Eterno Dia PhotographyStaycation Alberta: Why It’s Always The Right Time To Visit The Mountains
Posted on March 25, 2019
Even though it seems like spring is on the way in Alberta, it doesn’t look it yet in a lot of places. There’s still plenty of snow and it will likely be weeks before we get spring buds. We had a hard winter and it still looks very much like it. Even though you might be looking forward to a glorious, warm summer vacation of camping and hiking in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, I’m here to convince you that you don’t need to wait, especially if you need a mini vacation, now. The mountains are wonderful any time of year and hold a certain magic in the winter and off seasons that’s quite different from their summer majesty. Last year, just before Christmas I needed a getaway from all of the holiday madness, so we drove to Red Deer and picked up my mom and headed off to Banff, just for the day.
Here are a few reasons you should consider going the the mountain parks now:
- It’s way less crowded (and cheaper) in off season. You won’t have trouble finding parking at some of the attractions and in places like downtown Banff, Canmore or Jasper that are inundated with tourists in the high season. During the low season, “off-season” or “shoulder season” which starts around October and lasts until mid-June, the price of accommodations will be much lower than the inflated prices during the high season. If you’re on a budget, this is a great way to see the mountains.
- There’s plenty to do. Even though some trails or passes are closed due to large amounts of snow, there are still plenty of trails that are usable and again, way less crowded in low and shoulder season. If you’re not into the cold or like a slower pace, there are also lots of interesting “indoors-y” things to do; go to the Banff Art Centre, explore the majesty and history of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. If you’d like to get your science on, visit the Banff Park Museum, or Canmore’s Museum and Geoscience Centre. If you’re up for more adventure, there’s plenty to find in the winter, spring and fall. Canmore offers year round cave tours. Guided hikes, snowshoeing and sled dog tours are readily available in all of the mountain parks. Whether you’re a skier, ice climber or hiker, there’s no limit to the fun outdoor activities you can do in low season.
- Rest and relax. The Miette Hot Springs in Jasper and the Upper Hot Springs in Banff are open nearly every day of the year and are delightfully soothing and steamy in the crisp mountain air. After your soak, you could treat yourself to a massage and a coffee or drink at one of these mountain town’s cozy coffee shops or pubs. Rent a cute cottage in Jasper or Canmore and snuggle up with a good book next to the fire with a view that can’t be beaten.
- Take in a festival or local events. All throughout the winter and shoulder seasons, the mountain towns have great festivals. Things like dark sky events to watch for northern lights or learn night sky photography (which is hard to do in the larger cities and during Canada’s long, bright summer evenings) are common events. There are often things like ice sculpture festivals, the Alpenglow Festival and beer and food festivals like the Cochon555 Culinary Weekend. Every fall, Jasper Alberta hosts the Jasper Dark Sky Festival
- Avoid the Bears. If you’re like me, hiking can be anxiety inducing. I’m really afraid of bears. In the winter months those killing machines (I kid. Cardiovascular disease, car accidents and bee and wasp stings kill more people a year than bears) are asleep, so you can wander to your heart’s content. You’ll still be able to see other animals though like, elk, cougars, lynx, owls, moose and deer, so be cautious and respectful but bring a camera and enjoy the bear respite.
Whatever season you decide to visit the Rocky Mountains, always pack warm, layered clothing and emergency supplies for your vehicles. Even in the summer, the elevation can cause the weather to change drastically in just minutes. We got caught in a surprise blizzard on our drive back near Airdrie, Alberta and it was quite scary for a few hours.
Our one day, mini “staycation” in Banff was perfect. We started out early, made it in time for a nice lunch in a cozy pub. Despite the cold, we walked around town for a little while, took in the charming holiday atmosphere and did some Christmas shopping. Before heading home we had a nice soak at the Banff Upper Hot Springs. A perfect tiny escape was just what we all needed.
Have you visited Alberta’s Rocky Mountains before, or do you have plans to? Feel free to comment or ask questions. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, safe and happy travels!
-L
Navigating The Packed Streets Of Phuket
Posted on March 8, 2019
The Thailand adventure continues. I left you last as were were checking into our hotel in Phuket after a long, exhausting journey from Edmonton, Alberta to Phuket, Thailand.
