Hikes around mountains and lakes

Sunday, August 24, 2014
Banff, Alberta, Canada
We woke up and had some breakfast at a nearby french restaurant (eggs, toast, sausages). Then we drove to Banff and to a gondola that goes to the top of Sulphur Mountain. There was a huge line there, but eventually we hopped onto a gondola and rode it to the top of the mountain (~2300 meters above sea level). The views up there and on the way up were breathtaking, of course! There was a bunch of paved walkways at the top of the mountain and we hiked them to the historic site of Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station. We saw some local wildlife on the top of the mountain: cute rock squirrels, tiny chipmunks and nutcrackers. Some people hiked to the mountain top on foot instead of taking a gondola and some even brought dogs and babies with them!

After 1 .5 hours of hiking we took a gondola back and drove to lake Minnewanka, where we had some lunch (bread, cheese and chicken bought at a grocery store) and hiked for a bit. We hiked to Stewart Canyon, where we saw an interesting wooden bridge and a river with bright turquoise water. After the hike we drove to nearby Johnson lake, which was so still that it reflected mountains behind it like a mirror.

Finally, we drove to Banff again and had some dinner. Then we headed back to the hotel.

Comments

2025-02-07

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank