still treated to a lot of spectacular scenery.

Probably the most scenic view we saw was of Moraine Lake near Lake Louise.  The view here is so iconic in Canada, that for many years it graced the reverse side of the Canadian twenty dollar bill.  The lakes and rivers in this part of Canada often have a deep cobalt blue appearance.  This is due to the sediment in the lake and how it tends to refract sunlight bringing out the blues and greens.  The water itself is not actually blue.

Peyto Lake

We had a great day driving and taking short hikes to take in the views.  The weather held up and the sun popped out.  As we drove back to Banff, the rain returned, but we didn't mind a bit.  

Waterton Lakes

After our stay in Glacier, we left Montana to finish our travels in Canada.  We're spending the rest of our time in the Canadian Rockies.  Our first stop was Waterton Lakes National Park which borders Glacier National Park.  The two parks make up the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park.  Canada and the United States designated these parks as a joint peace park in 1932 to commemorate the long standing relationship between the two nations.

The Town of Waterton lies wholly within the park.  It has one small main street with several shops and restaurants.  The other iconic feature is the Prince of Wales Hotel which sits on a bluff overlooking the lakes.  This hotel was also built by the railroad as was the Many Glacier Hotel.

The view from the top of Bear Hump Trail

We hiked the Bear Hump trail in order to get a sweeping view of the lakes and the town.  It was a short hike, but very steep.  We were up and down in under an hour, but the view was well worth the hike.  We also spotted another bear -- a black bear out for a stroll across the field.  We only had a few hours here before we had to leave in order to drive to Banff, our home for the next two nights.

Lots of Wildlife

We've been very fortunate during this trip to see a variety of wildlife.  We spent a few hours at the national bison range between Missoula and Kalispell where we saw bison, deer, and a golden eagle.  In addition to bear and moose, we've seen mountain goats, big horn sheep, marmots and pika inside the national park.  Most of these animals only live in these mountain environments so it's been a real treat to be able to see them.

Bison

Big Horn Sheep

Pika

Marmot

Many Glacier

On our last day in Glacier, we said goodbye to our apartment in Kalispell and drove the entire length of the Going to the Sun Road over to the east side of the park to the area known as Many Glacier.  We were able to stay one night at the historic Many Glacier Hotel inside the park right on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake.  This lodge was originally built in 1915 by the Great Northern Railway Company. It has a large four story lobby with giant wooden timbers and hallways that overlook the lobby.  Our room has a balcony we share with the adjacent room that looks out right over the lake and the mountains.   Unfortunately we were only able to stay one night, but this is definitely the place to stay when on this side of the park.

There are two places to stay inside the park in the Many Glacier area -- the Many Glacier Hotel and the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn.  It was down the road from the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn that the trailhead starts where we were able to see the moose.  For all the ambiance and charm of the Many Glacier Hotel, the dining is apparently not very good.  We saw the reviews on TripAdvisor that weren't all that positive.  Our neighbors that shared the balcony with us confirmed it.  Fortunately for us, there's a pizza/Italian place at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn.  The TripAdvisor reviews were favorable and we got a pizza to go and ate on our balcony while watching the sunset.  A much better ending to our day than eating in the hotel dining room.

The view from our balcony

Moose Part 2

We don't normally shoot video when we travel.  I've always preferred photography.  However, I couldn't pass this opportunity up.  We watched this guy and his friends for about 30 minutes.  This was taken at Fisher Cap Lake in the Many Glacier area at Glacier National Park.

Moose

This is why we love coming to the National Parks.  You get to experience nature and wildlife where they are.  You can't recreate the setting or the timing.  Generally, you will always get to see the incredible views.  And if you're lucky, you'll get to spend some time with some of God's magnificent creatures.

We found these moose at Fisher Cap Lake along the Swiftcurrent Trail.

The Highline Trail

Today was the day.  After checking out hike possibilities and on the recommendation of my friend Linette, we decided before we left that we would hike the Highline Trail from Logan Pass, up the spur to the Continental Divide overlooking Grinnell Glacier, past the Granite Chalet and down to the Loop.  A total of 13.5 miles.  More than we've ever hiked at one time.  It kicked my butt, but

what a great day.  The weather was gorgeous and the views spectacular.  You couldn't have asked for anything better.

One key we learned was to park our car at the Loop and ride the free shuttle up to Logan Pass.  The shuttles are crowded and the parking limited, so it's important to get their early.  We timed it so we would be ready for the first shuttle to stop at the Loop.  We got the last two seats.

The Highline Trail hugs what is referred to as the Garden Wall which is the separator for the Continental Divide in this section of the park.  You start off perched high above the Going to the Sun Road hugging a cliff with no guardrail to keep you from falling off.  It was maybe 4 to 5 feet wide in most places, narrower in others.  From there the trail kept hugging the side of the mountain as you

twisted and turned your way through lodgepole pine, rocky outcrops, and meadows.  The views were amazing.  We saw mountain goats, big horn sheep, and marmots as we hiked along.