An amazing Pad Thai
After a brief rest, water and some rifling through suitcases to find shorts and tank tops, the next priority was food. We didn’t waste a lot of time in deciding that literally the closest option was going to be just fine. We walked across the street from the hotel to a “sports bar”. Nearly empty in the late afternoon heat, we were ushered in and given the royal treatment. I ordered a Pad See Ew. I had no idea what it was and I was so hungry I didn’t really care at that point, but luckily it was an amazing stir fry with extra thick rice noodles that I’ll never stop thinking about. The beer was the coldest, most delicious I’d ever tasted. We ate, had a few drinks, took in the beautiful tropical surroundings and reveled in the first few moments of our most adventurous vacation before moving on.
We followed the signs directing us to the beach and walked about 8 blocks from our hotel down a few well traveled back alleys. We arrived at a the busy and very touristy Patong beach near sunset. There were food vendors everywhere; meat on a stick, to-go Pad Thai, ice cream, fresh coconut drinks and fruit smoothies were just the beginning of the choices available. We walked along the beach, took in the sights and enjoyed the sunset before heading back for an early night. Despite my exhaustion, sleep was a challenge. Jet lag is the worst. We went to bed early but by 3:00 am Phuket time, I was awake and ready to go. This ended up being fine, as on our first full day in Thailand, we were booked for a two dive Scuba excursion.
Patong Beach at sunset
Yes, it sounded crazy to me too. Early in the planning of our trip we had decided to book a tour for our first week in Thailand. We knew that this trip would be a whole new level for us and thought a tour would be a great way to learn about the country, food and customs with someone experienced assist us for the first leg of our trip. With the help of a travel agent, we booked an “Island Hopper” tour that would start in Phuket, go to Krabi and Phi Phi Island before heading back to Phuket. I knew early on that if we were going to Thailand, I had to do a dive. I’d only been once before in Antigua and was assured by many that Thailand diving was not to be missed. Once we had our itinerary for the tour, I realized how tight our schedule was going to be and wasn’t sure we’d get the chance to dive during the tour or right after when we were booked to fly to Bangkok. I talked it over with Shawn and we decided to book the dive early in the trip so we wouldn’t be disappointed if we missed our window later. So, in what seemed like lunacy, we booked our dive from home for our first day in Thailand. I’ll give you all of the dive details in an upcoming post, but rest assured, it was simply amazing.
A sign posted in the lobby of our hotel that ended up being in nearly every hotel
We arrived back from our dive trip with enough time to shower and clean up before beginning the tour. We met with the group and tour leader for dinner at the hotel and we were admittedly out of our element. We were definitely the oldest in the group; older than the group leader as well. There were about 40 of us in total. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the group, but being that most of them were in their late teens and early twenties, there was a definite party vibe.
Sights walking through the streets of Patong
After dinner, we joined the group who had voted to go to a bar or club in the area. We felt awkward and out of place amongst the young people in our group, and the jet lag and exhaustion from our dive was sinking in. We meandered through the bustling streets of Patong with our group leader guiding the way; shop keepers and restaurant staff strongly urging us to come into their establishments. The sales pressure wasn’t any worse than anything I’ve experienced in Cancun or Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, or in Jamaica, but the huge crowds of people and jet lag made me feel overwhelmed.
The heat, even at night was oppressive. The roads and sidewalks were noisy and crowded and the smells ranged from delightful barbecued street food on one corner to sewer on another. We kept our wallets and purses tucked away and closely monitored on the advice of our tour leader, as pick-pocketing is common here. The streets were dirty; there was a lot of garbage on the road. The sidewalks were cracked and a definite tripping hazard. Many were wet in places, and I tried not to think about what the liquids might be as I stepped in a few puddles I couldn’t avoid in my sandals. Cockroaches scuttled about narrowly missing being squashed by throngs of tourist feet. We walked past large plastic totes and buckets on the sidewalks outside of restaurants that contained fish and all manner of sea life available to pick for one’s supper. While I enjoy seafood, the displays were a bit off-putting based on my own cultural and ethical lens. There were fruit and vegetable stands on every corner with food I didn’t even recognize and there were 7-Elevens on every other corner.
