Rocky Mountain High # 1: The Serene Spell of Lake Louise

This short fall trip marks the fourth or fifth (or sixth???) time that I've visited the Banff/Lake Louise area of Alberta, the jewel in the crown of Canada's world-famous chain of Rocky Mountain national parks.

Fairmont Hotels photo

The existence of these parks, and the world-wide fame of their spectacular scenery, came about largely due to two men -- both of whom happened to be Americans:  railroad engineer William Cornelius Van Horne and railroad surveyor Major A. B. Rogers.

Van Horne joined the Canadian Pacific Railway project as General Manager in 1878.  With his intimate knowledge of the American railway scene, he knew that competition from south of the border was going to be the biggest single threat to the Canadian line's success.  Determined to thwart that competition, he aimed his railway construction project straight across the southern Prairies, close to the American border.  In doing so, he was driving his world-record-speed track laying crews directly towards a region of the mountains where no known usable pass existed.  The well-known and relatively easy Yellowhead Pass, located much farther north and well to the west of Edmonton, would have to wait until the early 1900s to become the route of the country's second and third transcontinental lines. 

As the tracks pushed westwards across the Prairies, surveyors were desperately trying to lay out a workable track alignment through the treacherous, steep, narrow confines of the Kicking Horse Pass (the name derives from the river flowing in a deep canyon down the western slopes, in what is pretty much a continuous chain of roaring rapids).  Beyond that lay the open gap of the Rocky Mountain Trench and the hairpin Big Bend of the Columbia River where the tracks would have to cross the river twice.  In between those two crossings of the Columbia -- 80 kilometres from each other in a straight line, at Golden and Revelstoke -- towered the forbidding and enigmatic Selkirk range.  

Here, Rogers stepped forward: a crusty, parsimonious man who famously drove himself and his subordinates to the point of exhaustion and beyond.  But he did manage to ascend, survey, and map the pass through the Selkirks which bears his name to this day.  

That pass, and indeed the entire route of the CPR from Winnipeg to Vancouver, was later paralleled by the Trans-Canada Highway # 1.  Here, thanks to the internet, is a map covering the area of my travels, from Calgary to Rogers Pass, to help you get oriented.

With the railroad nearing completion, Van Horne shrewdly guessed that the international tourism industry -- then in its infancy -- could contribute greatly to the company's coffers.  While the sublime and majestic mountain landscapes were something of a draw, the real attraction was the hot mineral springs around the upper course of the Bow River -- for this was the heyday of hot springs resorts in both North America and Europe.  Van Horne built the first tourist hotel in the Canadian Rockies, and named his log cabin for the adjacent mineral pools and for the nearby station, which had been given a Scottish name -- and the Banff Springs Lodge opened for business in 1888.  The central tower section of the current stone castle was opened in 1914, and the remainder of the main building was built after a 1926 fire destroyed the original wooden hotel.  Today, the hotel has a total of 757 rooms. 

Internet photo

An hour west of Banff, another log railway hotel was built by the CPR on the shores of Lake Louise -- and the second tourist lodge of the Canadian Rockies opened for business in 1890, just two years after the Banff Springs.  The present-day 539-room Chateau Lake Louise was built in several segments beginning in 1913 with the section at the far end.

As imposing as these two large resort hotels are when seen up close, they certainly dwindle in significance when viewed in the perspective of their surroundings -- as this internet photo of Lake Louise from the summit of the Devil's Thumb clearly demonstrates.

Internet photo

Both resorts were originally open only in summer, but the boom in winter sports led to the winterization of both properties and the beginning of year-round operations: the Banff Springs Hotel in 1968 and the Chateau Lake Louise in 1982.

Owing not only to their spectacular sites but also to their equally spectacular architecture, both of these grand hotels (now managed by Fairmont Hotels) are true icons of Canada, their exteriors readily recognized around the world by tourism-oriented travellers.  

Needless to say, an iconic luxury hotel property is going to have equally iconic and luxurious prices.  The last time I checked the cost a few years ago (out of idle interest), the lakeview rooms at the Chateau Lake Louise were going in spring, summer, and fall for a steady $899 dollars a night, plus fees and taxes.  And there's little need for discounting.  Even at their great size, these world-renowned hotels usually run full up for a sizable percentage of the year.

