Over-the-top-beauty or...

Banff National Park

First project after a slow start was to see Lake Louise – a must on anyone’s trip through the Canadian Rockies and one of the main reasons for our prolonging the Alaskan Cruise to take in Banff and Jasper in Canada before flying to our respective homes.

Weather was closed in and rainy as we arrived – totally unprepared of course. I happened to mention ponchos, which reminded my brother that he had a couple of throw-away ones in his pocket so well-armed against the weather with two one-use plastic ponchos and one umbrella for the three of us – off we went.

The weather steadily improved so I just had to hike to the end of the lake (1.1 km) where I took a few pictures including one of a very pesky squirrel and picked up a few more rocks.

Upon our return we needed lunch: In the Fairmont Château there was a lovely restaurant with views and an adequate menu so we reserved a table (half hour wait). Meanwhile we also checked the deli and it wasn’t anything so in the end, being hungrier than the waiting time, we went down to the Saloon. Good choice as we got Portobello mushroom burgers with sweet potato fries – and all loved our meal. No need for the view as we had hiked it.

Declined desert but waited for the Occitane store to re-open. Once in, I discovered that they contribute to the well-being of women in Burkina Faso (who provide the shea nuts for shea butter, only picking those that have fallen on the ground). Took photos of the explanations in the hope that I can find out more especially about the French man who started it as my older son’s Master’s project was in Burkina Faso and I currently am godmother to two girls studying there through a lovely Swiss association: Kaicedra.

From the top of Lake Louise looking back towards the Fairmont Chateau Hotel

End of Lake Louise

Lake Louise as seen from the Fairmont Chateau

The Fairmont Chateau

Returning in the direction of our hotel we first went to Johnston Canyon (and hiked to the Lower Falls) then pulled out overlooking the Vermillion Lakes, a riparian wetlands, and an area that has been returned to its natural state and one of my favorite mountains - Rundle a very sharp slate one that I loved– and yet another cheeky squirrel.

Johnston Canyon

Vermillion Lakes - Banff, Canada's first national park - 1885

Vermillion Lakes

Mount Rundle - a classic thrust fault mountains

Believe it or not we even needed dinner and upon our return to Banff we ate at the Balkan (Greek) and had a fabulous meal.

A long, but over-the-top beautiful day jam-packed with scenery, mountains, rivers, lakes and pesky squirrels.

National Parks galore…

Salmon Arm to Canmore, Canada

We had breakfast at the hotel in Salmon Arm for its facility, although when we realized what the costs were going to be… and given the lack of depth to the breakfast as pretty as it was – we could have perhaps chosen better as we were facing a 400 km. drive.

my yogurt parfait at the Café Tasse of the Prestige Hotel in Salmon Arm

 Finally another rainy day (we had so few that they were noteworthy!) – not necessarily a bad thing whilst on the road. 

 

typical weather on the road that day

A lunch stop at yet again the chain Boston Pizza where, par for the course, there were more billing errors. We did so many because they had food to suit all three of us, were quick, were reasonable and above all – in my book – had free wi-fi, but every single one made some kind of error. Their staff has serious financial challenges!

On our way to Canmore and our hotel for three nights, we passed rivers, waterfalls, glaciers and more beautiful scenery than even I could take photos of. A couple of stops – one to get the National Park Pass – one to check out a tunnel built in a circle underneath the mountains to compensate for the sharp rise in elevation: of course there were Swiss consultants.

typical mountains in the area through which we drove

along several rivers

water falls were common

as were glaciers although we would see many more

Map of the Kicking Horse River with the spiral tunnel in the upper right.

 Arrived at our lovely accommodations in Canmore: a three-bedroom suite located not far from the freeway exit and on the outskirts of Canmore so quiet. Life here was good.

Residence Complex across from ours: The Stoneridge Mountain Lodge

Our kitchen and living room

 

Back to Canada

The trip is mainly just memories, but I never finished the blogs – rather ended when we disembarked in Vancouver from our Cruise.  However, from there we went on to enjoy another few wonderful days in the Eastern part of Canada and finally having some down time here in the mountains I thought that I would finish what I started almost two months ago.

So, back to Canada. After disembarking the ship we needed to get to the airport to pick up our rental car – long wait so that when we finally arrived two things were urgent: coffee and restrooms. After changing rental companies and trying to stuff all our luggage into a car where the rear was too tight, one of the agents took pity on us and all of a sudden we were driving away in a brand new Nissan. In the exchange of information we discovered that his parents have a flat in – of all places – Grindelwald!