The spur trail up to the Continental Divide was about 6.5 miles into our hike -- gaining over 1000 feet in elevation in less than a mile.  To call it steep would be an understatement.  This was the most brutal part of the hike.  We stopped frequently going up to catch our breath, and when we finally made it to the top the view was

definitely worth it.  You could see not only the backside of Grinnell Glacier, but also three other mountain lakes through the valley all the way to Swiftcurrent Lake on the eastern side of the park.  The hike down was easier but you had to keep yourself from running.

The last four miles from the chalet to the Loop was downhill through a wooded area that was devastated by a forest fire about 10 years ago.  The remnants of all the trees look like really tall toothpicks sticking up but the the area has filled in with lush underbrush and new trees are sprouting and are about 5 or 6 feet tall now.  A very different ecosystem to hike through -- not nearly as picturesque but interesting nonetheless.

By the time we made it back to the car, we were hot, very sore, and very tired.  The one saving grace -- having booked a massage that morning.   Knowing a massage was waiting for us made the hour ride back to the apartment much more enjoyable.  Definitely a great way to end our day.

Lakes and Waterfalls

On the Avalanche Lake Trail

Our first two days in the park have been exploring and getting the lay of the land.  We've driven most of the Going to the Sun Road, and will drive the entire length on Tuesday when we switch over to the eastern side of the park.  The weather has been up and down.  We ended up driving through thick fog for a couple of miles around Logan Pass and you couldn't see past the edge of the road.  So much for the scenery.

Avalanche Lake

We've hiked about 8 miles so far -- up to Avalanche Lake and to see St. Mary's and Virginia waterfalls.  These are two very popular hikes in the park.  The Avalanche Lake trail takes you through  the woods with lots of western red cedars.  The final part of the trail almost seemed tropical with large leafy plants,  a narrow trail, and fewer trees.  However, the reveal was worth it.  Unfortunately, the rain caught us for the entire two miles back to the trailhead.

St. Mary's Falls

We had great weather for our waterfall hikes.  The trail is posted as a common area for grizzly bears.  Considering all of the huckleberry bushes along the trail, I can see why.  We didn't encounter any bears which is not surprising considering the number of people hiking the trails.  St. Mary's Falls is a cascades fall, while Virginia Falls is more of a typical waterfall.  Both were very nice, with crystal clear water and picturesque views.  

Virginia Falls

We're gearing up for our big 13.5 mile hike tomorrow on the Highline Trail and the Garden Wall Trail up to the Continental Divide.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll have another great hike.

It's a Bear, It's a Bear, It's a Bear!

 

Bears are taken very seriously at Glacier National Park.   There are numerous warnings about bears in the park information and you absolutely should carry bear spray with you.  While bears are not likely to bother you, you should still take sensible precautions while hiking.  You don't want to come across an unsuspecting bear, especially a mama and her cubs.

Before we left, we somewhat joked about what we would do if we came across a bear.  I told Mona, I wasn't worried.  I only had to run faster than her -- which I can :).  While we love encountering animals and nature, self-preservation is certainly rule #1.  We bought our bear spray knowing the likelihood of encountering a bear was very slim.

Imagine our surprise to encounter a mama black bear and her two cubs.  They we feasting on huckleberries next to the Going to Sun Road which traverses the park.  We were able to get our of the car and watch them eat from a safe distance.  The mama bear was so into eating I'm not entirely sure she paid any attention to the 10 of us or so who had gathered to watch.   We've sampled the huckleberry since we've been here and it's very tasty -- tastier than we are to the bear I'm sure.

Almost Halfway

So we're on a lifelong quest to visit all 50 states and all 50 state capitals.  Our first stop in Montana was to visit the Capitol in Helena.  This makes the 24th state capital and capitol building we have visited.  Because we're still on Eastern time, we were up way too early.  Fortunately, the Capitol opens at 7:00am so it was just us and the people that work there.  Since it's summer time, the legislature is not in session so we could just take our time and roam through the building.  Most of the capitols we've visited have such great architecture and Montana's was no exception.  We've seen about half of the capitols in 20 years, so perhaps we will finish by the time we reach our 40th anniversary.

You Can't Get There From Here

So we're on the way to Montana -- 20th anniversary trip to go hiking in Glacier National Park.  We're using frequent flyer miles on American to get here.  The only catch?  American doesn't fly to any of the airports in Montana.  The closest place for us to fly -- Calgary.  Canada.  

Actually it's not that bad.  Glacier is only 3 hours or so from Calgary.  Plus we've added Banff and Lake Louise to our itinerary so we'll get to see the Canadian Rockies as well.  All in all, not a bad problem to have.