I have not been to Banff, Canada for over 40 years. Whenever the subject came up I always chimed in with my memory-one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I really can only say that based on personal experience – having not been most places on the planet. Back to the point, Banff and the surrounding area is just as memorable as my last visit. Overlooking the Bow River, which flows from the Glacier, the town of Banff is home to a unique geological structure – Hoodoos. “A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos, which can range from 4.9 to 147.6 feet typically consist of harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements.” You may also know this formation seen elsewhere as a tent rock, fairy chimney or earth pyramid. Karen and Deb are not fairies but it depends on your definition of a “hoodoo”. I highly recommend a trip to Banff and the surrounding areas, stunning scenery, many international students working in the local retail and service sectors, world travelers and very nice Canadian people.
Lake Louise is a popular destination. The lake is glacial water green and surrounded by steep mountains and glaciers. I would liken it to Redfish Lake in Idaho with the backdrop on a grander scale. We decided to hike to Lake Agnes, a moderate 4.7 mike hike that climbs 1300 vertical feet. This hike is not for the faint of heart. The reward is a beautiful high mountain lake with a Tea House. I am told they specialize in Chocolate cake, I will never know because they were so busy we had to head back down the mountain before we got a place to sit. One of my fellow “hoodoos” called the experience a “death march”. It is only one perspective and as the day progressed we all agreed the hike was a must do. The history makes the trek more meaningful. In 1890, four years after the transcontinental railroad started to deliver passengers to the Rockies and Canada’s first National Park, the chalet was built at Lake Louise. The Stoney Indians began the arduous task of cutting a trail to Lake Agnes and the first tea house was built at the lake in the early 1900’s by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The Indians called it the Lake in the Clouds but in 1890 Agnes Knox, became the first white woman to hike the trail and subsequently Agnes McDonald, the wife of the then Prime Minister, was promised the Lake would be named in her honor. It was fortuitous that both women carried the same name. Take a hike, it was worth the effort.
Enjoy the week end. Mike