Fresh fruit stand
Our tour group ended up at Bangla Road, the epicenter of party life in Patong. It made Las Vegas seem cute. On each side of the wide road where tourists mingled and bar staff shouted offers of cheap drinks and discount cover fees, there were pubs, clubs, Go Go bars, ping pong shows (offering far more outrageous entertainment than anything available back home), cabaret shows (aka Ladyboy shows) and every form of fun or debauchery one could ever find. We went with the group to a bar where a Thai cover band was doing live versions of western top 40 songs; they were surprisingly good and were fun to watch. The bar had a two drink minimum and even after the tour leader negotiated with bar staff to get our whole group in, the drink prices were insanely inflated. But hey, when in Thailand…
Thai cover band
A popular nasal inhaler sold in local shops, used for congestion or to feel refreshed
After a long day of diving and meeting the group, we were exhausted and excused ourselves at an unreasonably early hour and began navigating our way back through the crowded, dirty streets and pushy vendors back to the hotel. The next day, we decided to take it easy. In the morning we lounged at the hotel’s surprisingly beautiful and quiet pool and found amazing Thai food and drinks throughout the day.
Poolside lounging
Ixora aka West Indian Jasmine
Pineapple Cashew stir fry. Delicious!
Fresh Coconut!
We joined the tour group that evening for discount shopping and some welcome air conditioning at Junceylon Shopping Center and dinner at Baan Saan market. Our guide taught us about some of the food court style areas here where you pay for a pre-loaded food card to use at any establishment in the area and then get a refund on whatever you don’t spend, after your meal. This experience came in handy, as this is a common way of getting food in malls or large markets around Thailand. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to re-pack and get some rest before starting the next part of our tour; heading to Krabi in the morning!
Food court at Baan Saan Market
As always, thank you for stopping by to read. Stay tuned for the next part of the adventure. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments. Until next time, safe and happy travels.
Thailand: We Aren’t In The Caribbean Anymore…
Posted on March 4, 2019
Last you heard from me, I was writing about my travel fears and anxieties while waiting with my husband at the airport for our daunting journey to Thailand to begin. Spoiler alert: Although I did use a A LOT of the medication I brought, I lived through my journey and nothing especially terrible happened. In fact, we had some amazing, once-in-a- lifetime experiences and an epic adventure, which I’ll fill you in on over a number of blogs, I’m sure. I have so many things I want to share about our 21 days in Thailand. It was such an incredible trip, and my longest abroad so I’m a bit lost as to where to start, so I’ll start at the beginning:
The flights: Edmonton, Alberta to Vancouver, BC, Vancouver to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Phuket, Thailand, were not as bad as I had been dreading. The longest haul; 14 hours from Vancouver to Hong Kong, stuck in cozy economy at the back of the plane, was challenging but not awful. I don’t sleep on planes well though, and unfortunately our seat-back USB charging ports weren’t working, so we had to ration the devices we brought along. The Cathay Pacific service was great despite the tight quarters and the food was surprisingly good, if a bit strange based on my western tastes.
Time had lost all meaning to me by the time we arrived in Phuket; I think it was late morning. The familiar wave of vacation heat and humidity hit me as soon as we entered the jetway to head to customs. That’s where all my previous travel experience came abruptly to a halt and I had a realization: We didn’t book an all-inclusive, we had no shuttle bus scheduled to pick us up to take us to the hotel. We were on our own, in a different hemisphere, half a world away from home. We were on an adventure.
Customs was smooth; staff were professional but friendly, language barriers weren’t much of an issue and there was enough English signage to figure out where to go to for baggage and taxis. We stepped just outside the airport and found our first 7-Eleven convenience store (which I was told was the cheapest, fastest way to get nearly anything one needs in Thailand) and loaded up on water- a necessity after being dehydrated during 17 hours of flying and arriving to 32 degree Celsius temperatures. 
