Day 15, 04-08-2016 Banff - Lake Louise - sunny

After a very peaceful night, we woke up well-rested. The temperatures were noticeably colder here, so we turned on the heater and after a short while, we could get out of bed. A couple from a tent across our campsite came out, bundled up in jackets and hats. They looked like they were in winter. But today was going to be another beautiful day and the sun was shining.

We had breakfast in the motorhome and left the campground around 10:00 am. The first thing we wanted to show the kids was the amazing Hoodoo Trail that we admired yesterday afternoon. There were few people on the trail at this time and I found it even more beautiful than yesterday. But the kids were only interested in the squirrels. Well, everyone has different interests.

Then we drove back to Banff, continued to Highway 1, and took the first exit to switch to Bow Valley Parkway 1A. This is a beautiful road through the mountains of Banff, winding through forests with views of the mountain peaks on both sides. At the beginning of 1A, we came to a checkpoint where all vehicles were checked for the National Park Pass. We had our annual pass hanging from the rearview mirror.

Our destination now was Johnston Canyon, where we wanted to take a recommended hike to the Lower and Upper Falls according to the guidebook. When we arrived around 12:00 pm, we already saw a row of parked cars on the side of the road. We drove past the parking lot, which looked very crowded, and parked about 400 meters further down the road.

This was one of the most touristy places I have ever seen. There was a large gift shop at the entrance and several stands. There were endless amounts of people (many Asians) on the narrow hiking trail, even some with strollers and, surprisingly, even a person with a walker. After about 40 minutes, we came to a fork in the trail - most people went right towards the lower falls, so we decided to go left towards the upper falls. The path went uphill a bit and it became much more relaxed. We weren't alone, but the crowds were manageable. After about half an hour, we arrived at the upper falls. What a disappointment. It was a relatively small waterfall, we have seen more impressive ones. I won't deny that it is a beautiful trail along the canyon, but it's probably better to visit in September or spring when it's not peak tourist season. We decided that from now on, we would only hike where there aren't so many cars in the parking lot. On the way back, we passed the fork to the waterfalls again, pushing through the crowd of people. We decided to skip the lower falls. Since it was already early afternoon, we encountered many more people on the way back. Where did they all find parking? Let's get out of here, was my motto.

Next, we continued on 1A towards Lake Louise, where I had reserved a campsite. The road was relatively empty again, and we drove through beautiful scenery. Lake Louise is one of the most touristy highlights, so we knew we wouldn't be alone there. When we arrived at the entrance of the town, there was a traffic jam. There were private traffic controllers at the two intersections, trying to manage the traffic. We decided not to go to the lake first as we knew we wouldn't find parking there. Instead, we turned right to the campground. There was a "no vacancy" sign at the entrance, but we had a reservation. When we parked at our site, we could finally connect to the electricity, and we made a delicious tomato and cheese sandwich in the microwave. After everything was settled, we went to the campground bus stop, where a shuttle bus to the town was offered. This way, we could easily go to Lake Louise. On the way there, we saw our first grizzly bear in the wild. Many cars parked on the roadside and many people were standing there. A young grizzly bear was trotting along the lower slope, looking for berries. It wasn't afraid, more curious. When it saw the many people, it suddenly ran up the slope, and the people frantically searched for their cars. It's not very safe. Our bus driver just said, 'stupid people'. But it seemed like the bear turned around again. Unfortunately, everything happened so fast, and we didn't have our cameras ready. Still, it was a great experience.

When we arrived at the lake, we had about 1.5 hours until the return trip, so we got off at the huge hotel. The lake is impressive, with its green water nestled between 6 peaks of the Rockies and glaciers. We walked along the trail, taking several photos, like many tourists. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to hike to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, which I'm sure is worth it. Then we headed back to the campground.

By now, it was already evening, and we wanted to make a casserole. Since we had a fire pit, I tried to start a campfire, which wasn't so easy without lighter fluid. So, I stole a roll of paper towels from the kitchen, and then the fire started. We were able to make the casserole over the open fire, and it turned out great and delicious.

While sitting by the fire, we were visited by a little girl, Anna, 9 years old, who lived in the motorhome next to us. She was curious about who was staying next to her and told us a lot about her life. She was from Saskatoon and was on vacation in the Rockies with her parents and her cat. After initially being shy, Pauline and Anna continued chatting in English. The evening by the fire ended this way, and when a thunderstorm approached, we went to the motorhome and to bed. Since it wasn't too strong, everyone slept in their own bed.