Hiking Lake Louise – A Walk in the Park
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
Gloves, wooly winter hat, three lairs on top and thick snow trousers. All the preparation I needed to begin my trek of Lake Louise…in August! I like to think of myself as an outdoorsy man but the temperature the night before in Banff National Park was below freezing and we could see snow at the top of the mountain. Ominous, to say the least, even for a man of my rugged nature.
We started up the Lake Agnes trail and immediately got a view of Lake Louise from below. Although the photos can give you an idea of its beauty, it still doesn’t do it true justice. Although the hike wasn’t exactly easy, I was afraid to moan after meeting a local couple of retirees who were happily making their way back down the trail. They told me that they had walked the trail together since they were married almost 50 years ago. I assume they had taken rests in between though.
Mirror Lake
From here, we puffed our way to Mirror Lake where we sat down to enjoy the views of the lake and also Big Beehive Mountain right behind it, which we would soon be conquering. First we enjoyed some well-deserved hot chocolate at the rustic teahouse beside Lake Agnes.
The hike up to Beehive Mountain is misleadingly long but stunning. There is an old shelter at the top where you can take a break from the icy breeze and peer down in warmth and finally use your fingers freely to take some really cool photos. While at the top, we saw a big chunk of ice falling from one of the glaciers. It was a pretty awesome end to a pretty incredible day.
For more info about Lake Louise, check out Hiking Lake Louise.