The next part of the voyage proved to be a bit of a challenge. We found a van service just outside the airport doors claiming to be headed Patong, the area of Phuket we were staying in, and paid a flat rate of 160 Baht. At the time we thought maybe that was pricey, but we didn’t realize how far away from our hotel we actually were. While waiting to depart, I began making conscious observations of my surroundings. I found myself comparing things to Mexico and other places in the Caribbean we’d been to previously, as it was really my only point of reference. Palm trees and that stifling, oppressive, humid heat were familiar (and welcomed as we had escaped the beginnings of what would prove to be a long winter back home). I was watching Thai airport employees walking to and from the staff motorcycle parking area and noticed how warmly dressed they were in the heat; long sleeves, long pants, and even jackets. Then I realized they had entire parkades just filled with motorcycles; thousands of them, lined row upon row, making me wonder how a person would find their own at the end of the day, let alone retrieve it. Most of the staff carried a form of meal with them in plastic grocery bags. I noticed birds flitting about; none of which I recognized from my North American birding. After a wait of over an hour (not so different than Caribbean island time) while the van service waited for a full load of tourists before departing, we finally headed out for what would end up being a very long drive.
A home-based business selling Thai floral garlands and other spiritual items
Along the way we passed small, dilapidated houses serving dual purposes as home-based businesses; mechanics, food stands, restaurants, massage parlors, floral shops, and souvenir stands. Many of the houses were two floors with the main floor area serving as an open-air business in what might be recognizable to us as a garage-type space. It appeared that the family living spaces were on the second floor. Buildings were brightly painted and highly disorganized with heaps of scrap and junk piles off the the side of most of the businesses- definitely an organized chaos; reminding me of having a pile of junk on my desk and unfinished tasks going on, but I could still find anything in the pile if I needed it… even if it looked like a mess to an observer. There were spirit houses outside of nearly every home and business, ranging from the size of a microwave to a washing machine. Spirit houses are wooden shrines to the spirit world in the shape of houses, ornately painted and decorated with trinkets and effigies and offerings of food, drink (strawberry Fanta is a popular choice). I knew about them before coming to Thailand, but I didn’t realize they were everywhere, giving me a clue about just how spiritual the Thai people are.
A spirit house outside of a hotel
The streets and neighborhoods were crowded, as I expected. There were scooters and mopeds taking up every available space on the streets; another form of organized chaos. Bikes were zooming in and out of traffic, honking, bumpers missing each other by millimeters. There didn’t seem to be any sort of anger or aggressiveness by the drivers, it’s just the way it’s done, and it somehow works for them. It’s actually impressive to watch the dance of traffic. One thing that really reminded me that I was out of my comfort zone: the Thai signs. It’s a beautiful language to look at, but unlike Spanish, not one you can guess at.
My first impression driving through the foreign streets was that Thailand, or at least Phuket, seems to be in conflict with itself. There’s a war being waged between modern and traditional; small, run-down, family businesses and restaurants and old, ornately designed Wats (Buddhist temples) are spaced between extravagant premium outlet shopping malls, yacht showrooms and Ikeas. There is an obvious dichotomy between the very rich and extremely poor. New, sparkling condos and mansions are snugged up next to weathered, crumbling homes. There is a lot of advertising on large billboards, and most of the models are thin, white “Westerners”. There seems to be confusion between how Thai versus how Western they want to be, or have to be and I was unsure yet, having just arrived, if they have some balance of the two or not.
Fruit stand
As we drive on, I noticed that surrounding the infrastructure was dense tropical rainforests with graceful mountains rising in the distance. Everywhere you looked, there were showy tropical flowers flaunting their colours and size and some of the fattest stray cats and dogs I’d ever seen. Cows grazed in open lots next to busy residential and industrial areas. Every few blocks there was a shop for locals to buy religious statues and carvings such as spirit houses. There were even small, home-based greenhouses; essentially someone selling a collection of potted plants or flowers in the front of their property. There were a surprising number of office supply and furniture businesses as well. There were endless small, family-run restaurants and convenience stores; we even drove past a go-kart track and waterslides. The roads were winding and narrow with cutbacks into the hills that were growing steeper and I was glad I had a good supply of anti nausea pills in my luggage.