It was noon by the time we were leaving town, but we eventually found a restaurant with wi-fi and I was able to post blogs and pick up e-mails. We actually even got most of the meal for free as they had left some cheese in K’s salad and she is allergic!

Then we were on the road, headed East with no idea of the night’s stopping place. We chose to take the spur to Lake Okanogan and enjoyed gorgeous lakes, rivers and farms along the way. After duly consulting the GPS and K’s phone we ended up in the Prestige Hotel on Lake Shuswap in Salmon Arm. A gorgeous sunset and a fine night.

Lake district - probably the Coquihalla lake

One of the beautiful strings of lakes known as the Okanagan

Canadian geese - in Canada!

Sunset from the Prestige Hotel in Salmon Arm, Shuswap Lake

Docked where I can touch the trees

It is very weird to wake up, look out one’s window (these are true windows and even if I have an “obstructed view”: read – a lifeboat in front of my nose – it is a full-sized window and not just a porthole) and see trees close enough to touch! We had arrived in Skagway, docking before anyone was awake to see it.

We had rented a car for the day, but the first thing we noticed on our way into town was that the busses had double license plates: American and Canadian. They travel across the border so often that they need to have both. The second thing were the painted and inscribed rocks along the cliff where we were docked – we never did find out the why’s for this, but most seemed to be dedicated to captains and perhaps it was simply more visible this way, as well as being more durable, because although we are enjoying a spate of good weather, this is definitely not the case normally. Another thing I finally took a picture of was of one of the numerous espresso huts. Starbucks has made its' way everywhere, but the Alaskans still have their huts around most corners: walk up, order and take away - no room for sitting.

Dock in Skagway

double license plates

rock inscriptions

espresso hut - with gifts

At the beginning we had thought that Whitehorse was an easy destination of about 65 miles, but we found throughout the day that nothing was as it seemed and that every bit of information gleaned from phones, maps and road signs was conflicting! Of course the problem of having miles on one side and kilometres on the other didn’t help, nor did the changing from Alaska time to Pacific Standard time: another day and we would have been so confused that we would have attempted nothing!

As it was we headed for Whitehorse over the summit on the South Klondike Highway, stopping in every turn out existing. The terrain was high altitude although the summit was only 2’865 feet (873 m). The history of the building of the wagon trail, the railroad (funded by British backers Michael Heney using 35’000 workers – finished it in 26 months!) and the road is a saga.

Train tracks on the opposite side

Trestle bridge for the train

 We crossed into Canada and were for a bit in BC (British Columbia) before entering the Yukon territory: along the way water falls too numerous to count and – for want of a better description – alpine lakes by the hundreds of all sizes and mostly deep blue as well as granite mountains.

One of hundreds of waterfalls

One of hundreds of alpine lakes, each one prettier than the last

Peaks playing with the clouds

Lake Tutshi

Windy Arm

Windy arm

Bove Island

We stopped in Carcross, which was originally called Caribou Crossing due to the immense herds of caribou: there we visited the train station, discovered the totems of Keish – a native to Carcross – as well as the world’s smallest “desert” an area of sand dunes caused by the find grinding of glacial rocks then continued on to Emerald Lake – one of the world’s most beautiful as due to silt, the sun and various other elements it has rainbow colors that my photos couldn’t capture in their entirety.

 

Carcross and the only caribou we saw.

Train bridge at Carcross with the White Pass & Yukon train.

Abandoned structures disintegrate quickly

One of many Keisha Totems

The world's smallest desert

Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake

We traveled on to Whitehorse – a name attributed to this city as the natives thought that the rapids just out of town resembled a white horse’s mane: the rapids no longer exist having been turned into a source of energy. There we had a quick lunch and picked up e-mails (I had been off-line for 72 hours at that point – unheard of!) before heading back.

On the way we stumbled across a bear right at the side of the road: as he was young and intent on eating the grass we rolled down our windows and this photo was taken about 3 feet from him!

about a meter (yard) from our car!

After turning in the car we walked back to our cruise ship and watching them cast off (a process in itself) before leaving Skagway and returning back down the Lynn canal.

Truly a memorable drive and day: oh, did I mention – the thermometer hit 80°F (27°C) in Whitehorse!

The Lynn Canal

Leaving Skagway