Or at least they did.  The advent of Covid-19 has depressed hotel prices everywhere, and the deluxe mountain resorts are no exception.  As a result of the lower rates, I decided that for the first time in my life I could actually afford to stay for two nights at Lake Louise, waking up to that sublime view each morning.  And thus the idea for this trip was born.

Flying west to Calgary was an experience in itself -- my first airline flight since the pandemic lockdown began.  I booked the ticket on my points so I could travel in Business Class without breaking the bank (breaking the bank was the Chateau Lake Louise's job!).  The aircraft was a 137-seat Airbus A-220, brand new in Air Canada's fleet.  Despite the name, it's good to recall that this is actually the Canadian-designed and Canadian-built jet airliner which began its service career in Europe five years ago as the Bombardier C-Series.  It's a beautiful small airliner, with a lovely smooth and quiet ride.  The only issue was that, due to the smaller diameter of the cabin, the outsize baggage bins hung down a bit lower than in many planes.  I think I clonked my head on them 4 or 5 times in all!

Air Canada illustration

Arriving into Calgary just at dinnertime meant that I didn't want to hit the road right then and drive through the mountains in twilight.  Fortunately, Calgary Airport now has a brand-new Marriott hotel located inside the terminal building, and there I stayed.  I had no objection when they upgraded me to a suite with a dramatic view over the airport to the mountains in the distance.

The next day, after picking up a rental car (also right on-site), I headed up the highway towards the Rockies.  The Trans-Canada Highway 1 westbound out of Calgary is a broad multi-lane freeway, but any chance of highway boredom is avoided by the up-and-down roll of the foothills country, and the rapid approach of the the spectacular front ranks of the Rocky Mountains.

Immediately past Canmore, you reach the gates of Banff National Park.  Welcome to Canada's oldest National Park, and the birthplace of the world's oldest National Park system.

  Internet photo

Here you can see my payoff for pre-purchasing a full year parks pass in advance from the Parks Canada website.  This is an especially good purchase if you plan (as I do) to visit any other National Parks besides the ones in the Rocky Mountains in the course of a year, or if you plan to visit the mountain parks more than once over a time span longer than 2 days.  While all other park visitors had to stand in line at one of the quaint half-timbered  ticket booths, I simply got into the two right hand lanes and cruised slowly on through without any waiting.

If you do prefer to purchase a pass at the gate, you will receive a pass valid for all seven National Parks in the Rocky Mountains -- for one day.  You have to pay multiple daily fees to cover each day of your visit.  The pass remains valid until 4:00pm on the day following the last paid day.  The full year pass which I bought is slightly less than the cost of eight daily visits.

Shortly after you enter the Park, the highway goes in a broad curve around the north edge of the town of Banff.  In the process, you get a dramatic view of Cascade Mountain totally different from the famous view along the main street of Banff.

I've visited Banff more than once in the past, and decided to just keep on going this time.  Banff is basically a place for tourists who, rather than getting away from it all, want to find it all waiting for them when they get there.  The main street is lined with varied and often-costly restaurants, and all kinds of expensive shops -- with souvenirs and winter sports gear being recurring but not exclusive themes.  In a normal year, the town is crowded, parking is scarce, and the streets are packed with pedestrians.  I came west to enjoy the natural beauty and relax in peace and quiet, and Banff is -- in some ways -- the wrong place for both of those pursuits.

Instead, I held on up the Bow River valley, savouring the dramatic towering outlines of the aptly-named Castle Mountain.  From 1946 to 1979, the mountain was called Mount Eisenhower.  Then the name reverted to the one given by James Hector in the 1850s, but with the prominent pinnacle at the near end called Eisenhower Tower.  

 In another 25 minutes or so I came to the exit for Lake Louise.  It was the work of a few minutes to drive through Lake Louise village and up the sweeping curves of the road ascending the mountainside towards the lake, some 150 metres higher up.  And there, waiting for me, was the Chateau Lake Louise, my home for the next two nights.

Ten minutes later I was checked in and admiring the view from my lakeview room on the third floor.