After about 45 minutes of gazing out at my new surroundings, we pulled into a sketchy “tour agency” where we were told in broken English we had to wait for a different van to transfer us to our correct area. We were encouraged to use their services and book tours while waiting. Our Spidey senses tingling, we suspected a scam, and feeling jet lagged and weary, were on guard. After 10-15 minutes of waiting around and keeping a close eye on our luggage in the van, we ended up being ushered back onto the same van (at this point we were getting a bit worried about making it to our destination without a scam of some kind). Another 30 or so anxious minutes of driving later, we finally began to see signs of being in the Patong area so we both started to relax. I was able to start focusing again on the sights and sounds (and smells). There were apartments everywhere, crowded and in disrepair. Most had tiny balconies with colorful laundry hung out to dry. The telephone and power poles were so covered in draped cords and wires, they looked hazardous to say the least. We drove past a number of Wats and even a Hindu temple. We neared the beach and tourist area where there was a 7-Eleven on nearly every corner, plenty of vendors selling beachwear and souvenirs and more tattoo and massage shops than I’ve ever seen in my life.
Hindu temple on the way to Patong
Apartments and cable wires everywhere
Suddenly the driver pulled over on a busy street, pointed down an alley, and stated in broken English that our hotel was “that way”. We stumbled out of the van, retrieved our luggage, confirmed with him as best as possible that he was certain it was “that way” and jet-laggedly struggled down cracked and broken sidewalks in the direction he pointed. We had no idea how far “that way” it was. The streets were crowded and noisy, there were interesting new smells, the heat was oppressive, we were hungry and becoming nervous that maybe we weren’t out of the woods with our concerns of being scammed, especially since the strange and unnecessary “van transfer” earlier. We passed more massage shops, more 7-Elevens and numerous casual family-run restaurants. We were feeling overwhelmed and starting to get testy with each other when our hotel came into view in the distance. We’d made it safely, if exhausted, hungry, paranoid and a bit culture shocked. It was time to check in, find food and decompress.
View from our hotel, the Ibis Patong
View from our hotel
Thanks as always for stopping in to read my thoughts and see my photos. Check back again for more updates of our epic Thailand trip. Feel free to ask questions or comment and until next time, safe and happy travels!
Staycation Alberta: The Canmore Grassi Lakes Hike
Posted on August 25, 2018
In June, Shawn and I had a four day stretch off together and decided to go to Canmore, located in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Canmore is a lovely place for a getaway. A four hour’s drive from Edmonton and one hour west of Calgary, it isn’t quite within the boundaries of Banff National Park, so you don’t have to pay the daily National Park fee if you stay here. There is so much to find in Canmore with the Three Sisters mountains resting gracefully as your backdrop; great shopping, fantastic restaurants and breweries, a museum, gemstone and caving tours, hiking, biking, rafting and more. Eating and accommodations can be as casual or upscale as you like; camping to five star hotels and anything in between. You can keep it as laid back or as classy as you like.
On this trip Shawn convinced me to hike. If you’ve read any of my previous blogs you’ll know that hiking is a bit of an issue for me; you can read all about that in this article. I have a thing about bears that makes me a pretty anxious hiker. Shawn wanted to try the Grassi Lakes hike, a very popular one, which was fine with me; potentially more people I can outrun. 
We arrived at the trail head around nine in the morning, after a fairly easy drive up the Three Sisters Parkway Road. When we arrived I was shocked to discover that ours was one of only three other cars in the parking lot. I quickly came to the conclusion that meant that we would be fairly alone on the hike up. This made me very nervous, and I expressed that in no uncertain terms. After a bit of whining, I was convinced that we should still go; after all, I had my trusty bear spray, so no problem.
No one around….
Why am I doing this?!
Mount Rundle
Each step we got further from the car, I got more anxious; hearing noises off in the bushes, smelling “a musty smell” I was convinced was a bear looming around the next corner, waiting to devour me. I remembered that we needed to make noise when in bear country, so I begged Shawn to tell me stories. I picked two “killing rocks” which I started to clack together to make more noise. When that didn’t work, I asked him to play some music on his phone.
