Driving from Glacier National Park to the Canadian border and into the heart of the Canadian Rockies was impressive. The drive through the small Montana towns of Whitefish and Eureka were charming and quaint. The mountains seemed so big with vast evergreen Douglas Fir forests. We did however go through a rather large section of fire damaged forest in the Kootenay National Park, but the regrowth was well on her way. Passing through customs took no longer than long, stop light. They didn’t even ask to see the animals’ health certificates.

Upon entering the Banff National Park area we were greeted with a light rain shower and magnificent mountain rainbow. I’m starting to get pretty handy with the camera inside of our RV… with windshield glare and bugs it can be tricky! It’s not easy to stop this unit on 8% gradient downhill for the viewing off of turn offs!

We are staying in the Lake Louise campground with no cell phone, amenities or Internet service. (not a big deal if we didn’t have online lessons that have to be completed by Tuesday morning’s virtual classes. ) Looks like we will be leaving a day early heading to Jasper for less crowds and more WiFi. (early morning and evenings are key times to get school done). I know I keep harping on this subject, but it’s been quite a juggling act to manage the 7^th grade, online classes, and internet services while in the mountains!… and no, we cannot blow it off just for a few weeks.   Paid WAY too much fort this curriculum for S to get a failing grade because she’s out seeing life. Coincidentally, the Calvert Geography course we are currently studying is of the Canadian Rockies and Pacific rail system, wildlife and geology with mentions of Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Did you know that Banff receives over 4 million visitors a year? This weekend is the Banff fall festival and it is VERY crowded. The weather is spectacular. Crystal clear, magnificent blue skies, with highs in the lower 60’s and cool nights. No wonder it’s crowded!

Saturday we hiked from and back to Lake Louise, about 17km or 10 miles, WITH the dogs. Although the US and Canada share the Rocky Mountains, part of the cordillera, (a group of mountain ranges that run side by side) Canada allows dogs in their parks and the US does not. Needless to say it was blast hiking with Ella and Banjo.

The first part of the hike took us to Lake Agnes Teahouse, where we had a picnic lunch and watched the tourists. We then began heading in a little deeper in on the trails, taking us around Lake Agnes and up Big Beehive Mountain, a 7400 ft glacier-formed peak/peninsula with stunning views of both Lake Louise and Lake Agnes. (We began our hike at an elevation of 5600 ft.) From there we descended down through the wooded switchback rocky trail, and the wonderful scent of pine and sweet forest smells. The air is so clean and fresh. Once we were out of the forest, we hugged the rocky edge just a few hundred feet up from a glacier fed, moraine-banked river. Surrounded by imminent landslides, and big erratic boulders waiting for their race down the mountain to carve new paths of their time in history. Upon reaching a glacier plateau we were treated to gorgeous views of the 6 glaciers in front of us and Lake Louise to our back. No matter where you looked it was just spectacular! We then began our ascent up the rocky, rugged trail to the Plain of 6 Glaciers Teahouse. A small rustic cabin in the mountains with large tea kettles on an open gas flame, with eager tourists waiting for their orders to be taken… we too treated ourselves to tea and butter/honey biscuits. This was certainly a unexpected treasure to enjoy, after much hiking behind us and more to go!

From there it was several miles of downhill trekking with magnificent views of the milky, turquoise colored Lake Louise. The glacier fed rivers, streams and lakes are a brilliant color of pastel blues and turquoise, due to the effect of the “glacial flour”, composed of the minerals that have been ground down by the glacial action and deposited into the waters over history. Very surreal and photogenic bodies of water especially when surrounded with towering mountains and out of space looking rock and moraine.

Next stop… Jasper.

Note to Jim… “Either retract awning or cut down tree…….”