I have to let you in on a little secret. Even though the breathtaking Lake Louise is only a two-hour drive away I can count on one hand how many times I have been there.
There’s just not enough time to explore all the epic places in Alberta and British Columbia. Not enough time.
However lately I have been seeing so many photos of Lake Louise on my social feeds that it has compelled me to get out and explore the area. So I took last Friday off (to get parking) and do a little sight seeing coupled with some running.
I mapped out a 20-kilometre run/walk starting from the Fairmount Chateau Lake Louise. The parking lot was half empty when I arrived around 8:30 a.m. Still there were small groups of people taking photos in front of the lake and others heading on the trails leading to Lake Anges and the beehives.
Plain of Six Glaciers
I followed the Lakeshore Trail to the Pain of Six Glaciers. The trail around the lake was flat. There was some minor elevation but nothing like what I have been doing over the last few weeks.
I didn’t see many people on my way up to the glacier. That was fine with me because the trail is narrow in parts. I found a pair of expensive sunglasses on the trail. After some thought I picked them up with the plan to leave them at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse.
I asked everyone I passed. No one lost sunglasses. Just when I was about to give up, I reached the teahouse where a couple were looking longingly at the teahouse. A man tells me they only accept cash and they didn’t have any on them. Sadly I didn’t have any either. But it was a beautiful moment when I asked the woman if she lost her sunglasses.
She didn’t realize she lost them. Happy day. Smiles all around.
After few minutes of small talk, I bid the couple a good day and I continued to the Plain of the Six Glaciers hike/Abbots Pass viewpoint. I wanted to keep moving because it was getting a little chilly.
Fortunately there was a lone person at the viewpoint when I arrived. Photo tip: Take all the scenic pics you want with your iPhone but if you do not have a person or a focal point your photos will not stand out. When I reached the man, whose name I learned was James, I airdropped the photo to him. Then I offered to take a few photos for him.
Big Beehive
From the Plain of Six Glaciers, I turned around to find my way to the highline trail that would take me to the Big Beehive. (The Beehive mountain is called beehive because it looks like a giant beehive.) I chatted with James from Golden for a few minutes before we went our separate ways.
The highline trail had some height to it and I welcomed the elevation. I needed to warm up and the quickest way to do this is climbing. I crossed paths with four horses and riders. There was horse poop every where so I had no doubt I would run into the four legged beasts at some point.
The path to the shelter was painted orange with the fallen Larch needles. Looking down into the valley there was still plenty of orange amongst the greenery.
All the people were hanging out at various spots at the Big Beehive lookout point. I came across a handful of “photo shoots” on rocks and unobstructed viewing points of Lake Louise below.
I didn’t linger as the light snow flurries promised colder temperatures.
Lake Agnes
I contemplated heading over to Devil’s Thumb but I wasn’t in the mood for all the crowds. By now there were more and more people on the trail. In fact a couple of people asked for directions to the trailhead.
I decided to head down around Lake Agnes from the Big Beehive.
In its solitary beauty, Lake Anges is truly magnificent. The lone larch tree added to the quiet calm of the lake At the far end you could see the teahouse on the eastern shore where there were dozens of people hanging out.
A quick picture at the teahouse and a pit stop at the washroom, I headed up to the Little Beehive, about a kilometre from the teahouse.
Little Beehive
The climb up to the final “sight” was short and sweet. There were a handful of people at the viewpoint. I chatted with three women who were visiting from Ontario and British Columbia.
They were staying in Canmore until Tuesday so I offered some ideas for hiking trips. I felt like I was doing my part in being a good ambassador for the province.
Once the women left, I had the “summit” all to myself. I ate a couple of fig bars and drained the rest of my water. I ran all the way back to Lake Louise with a short stop at Mirror Lake for a photo. I love running past people who usually say “good job” or are amazed at my speed. (Just kidding usually they are just confused about why I am running. It’s not uncommon to hear comments like “I thought someone was chasing you.”)
It was a good day. But then again, there’s no such thing as a bad day in the mountains.
Have you ever been to Lake Louise? What is the one place in Canada you would love to visit? What’s on your bucket list? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.