We arrived in Banff excited to get on our bikes and out on the trails. We chose the Legacy Trail for our first ride from our campground (Tunnel 1) and enjoyed an exciting descent into Canmore and a dramatic climb back home. Nice to get our sea legs back under us. Maddie had other ideas and immediately took us for a hike around our campground where she was entertained by teams of elk and other local talent.
Lake Louise was our first “must do” destination and we weren’t disappointed once we got away from the Disney-esque crowds that surrounded the lake. A beautiful 9 mile day which was a great stretch/test for my newly healed tibial plateau fracture. Poles are essential and this hike was awesome.
Lake Louise was amazing and there is so much more to Banff. The next day we chose a double header: hike Johnston Falls and then ride the ”bike only” section of the Bow Valley Parkway.
First Johnston Canyon. We have to say the first clue should have been how full the huge parking lots were that service this feature. While the falls are stunning the huge crowds on this early day in June where definitely way more than we bargained for. Dogs on leash are very clearly welcome so we excitedly included our four legged fearless companion. The paved path (second clue) was barely two people wide most of the trail up the narrow canyon and the multinational throngs of jubuliant tourists paid little attention to their fellow peers on the path. It was a great training opportunity for Maddie and she passed with flying colors. I have to rely on Dan’s photography to share this experience as I was literally shoved aside time and time again by groups of folks who wanted all the space and time to view each feature of this “hike”. I did marvel at the engineering that has gone into keeping this path safe for all.
We returned to our spot in overflow parking and after a quick lunch and putting Maddie down for a much deserved nap, we headed out on our bicycles and away from the crowds. In a word: redemption. This amazing stretch of highway is closed to car traffic until the end of June. We did see handfuls of fellow cyclist along the way and a little bit of the wildlife Banff is so well known for.
With the knowledge that we have only scratched the surface here, we chose to continue our journey up Icefields Parkway towards Jasper. Our stop at Bow Lake where we got our first taste for the amazing colors of truly glacial lakes.
