Two major international trips in one year? Say less! Warning: this post will have lots of pictures from this adventure. Scroll carefully should you wish not to spoil too much!
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August of 2022, the decision was made to take a road trip up to Banff, Canada. One way, it was a 13 hour drive. The car was packed, our suitcases were ready, Air BnB booked, and ideas for hikes were saved. I had been wanting to take this trip for over a year, but in 2021 the timing wasn’t right. For 2022? It was perfect. Thankfully, I was splitting the drive with my partner so I wasn’t doing the full stretch on my own. On the way there, we stayed a night in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Rolled into the Air BnB just in time to walk our suitcases into the room and then head out to go find some dinner.
When we entered Canada, it was not as busy as I was expecting. We were one of three vehicles in line and took us less than 30 minutes before crossing the boarder. After stopping for some lunch at Lake Side Grill, which overlooks Moyie Lake, we had just under 4 hours left in the drive before checking into our Air BnB in Canmore.
I could feel the elevation difference as we were climbing in altitude but that just meant I needed to make sure to drink more water and keep snacks on hand in case I felt light headed. The scenes along the way were breathtaking. I tend to snap quick photos from outside the car window of places I want to look up later and potentially visit, such as view points or hikes that may be interesting. We arrived to our Air BnB and migrated all of our stuff from the packed car, inside. Then, we set out to find dinner. Thankfully, our Air BnB was only about a 10 minute walk from the main stretch of Canmore so we walked to dinner in the evenings and walked to coffee shops in the mornings before setting out on our adventures. Our first full day in the area was constructed to allow us to get to know the area and go shopping for food that we would primarily make at the AirBnB.
Day 2: Lake Agnes Trail
We planned on hiking Lake Agnes Trail. I looked into recommendations on when to arrive and everyone said that the earlier the better. Even though we arrived at 8:30 am to find parking, it was already incredibly packed with people. Mainly because this trailhead is also the lookout for Lake Louise. Individuals could opt to drive into parking lots or ride a bus that shuttled between various sites in the area.
Thankfully, most of the tourists were there for pictures at Lake Louise and the trail we took was not nearly as crowded as at the trailhead. The trail was just under 5 miles out and back with a steady incline throughout the hike. The beginning portion was not too technical but got steeper as we approached the end of the trail.
The views along the way were absolutely spectacular. There were a lot of switch backs and most of the trail was incredibly exposed but being able to enjoy the view and continue to climb higher and higher was a sight to see. Layering for this hike is a must. Even though much of the trail is exposed, there are lots of sections where the trail is heavily shaded and with the thinner air due to the higher altitude, even slight winds will cool you off quickly. At one point, we encountered individuals riding the trail on horse back. The trail ends up at a Tea House where employees pack the supplies they need up the trail each and every day. It was a refreshing way to catch my breath and sit lake side enjoying a cup of tea before gathering the energy to head back down.
Since we were in the area, we decided to take a gondola ride at Lake Louise Summer Gondola. The park has a bistro at the top of the gondola ride where visitors can ride up in either an enclosed gondola or in a chair lift to enjoy the views of the park. We chose to ride up in the gondola, which got warm very quickly for the 10-15 minute travel up, and the chairlift down.
The restaurant offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains. The food was delicious and the drinks were even better. Since it was mostly outdoor seating, the environment was quiet which allowed us to enjoy our meal and the setting. If you look closely, you can see Lake Louise nested at the base of the mountains.
Hot Springs
We decided to finish off our action packed day with a soak in a hot spring. Thankfully, Banff Upper Hot Springs was on our way back to Canmore so we stopped in for a soak. It was quite crowded but worth the stop. This concluded our day and we headed back to the AirBnB to bring in our gear from the day before heading out into Canmore for dinner.
Day 3: Lake Minnewanka
If you are traveling to Banff you may see and hear people recommending kayaking/canoeing on Lake Louise, which is definitely an option. After seeing how crowded and busy the lake was yesterday during our hike, we decided to look up alternatives for canoe rentals and found Lake Minnewanka. We rented a canoe for an hour and set out onto the lake. There is a tiny island on the lake that individuals can adventure to, named Rocky Island. We spent our time enjoying the glacial clear water, gentle rocking of our canoe, and clear blue skies before heading back to the dock. This would be our final full day in the park before making the 13 hour drive back home.
Traveling Home
As I’ve mentioned before, I tend to take pictures of potential hikes in the area or key scenic sites that I want to look into later. One of the locations I saw on our drive into the National Park was an area called Paint Pots located in Kootenay National Park. Thankfully it was on our route leaving the park so we pulled over after a couple hours of driving and decided to check it out. The hike itself was about 1.3 miles out and back and on easy terrain.
After traveling over a bridge that allowed us to cross the river, we continued on the path to the Paint Pots. The trail ran parallel to pockets of rich ochre clay adding vibrant colors to the landscape. Some areas of the trail are more wet than others. One section is especially soggy that there are planks of wood that you must walk on to cross, unless you want to get your shoes soiled with the terrain. Along the way, there are equipment pieces still on the trail where early settlers used to mine the area.
Those not wishing to explore farther, end the trail at the largest of the two pots, formed by natural hot springs and a mixture of the minerals in the soil.
Now, it was time to set back onto the road and continue on to where we would be spending the night in Spokane, Washington before returning home.
Overview
Although we spent four days driving and only three days exploring the park, it was an experience I wouldn’t change for anything. Late September/early October was a great time to be able to go to avoid the hotter Summer season but sneak in before the Winter arrived in Canada.
If you want to see more of the photos that I captured that may not have made it into this post, check it out here.
Thank you for joining me on this adventure and until next time, Adventure Awaits!
