Driving into Banff is like being transported into a snow globe. The gentle snow coming down and the grandness of the mountains around the small town of Banff will be engrained in my memory forever. Getting to Banff is a pretty easy exercise. Calgary is the closest main centre to the national park, only taking 1.5 hours to drive from the airport to the park perimeter itself. All you need is snacks, a great soundtrack…and GPS.
Banff township is very much what you would expect. A small little town with a mix of outdoor shops, bars and restaurants that comes alive in the evenings. Nightfall invites everyone down off the mountains and surrounding lakes to enjoy the social aspect of the town. I found it to be the perfect base point for what I needed. Heading to the info centre is a great first is a good first port of call to get your bearings and check out all the best hiking trails, as well as points of interest within the park itself.
There are so many trails to do, that you will be spoilt for choice. All the ones I did were a maximum of 40 minutes drive away from the township. My first full day, I think I may have been a tad too ambitious walking Johnson canyon in the morning and climbing to Castle mountain lookout in the afternoon. By the time I reached to top of the mountain, I felt like I was in a snow storm. The snow was coming down sharply over the top edge of the mountain range and heavily onto the side of the lookout point. It was freezing, but I loved every second.
Within the town area, Marsh Loop and Bow Falls are easy trail options to explore. A good viewpoint is from Surprise Corner. It looks over towards valley view showing off the impressive fairmont hotel with sulphur mountain behind in the distance. For a trail looking directly down over the city, Tunnel Mountain is also a good option. Its pretty straightforward and doesn’t take too long to complete either.
For something a little more challenging, look no further than Sulphur Mountain trail. It begins near the hot springs, winding up towards the summit and the cosmic ray station historic site. I imagine in the warmer months, it would be slightly easier to navigate instead of wading through deep snow. The reward is totally worth it with the board walk at the top and gondola station housing cafes and restaurants within the complex. A good thing to know…during the colder months, if you hike up, you get a complementary trip back down the mountain side in the gondola.
Just outside of Banff is two options, depending on which way you drive. To one side will be Two Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka and Stewart Canyon. On the other Vermillion Lakes, Mount Norquay and Castle Mountain. Each of these areas gives way to a range of trails and places to explore.
Lake Louise is one of the highlights of the park and as soon as you get lake side, it will all become abundantly clear as to why. It looks like a painting. The air is clear and the lake is stagnant first thing in the morning…the area feels more at peace. Wandering around the lake side makes you feel like you have been transported to somewhere not too dissimilar to Narnia. During the winter months the mountains are covered in snow and the reflective qualities of the still morning lake make a mirror image. The morning sky and mountain ranges on full display.
There are so many trails around the lake and scattered throughout the mountains. The great part about visiting during the shoulder season is that you generally have the trails to yourself…just following the footprints from the person who embarked on the journey before you. I didn’t realise this at the time, but most of the more strenuous trails were advised against unless you had snow shoes. Obliviously ignorance was bliss in my situation. Those trails are completely breathtaking. Leading you up to secluded lookouts, passing over mountain ranges and beside frozen lakes dotted with wooden tea houses.
Somewhat strangely, the afternoon that I will most remember was the one I wasn’t expecting. I was doing a three hour hike before just before sunset. The trailhead was as all the rest began, but as I reached a slightly higher altitude the path slowly became more and more covered with snow until I was walking through a small footprint trail with snow covered pine trees to each side. The secret these trees were hiding, I will remember for the rest of my life. The trees suddenly cleared and I standing on a tiny plateau on the edge of a canyon, surrounded by the absolute grandness of creation. Tall, steep mountains forged out of the valley floor before me…covered in snow, towering toward the clear blue sky. The more trails I do, the more I love the feeling of how small I am in comparison. It has a way of instantly putting life onto perspective.
I planned to go to Jasper, stopping at Peyto Lake along the way. It was one of my must see things on my list and I didn’t want to come all this way and miss out on seeing it. That was the plan at least. The drive to Lake Louise was fine, so I thought that the rest if the parkway road would resemble a similar situation. It did not. Shortly after passing Lake Louise township the snow became more consistent and ice began to form on the roads. Now, if I was used to the great northern winters then this wouldn’t have been a problem…but as my hire car began to slide over the ice, the more I began to internally panic. Turns out, I was not equipped to drive on ice. In that moment it was very clear…I was not going to make it to Jasper.
The good news however, I made it to Peyto Lake. Dear friends it was perfection, living up to all the hype. It was gently snowing and the air was crisp. The lookout points gave the best view over the lake and mountains behind. Its one of the clearest shades of blue I’ve ever seen. Wandering around the the Bow summit area it was evident why this place is loved so much by the people who visit. It took my breath away on every way.
As the snow became increasingly heavier, I headed back to car. I also learnt a lot about driving in snow that day…or more so, parking in snow. Turns out, I need some more practice at that too. Thank you to the friendly locals that helped pushed my car out of its space. Next time I visit the national parks I am hiring the biggest jeep they have!
Sending hugs & smiles,
Vanessa