Ha Ling Peak
View back to Canmore
The music and storytelling began to calm me, and as we climbed higher and the stunning vistas and views became more grand, I became more distracted by all the beauty. We took the “easy” trail up; a wide, well maintained, access road, and it was a good, steady incline that took us about an hour. It was a gorgeous, warm day and we stopped a few times for water breaks and to remove jackets and scarves. As we crested the final hill to our destination, we found quite a number of hikers already at the lakes. Some had taken the more difficult trail route up but some had come earlier and just stayed a while, and I could see why.
The two lakes at the top that surround the east end of Mount Rundle are simply gorgeous; clear, turquoise ponds that were as still as glass. I could see every detail under the water, right down to the bottom. Mount Ha Ling and Mount Rundle still towered above us. We took our time walking slowly around the first lake and soaking in the tranquility.
Grassi Lake
Grassi Lake
Grassi Lake
Grassi Lake
Crystal clear water
Grassi Lake
Up to the left of where we were at the lakes there was a giant, silver, man-made pipe. This is a pipe so large you can see from the main highway down at the town site and I’d always wondered what it was whenever we’d driven through the area. We had no idea what it was and hiked a few hundred yards further up to explore it. As it turns out, the town of Canmore gets part of its water supply from the Spray Lakes Reservoir in the the Spray Valley Provincial Park high above the town of Canmore. The tube we found is part of the Three Sisters Hydroelectric Plant that controls the reservoir and helps to move water from the Spray Lakes above to Whitemans Pond and then down to the Quarry Lake reservoir down below.
We carried on to further explore when we began to hear rumors from other hikers that there was a nesting owl nearby. I’ve never seen an owl outside of a zoo before and I’d been waiting for years to see a wild one. In addition to being a bit of a birder, my grandma was mad about owls. She had owl trinkets, owl jewelry, china, clothing, figurines, paintings; you name it. She was obsessed. Ever since her passing, I’d been hoping to see an owl one day; a real, wild owl. When we heard about the owl, I was so excited, I couldn’t hold my camera steady; my hands were shaking so hard I had to get out my tripod. I was so worried she’d be in a tree and fly away before I’d get a chance to see the owl I’d waited so long for. We rushed to the a spot where we could see the cave it was pointed out that she was nesting in high on the very east end of Mount Rundle, and there she was, posed like a proud statue. I was so overcome with emotion that I burst into tears, much to the shock of the hikers around me. Here was the owl I’d been waiting to see; napping in her cave at the edge of the cliff. Through the tears, I managed to get my telephoto lens on my camera, found some level ground and started photographing.
Great Horned Owl in her cave on Rundle Mountain
I probably spent an hour just taking photos of the owl and pointing her out to other hikers. At one point, a fuzzy, grey blob waddled out beside her; one of her owlets (we were told by others that there was more than one baby) came out to gaze sleepily about and then retired as quickly as he came. After some length of time, Shawn implored me to continue to explore the rest of the area. Along the upper edge we found group of climbers scaling the side of Mount Rundle. We hiked back down to the first lake and I pointed out to every hiker we passed how to find the owl as they went up.
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
Preening
Happened to catch a swallow zooming passed
Well, hello!
Seems unimpressed by his audience
Those eyes though…
We decided to take the “difficult” route back down. The difficult path was significantly more taxing than the way up. It had steep steps, sharp cutbacks, slippery spots, but also stunning views looking down on the town of Canmore. A fellow hiker whom I’d talked with about the owl told me where to find lady slipper orchids on the way back down.
Whitemans Pond and the parking lot below
Ha Ling Peak behind the waterfall
Whitemans Pond – The reservoir for water collected from the Spray Lakes above.
We made it safely down, with no bear encounters, but some absolutely amazing views, and a thrilling encounter with a truly stunning owl, who has apparently nested there for the past several years. Grassi Lakes was definitely a gem of a hike. Easy enough for the inexperienced hiker but as challenging as you’d like it to be. Don’t miss this delightful hike, and remember to look up on the side of Rundle Mountain as you reach the upper lake, to spot this lovely owl and maybe and owlet or two.