Another ten minutes saw me enjoying a relaxing swim in the uncrowded pool. `

Fairmont Hotels photo

As I explained in my previous post, activities like this and all meals have to be by reservation during the pandemic.  My reservation was at 5:00pm, for a maximum of 45 minutes, with at most 9 other people allowed in the pool area at the same time.  That left the staff with 15 minutes to clean and sanitize the seats and handrails before the next batch of pool reservations at 6:00pm.  

The sizable hot tub is actually still closed, as is the steam room.  I was amused to see people entering, looking at the barricaded hot tub, then turning back to the desk attendant with plaintive questions, before finally deciding to go ahead and swim anyway!

From the swim, I had adequate time to get back upstairs, get dressed and tidied, and then head down for my dinner reservation in the Fairview restaurant at 6:30pm.  My luck was good, and I got a lovely table right by the window.  Since it's in the next wing over from my room, the angle of the view was somewhat different (the orange UFOs are reflections of hanging lamps in the restaurant).  It's also easy to see where the sun has just disappeared behind the mountains on the west side of the valley.  Official sunset time was still over an hour and a half away.

The meal certainly matched the quality and drama of the view, both for quality of food and for quality of service.  In spite of the pandemic, the chefs and wait staff here are definitely on top of their game.  After dinner I went for a short twilight walk in the gardens, and was impressed by the quietness.  There were still numbers of people coming and going on the waterfront walkway, and in the gardens, but the size of the valley seems to swallow all of the sound that they make.  This is what I love most about being in mountain country -- this sensation of the immensity of the natural world around us.

The biggest hassle of visiting these National Parks is finding a place to park at the main attractions.  As I drove up to Lake Louise in the afternoon, illuminated signs told us that the parking lots at both Lake Louise and at Moraine Lake were full -- this on a weekday in September.  Since I wanted to see Moraine Lake, that was my incentive to set out as soon as possible after breakfast the next morning.  Direct from table to car as you might say. 

Since I awoke good and early, I actually took the time to get out for a pre-breakfast walk along the path on the west shore of the lake.  I was on the path at 6:55am, in a crisp but completely calm 0°C (32°F) and the sun was already up although the entire valley was in shade.  The path was nearly deserted, and the silence was striking, to say the least.  I could readily believe myself to be miles deep into the wilderness if I didn't turn around to look back at the hotel.  This walk also gave me the opportunity to watch as the sunlight slowly painted the mountaintops and the glacier, working from the top downwards as the day brightened.  And what a unique experience to realize that, here in mountain country, the best views may actually be seen by looking down instead of up.

After breakfast, I headed out and found the road to Moraine Lake already blocked off -- parking lot full!  The heart of the problem is that all the normal shuttle buses that usually run to the lake from Lake Louise and from Banff are all cancelled due to Covid-19.  As a result, the lot is usually full up before sunrise this year.  That visit will have to wait for another time.

So instead, I went and did something I've certainly done before -- although not for many years.  I drove up the first 60 kilometres or so of Highway 93, the Icefield Parkway, which connects Lake Louise with Jasper.  It's an incredible road with an eye-popping view around every bend.  I did take advantage of a few of the stopping spots, and here are some of the results -- including the dramatic Crowfoot Glacier.

 

At Bow Lake, you should pull off into the roadside pullout and then follow the narrow roadway marked "Day use area."  At the end is a picnic park with toilets, all shrouded in a grove of evergreens, and a lakefront walking path which gives a much more natural view than you'd get from the roadside.  In spite of the potholes on the access road, it's a worthwhile detour.

With that, I turned back to Lake Louise and killed some time before noon, when I had lunch on the patio at a table facing the lake.  The lobster roll, salad, wine, and coffee were all excellent.  I wish I'd passed on the panna cotta -- it turned out to be denser and sweeter than I expected but it was so good I couldn't stop.  Bad, bad, bad!

As for this little scoundrel, he settled for a flower blossom from an adjacent planter after I chased him and a couple of persistent birds away from my plate!

If you'd like to see much more of the Icefield Parkway, here's a link to a blog post I published a couple of years back, devoted to a full-day round trip between Jasper and Lake Louise back in 2007.  Enjoy!

An Awe-Inspiring Scenic Highway