RV ALASKA - Lake Louise & Moraine Lake (Banff National Park)

As we transition into sightseeing mode, I’ll take a moment to set the stage for this great adventure.  Alan and I are traveling in a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4x4 pickup truck and towing a 2017 32’ Outdoors RV Creek Side travel trailer, affectionately known as “The Lodge.”   We left our kayaks at home, but brought our bikes – two Diamondback hybrids that work well on pavement and adequately on dirt or gravel trails.  We lock ‘em up everywhere we go because we love them and don’t want to lose them.  We’re also traveling with a small Honda EU2000i generator, a bunch of tools, two spare trailer tires, one spare truck tire, 10 extra gallons of gas, a marine radio with weather alerts and, believe it or not, a porta-potty for day-long expeditions in the outback.  Combine camping with boating (or boating with camping, depending on your perspective) and you come up with the oddest selection of gear.

You’ll not be reading about any extreme adventures, challenging hikes or rafting trips on raging rivers.  At our age, we’re all about leisurely walks, lots of biking on relatively level terrain, museum and roadside stops to learn the history of the area through which we’re traveling and – our top priorities – spotting wildlife and soaking up the awe-inspiring scenery.  Be assured there are all kinds of tours in the Banff area – ATV, hiking, rafting, fishing, boating, canoeing, horseback riding – if you’re so inclined.

I don’t consider myself a photographer, but I enjoy taking photos.  My Canon EOS Rebel T7 is a digital single lens reflex camera for regular ol’ consumers like me.  I mainly stick with the standard 18-55 mm lens that came with it, and will switch off to a 55-250 mm lens for wildlife shots.  Nothing fancy, but it meets my needs and gets the job of documenting our travels done to my satisfaction.

Our sightseeing in Banff National Park began the day after our arrival at Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court.  I had reserved tickets for the shuttle to Lake Louise for the second day after our arrival, intending to give us a little breathing room before we had to be somewhere.  Since we got in a day late due to the truck and trailer issue, Alan and I barely had our bearings before we had to take off to catch our ride.  We had booked a departure time of between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.; before we caught the shuttle, we needed to stop for gas and drive out to the Park & Ride lot at the Lake Louise ski resort - a trip of about 50 minutes.  Easy-peasy for a couple of old roadtrippers, but I’m thinking it would have been sweet to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and an extra cup of coffee while soaking up the incredible scenery surrounding our campsite.  The following day, we did just that.

Date(s) – June 12^th – 13^th

Total Miles Traveled to Date – 5,461

Wildlife to Date – A herd of nine elk just across the road from our campsite (enjoying their supper while we were cooking ours), several small herds of pronghorn antelope (including two mamas with three newborn fawns between them), 6 bald eagles (including 2 fledglings), 3 great blue herons, dozens of American white pelicans, at least a half dozen families of adult geese with goslings, a number of ducks and 5 adorable ducklings.

Highlight(s) – Included with a shuttle ticket to Lake Louise was a lift on the Lake Connector shuttle to Moraine Lake, so we were able to visit both lakes.  They were absolutely stunning, and the kind of locations where Alan and I would have happily strolled along the lakeshore or pulled out camp chairs to relax and enjoy the view.  Our preference is always to drive ourselves, both to limit our exposure to illness in enclosed spaces and to allow us the freedom to come and go at our own pace.  This was an instance where public transportation allowed us to enjoy two of nature’s gems that we wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.  Lake Louise and Moraine Lake were definitely worth the effort and the minimal expense of the shuttle.  Our cost for the shuttle tickets was a mere $11.00 – two tickets at a senior rate of $4.00 each plus a $3.00 booking fee.  The regular adult rate was not much more expensive.

Lowlight(s) – Getting used to high gas prices.  At $1.61 per liter, I believe that translates to approximately $4.58 per gallon after the exchange rate is applied ($6.14 per gallon before).  Ouch!  Gas at home is currently $3.31 per gallon.  Double ouch, actually, since gas will probably be our major expense on this trip.  At least the exchange rate takes a little bit of the sting out of our painful experiences at the pump.

The conditions at Lake Moraine were cold and extremely windy with snowflakes punctuating the air.  The weather – and the very long line at the Café for hot coffee – prevented us from hanging around for long.  If you stay longer than we did, do consider the Rockpile Trail.

Campground(s) – Still at the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court until we leave for Jasper National Park.  Still enjoying the views.

Laugh(s) of the Day – “Tourons of Yellowstone” is a social media site that highlights the bad or dangerous behavior of tourists in our National Parks.  We had our own “tourons” experience occur right before our eyes.  As we were watching the elk grazing across the road from our campsite from the safety of our dinette, an older couple walked right up to within maybe 20 feet of them to take photos.  Thank heaven the elk didn’t react, and the couple moved along before the critters got annoyed.  What part of “wild”life do people not understand?

Pic(s) of the Day

New neighbors at the site across the road!

 

All supper prep stopped until the elk had moved on.

There were a number of hardy tourists canoeing on Lake Louise.  Brrrr!

 

The Boathouse at Lake Louise

 

Moraine Lake

The Cafe's patio would have been a delightful place to enjoy a meal or snack - in warmer weather!

Tips – As with any popular attraction, particularly within the National Parks, crowds of tourists will gravitate to the closest, easiest access point.  By spending just a few minutes to walk farther away, you may be (and often are) rewarded with a more quiet and pleasant experience – and you may even enjoy some solitude.  The area where tourists first catch a glimpse of Lake Louise was crowded with people, many of whom were wielding and waving selfie sticks around with abandon.  We didn’t have to walk far along the edge of the lake to improve our experience considerably.  Make that effort.

Consider sitting up front near the driver on any forms of public transportation when you’re in tourist country.  From one of the shuttle drivers, we learned about the wildlife that had been seen along the road to Moraine Lake.  From another, we learned about her favorite bakery and its location.  (We were her last shuttle run of the day, and we ended up running into her at said bakery.)  Drivers, tour guides and other Park staff members have access to all kinds of information about the Park and its environs.  It never hurts to chat them up if they’re amenable.

Special Message(s) – Alan and I are getting such a kick out of having each and every one of you along on this expedition with us, and we truly appreciate your company.  Please know that we’re finding cell service and internet service to be excellent in some areas and weak (or non-existent) in others, making both communication and publishing blog posts rather sketchy at times.

Up Next – Yoho, Glacier, Mt. Revelstoke and Kootenay National Parks – all within relatively easy driving distance from Banff.   A special weather statement is indicating snow at higher elevations in the Banff area.  Hmm, I wonder if the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court is considered to be at a higher elevation . . .