Lady Slipper Orchids! I didn’t even know there were orchids in Alberta!
Have you done this hike? What other hikes in the Canmore area do you recommend? As always, feel free to share, comment and ask questions. Until next time, happy traveling!
A successful hike. So gorgeous!
A well earned beverage at one of Canmore’s fine pubs post-hike.
Staycation Alberta: The Lake Louise Teahouse Hikes
Posted on June 16, 2018
I love the beach. But I love the mountains nearly as much. In Alberta we are lucky to have the Rocky Mountain range to the west of the province that travels all the way down to the southern border. Mountains are majestic, mysterious and untamed wilderness. I imagine the creatures living out in the dense forests and hidden up in mountain caves; all there but unseen. The air is so fresh, everything is so much more peaceful but also more grand than I find life in the city. For years I’d been wanting to do the tea house hikes near Lake Louise in Banff National Park. In addition to being an avid tea drinker and enthusiast, I like to stay active, try new things and confront fears. I have a fear that keeps me from hiking. I admit it. I have an irrational fear of bears. I say irrational because I know my odds of being attacked or killed by a bear is extraordinarily low. I have better odds of winning the lottery. Based on the number of actual bear attacks vs. other things that can kill you, you’re approximately one million times more likely to die of something other than a bear attack. It was a personal goal of mine to actually do this hike to confront my bear fear and have a great cup of tea on a mountain. We had a few days in August and decided to finally do the hike.
There are two tea houses to chose from in this area. I had it in mind that if I could make it to the closer, Lake Agnes tea house, it would be a success. The Lake Agnes tea house sits at an elevation of 2135 meters (7005 feet) and was built in 1901 by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a shelter for hikers. They began serving tea in 1905 and it has since been expanded from its original size.
Looking down at the tiny looking canoes on Lake Louise
We started out from the Chateau Lake Louise parking lot at about nine o’clock in the morning. We packed sunscreen, bug spray, BEAR SPRAY, water, hats and a ton of snacks. I don’t have proper hiking boots, but my cross trainers did the trick. We layered our clothes as temperatures in the mountains can go from one extreme to another very quickly, even in August, but fortunately it was a warm day with a nice breeze.
Mirror Lake and the little beehive
The path up to Lake Agnes is wide and well groomed and for most people, considered fairly easy. It’s definitely a steady uphill climb of about 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles). I struggled with the elevation and stopped to huff and puff and attempt to regain my composure every 5 or so minutes. My husband was barely out of breath. Don’t take my progress as indication of the trail’s difficulty though; there were young children, and parents toting young children on their backs, passing me at an astonishing rate. While I found the uphill part quite strenuous, the views were amazing with lots of lookout stops. The path is very well traveled and is especially busy during peak season (June-August) so I found I really wasn’t concerned about bears. We stopped at Mirror Lake for a rest and took in the amazing views of the big beehive and the waterfall that runs from Lake Agnes.
Lake Agnes
It took about two hours for us to reach Lake Agnes where we stopped for lunch at the tea house. It was crowed with a long wait for tea, but the views were absolutely stunning.
Some hikers decided to take a cold dip in the lake
After a rest, some lunch and a delicious cup of tea, my husband and a staff member suggested we do “the loop”; a trail that connects the Lake Agnes tea house with the trail to the more remote Plains of the Six Glaciers tea house. Now I was thinking about bears. This Plains Of The Six Glaciers tea house is the lesser traveled of the two (and much farther from civilization). I was thrilled with how much I’d already accomplished but I was already tired. The staff member assured me that the rest of the hike (now a one kilometer hike to the Highline Trail that connects to trails, and then another five kilometers to The Plains of The Six Glaciers tea house) was mostly downhill, as the latter tea house is at a lower elevation. I reluctantly agreed. I still felt daunted by the amount of ground left to cover and slightly concerned if we’d make it back before dark but husband convinced me I could do it.
For the first ten or so minutes we were mostly alone. I started to panic about the possibility of bears and if this trail really would be this quiet all the way to the second tea house. The first set of hikers we ran into on the way to the Highline Trail were less than thrilled when I asked if we could “hike near them” due to my bear fear. They agreed with a certain lack of enthusiasm, assuring me that it was a busy trail, especially at this time of year. They all but guaranteed me I wouldn’t see any bears. 
