Oh Canada!

Oh Canada!

After Glacier National Park, Nick and I drove up to Banff, Canada to explore the National Park. Here's a break down of our trip day by day!
Day 1: 
O Canada!! Our home and native land! Ok ok yes I know I’m American but OMG Canada! I can see why people live here now! I actually cried when I came into your country it’s so beautiful!

The first hike we had planned was recommended to us from one of our customers back in Utah! It was actually the only one I had saved and then we figured out the rest as we went. It’s the Tea Houses trail at Lake Louise in Banff NP.

This area is very popular so you have two options, either get to the trailhead super early (6:30 am or sooner) for parking or you have to take a shuttle from Lake Louise Ski Resort. We got up super early and got ourselves a parking spot. You still have to pay for either one but we were glad we got a spot so we didn’t have to worry about catching shuttles and could take our time.

You first walk up to the beautiful Lake Louise which is a bright teal color with huge mountain sides surrounding it. Lots of people just come here and take photos but if you continue to walk to the right of the lake it will eventually lead you onto some amazing hiking trails.

The tea houses trail is a loop trail that took us 11 miles and just over 3,000 elevation gain. It passes 3 lakes, goes to 2 tea houses, passes a couple of glaciers, tons of wildflowers and wildlife, waterfalls and streams, and honestly just takes your breath away the whole time. It’s views after views after views! 

Just some side notes, the tea houses were built to serve as rest houses and stops for hikers and hotel guests back in the 20th century. They look like little Swiss homes too! Also, if you’re wondering why the lake looks milky or cloudy it’s because the glaciers press down onto the limestone and make silt that essentially then comes down off the mountain side into the lake. Boom just some little fun facts!

Today, you can still get tea and treats at the tea houses as you hike through the area. It’s so cute and charming! I am so glad our customer referred us to this trail because I would recommend it to anyone visiting Banff NP!

Day 2:
This time we’re off to Moraine lake and Sentinel pass trail!

To get to Moraine lake you do have to take a shuttle since the park is strict on how many people can be up there at a certain time. It got overly crowded so they made it mandatory to take a shuttle there now. You can get tickets at Lake Louise Ski Resort and the shuttles I believe were every 15-30 min. (Note: They are a bit pricey but again this lake is so worth it in my opinion and this trail was ah-mazing)

We got on our shuttle, our driver was so sweet and told us some fun facts along the way and then we arrived at Moraine lake! This lake has been on my bucket list for years so I was so excited to finally witness it in person.

We decided to do the sentinel pass trail first and then explore the lake after. Here again the trail starts to the right of the lake and has a pretty steep incline the first mile or so. The trail goes through a very wooded section, and then opens up to a meadow where you can see the 10 peaks surrounding the area, the trail then goes up to 2 lakes and then boom the wall! You can see the trail’s switchbacks up to the pass and yes it’s a bit intimidating but you know it’s going to have some of the most stunning views up there. We made it up to the pass and you could see down into both valleys just full of mountain tops, lake views, lots of rocks and boulder terrain, and you honestly just feel like a little ant in the Rockies. We made a little chip monk friend up there and sat up there for awhile enjoying the views and having a snack.

On our way down, we saw a path that went to a waterfall so we stopped there for a bit. We made it back down to Moraine lake and walked around to see the lake in its full extent. There is a path that runs along the side of it so we tagged that on to our hike. It was definitely a bit more crowded by this time but since the sun was more up you could really see the colors of the lake better and the mountain sides w/glaciers.

People take red canoes out here on Lake Louise so you can do that as an extra bonus. The sentinel pass and lake moraine hike ended up being around 10 miles and just over 3100 elevation.

Day 3:
​Last full day in Canada! By this time we had already done over 40 miles hiking on this trip (Glacier included) so we decided to do an “easier” hike for our last day.

It was a very rainy and moody morning hike and both Nick and I could tell our bodies were pretty worn out but we got up and headed to Johnston Canyon. This trail is off the old Banff NP road and is a really beautiful drive through the park.

We got to the trailhead around 7 am and actually had tons of parking available which was great! The trail is paved for a good portion of it but really it’s because they had to build the trail through this massive canyon so it was pretty cool to be kinda dangling off the canyon walls while viewing all these waterfalls. It was a really fun traverse!

You hike past multiple waterfalls, huge canyon walls, forest vegetation, teal blue water, and of course the canyon river. After the last waterfall the trail turns and you go onto an actual hiking trail for another 1.5-2 miles to the ink pots!

What’s an ink pot you ask?! An ink pot is a cold, colorful, small pool that forms in certain valleys. They also bubble, and form from mineral water that seep up through the ground! They were super active when we saw them and kept bubbling a lot. The colors reminded me of the geysers you see in Yellowstone. So colorful!

The ink pots were in this amazing valley that just opened up to towering mountain sides, large river, and fields of rich forest vegetation. It was fun to walk around and take in all the views.

This trail ended up being around 9 miles out and back and 2200 elevation gain. Ok so maybe not the easiest but it felt easier compared to the other hikes we did that week!

When we were hiking back a lot more people had come into the canyon so it does get a bit crowded but it mostly just by the waterfalls. It was a great one again and a great one to cap the trip off. Canada will always be in my heart now, and I honestly can’t wait to come back again. You’re one amazing neighbor! Xoxo Kimmy

*To see photos from our trip head to my Instagram page @getlostoutdoors2023*