Within about 20 minutes it became clear that they were right. There were plenty of people on the trail, and in some spots it was so busy, we had to wait for people to pass on the narrow paths before we could go. The hike to the “Six Glaciers” while, not as strenuous at the start, was a long hike. However, I was constantly distracted by the ever changing mountain vistas, valleys and glaciers ahead of us, and how small the Chateau Lake Louise seemed to be getting behind us. There were amazing flowers, stunning rock walls and gorgeous mountain meadows.
Lake Louise and the chateau getting smaller
Headed to the Plains Of The Six Glaciers tea house
The busy trail to the second tea house
As we got closer to our goal, the uphill portion began again and I was starting to tire. We had hikers on their way back from the tea house give us words of encouragement: “keep going!” “You’re almost there!” “Just around the corner!” That last push was really challenging for me. I was breathing pretty hard and a few swear words escaped me. Just as we were about to make the last corner, a loud mechanical whir interrupted the nature sounds as a medical helicopter swooped up from the valley below and up to our destination, just a bit out of sight.
My morbid curiosity peaked (I’ve worked in medicine for nearly a decade now) and finding out what the medical emergency was gave me the energy for the final push. The rumor mill at the tea house was strong and it seemed that a young girl who’d made it up to the top was feeling too unwell to make to 5 km trek back down. Luckily it didn’t seem to be a life threatening emergency, however I imagine it was an expensive helicopter trip…
Mt. Victoria and the Upper Victoria Glacier
Once the excitement subsided I was actually able to take in the INCREDIBLE scenery before me. Towering mountain cliffs that were so high, yet seemed so close. Stunning glaciers, huge moraines and even though there were many people there, still a sense of peaceful isolation being in such a remote place.
The Mitre
We had sandwiches and local tea at the two story, wooden building built in 1924 by Swiss mountain guides. It originally served as a rest stop for climbers on their way to the Abbot Pass. Both the Lake Agnes tea house and the Six Glaciers tea house to this day have no electricity or running water. Supplies are flown in by helicopter in the spring, and additional supplies are packed in (and waste packed back out) by staff. Baked goods are made in wood stoves fresh each day. We learned in chatting with staff members at both tea houses that they usually work a week at a time at the and live and sleep there for the week. At the end of their week they hike out and take supplies down with them. As I recall, even the outhouse waste gets shipped back down the mountain at the end of the season.
Plains Of The Six Glaciers tea house
We explored around the area after our meal and watched across the valley as huge chunks of ice sporadically detached from the mountain sides and caused avalanches below; a delayed, low, rumbling noise that sounded like thunder and explosions in the distance. We didn’t do the additional one kilometer hike from the tea house to the Abott Pass viewpoint as I was concerned about the five kilometers hike back and it was getting a bit later in the day. If you leave time to do this, most people we spoke to recommended the view.
Once of many avalanches we witnessed high up on the glacier
I hoped the hike down would be easier, but alas, the leg muscles you use to walk down (instead of up) were also fatigued by this point. It was at least a change from the uphill climb, and a gradual downhill hike to get back to lake Louise, but my knees were getting pretty wobbly by the time we hit flat ground again.
Lake Louise and the chateau in the distance
I never thought about a bear the entire way back, and again, the scenery was just stunning. We made it back to our car by about five o’clock and had logged 18 kilometers, 29,803 steps and the equivalent of 95 flights of stairs. It was an amazing day and an exhausting one. I was definitely hurting going up and down stairs and getting in and out of the car the next day but I can honestly say it was worth it to get out there and do something that scared me, physically challenged me and allowed me to experience such stunning beauty. The photos could never do this hike the proper justice it deserves. 
I highly recommend you get out there and do one or both of these hikes. If you live in Alberta, go explore our beautiful rocky mountains.If you don’t live here, you really should visit. As usual feel free to comment or ask any questions. Have you done this hike? What did you think? Other hikes to recommend?
Until next time, happy travelling!
Eterno Dia Photography 