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Message
Banff Trip Review
Posted on 12/27/19 at 7:10 pm
Posted on 12/27/19 at 7:10 pm
Alberta, Canada July 20th-26th 2019
7/20/19
• Landed in Calgary around 2pm and picked up rental car from Avis
• Stayed at the Summit at Grande Rockies Room 403 in Canmore. We had a 3 bedroom condo with a balcony with a gas grill and another balcony with a hot tub. Both had amazing views of Three Sisters Mountain. One bedroom has a queen murphy bed but it was comfortable.
• Dinner at Park Distillery Restaurant and Bar in downtown Banff, we made reservations because we were a group of 7. Food here was ok nothing amazing but atmosphere was cool.
7/21/19
• Left at 5am and headed to Norquay Lookout, it was extremely foggy and we were unable to see the views that morning. It was an interesting experience though because of the steep incline we all felt drunk.
• From here we headed to Johnston Canyon and hiked the lower and upper falls.
• Then we headed to Lake Minnewanka, we walked around and hung out here. We wish we could have came back here and spent time kayaking!
• We then headed to Tank 310 in Canmore for a few beers and then walked to Grizzly Paw Brewery Downtown for lunch.
• That afternoon we headed to Grassi Lakes where we took the more difficult hike to the left that has beautiful waterfall views up to the Grassi Lakes. We then hiked down the more easier trail out.
• We stopped and picked up Red Rock Pizza for dinner.
7/22/19
• Left at 5am and headed to Moraine Lake, you MUST get here early to get a parking spot. The parking lot is small and they close it down early requiring you to take a shuttle there. Some people had been out there since 4am.
• We then headed to Lake Louise.
• Our first hike of the day was the Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike. This hike first hits Mirror Lake with views of Big Beehive. It then gets to Lake Agnes where we stopped and had snacks and tea at the Lake Agnes Teahouse.
• We then did the Big Beehive Hike which ended with amazing views of Lake Louise.
• Instead of heading back down Big Beehive the same way we came we decided to take the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail down. We hiked to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse and had some lemonade before heading back to Lake Louise.
• We hiked a total of 13 miles with an elevation gain of 7,500ft in 8hrs.
• We grilled steaks at the condo that night and relaxed in the hot tub.
7/23/19
• Whitewater rafting with Chinook Rafting on Horseshoe Canyon with cliff jumping into the river. This was a half day tour and cost $114/person. Our guide was Calvin and he was amazing! It was class 3-4 rapids and the cliff jump had an option of 8ft or 30ft. They supply all the equipment you need and post the photos for free on the website within 48hrs or you can purchase a flash drive for $30 that day with higher quality photos.
• We picked up pizza from Boston Pizza in Canmore on the way back to the condo where we relaxed in the hot tub after being in the freezing cold river water!
• That afternoon we headed to Norquay Lookout again with an ice chest of beer. We hung out here for a while drinking and soaking in the amazing views of Banff and the Vermilion Lakes.
• On the way down we stopped by the Vermilion Lakes.
• We then headed to The Elk and Oarsman for dinner in downtown Banff. They have a rooftop area but it was pretty packed so we sat inside.
7/24/19
• Breakfast at Rocky Mountain Bagel Co across the street from our condo. It was amazing and they have a little rooftop area where you can eat.
• This was the only day we got rain so during a break in the rain we headed to Tunnel Mountain. We made the mistake of parking at the first parking lot where there is a very steep first part of the climb but you can skip this by heading to the second parking lot. Beautiful views of Banff and the Bow River from up here. On the way down we got rained on but it turned out to be a fun trip down in the rain!
• We then headed to downtown Banff for drinks and snacks at Tommy’s Pub.
• Hot tub drinking and fajitas for dinner at the condo.
7/25/19
• This morning we left really early at 3am to hit the Icefield Parkway and head to Jasper. This was a long day on the road but we saw lots of wildlife. Here are a list of the stops we made.
• Goats and Glaciers Lookout
• Athabasca Falls
• Maligne Lake
• Medicine Lake
• Downtown Jasper
• Pyramid Lake Beach for lunch
• Pyramid Island
• Sunwapta Falls
• Athabasca Glacier Tour- this was $115/person and included the Glacier Skywalk
• Glacier Skywalk
• Mistaya Canyon
• Peyto Lake
• Banff Ave Brewing for dinner
7/26/19
• We overslept this morning and were unable to get to Moraine Lake so we headed to Lake Louise for a final goodbye.
• We then headed to Calgary where we stopped for breakfast at Diner Deluxe, which was AMAZING!
• We then went have a beer at Elite Brewing and Cidery before heading to the airport for our flight.
7/20/19
• Landed in Calgary around 2pm and picked up rental car from Avis
• Stayed at the Summit at Grande Rockies Room 403 in Canmore. We had a 3 bedroom condo with a balcony with a gas grill and another balcony with a hot tub. Both had amazing views of Three Sisters Mountain. One bedroom has a queen murphy bed but it was comfortable.
• Dinner at Park Distillery Restaurant and Bar in downtown Banff, we made reservations because we were a group of 7. Food here was ok nothing amazing but atmosphere was cool.
7/21/19
• Left at 5am and headed to Norquay Lookout, it was extremely foggy and we were unable to see the views that morning. It was an interesting experience though because of the steep incline we all felt drunk.
• From here we headed to Johnston Canyon and hiked the lower and upper falls.
• Then we headed to Lake Minnewanka, we walked around and hung out here. We wish we could have came back here and spent time kayaking!
• We then headed to Tank 310 in Canmore for a few beers and then walked to Grizzly Paw Brewery Downtown for lunch.
• That afternoon we headed to Grassi Lakes where we took the more difficult hike to the left that has beautiful waterfall views up to the Grassi Lakes. We then hiked down the more easier trail out.
• We stopped and picked up Red Rock Pizza for dinner.
7/22/19
• Left at 5am and headed to Moraine Lake, you MUST get here early to get a parking spot. The parking lot is small and they close it down early requiring you to take a shuttle there. Some people had been out there since 4am.
• We then headed to Lake Louise.
• Our first hike of the day was the Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike. This hike first hits Mirror Lake with views of Big Beehive. It then gets to Lake Agnes where we stopped and had snacks and tea at the Lake Agnes Teahouse.
• We then did the Big Beehive Hike which ended with amazing views of Lake Louise.
• Instead of heading back down Big Beehive the same way we came we decided to take the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail down. We hiked to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse and had some lemonade before heading back to Lake Louise.
• We hiked a total of 13 miles with an elevation gain of 7,500ft in 8hrs.
• We grilled steaks at the condo that night and relaxed in the hot tub.
7/23/19
• Whitewater rafting with Chinook Rafting on Horseshoe Canyon with cliff jumping into the river. This was a half day tour and cost $114/person. Our guide was Calvin and he was amazing! It was class 3-4 rapids and the cliff jump had an option of 8ft or 30ft. They supply all the equipment you need and post the photos for free on the website within 48hrs or you can purchase a flash drive for $30 that day with higher quality photos.
• We picked up pizza from Boston Pizza in Canmore on the way back to the condo where we relaxed in the hot tub after being in the freezing cold river water!
• That afternoon we headed to Norquay Lookout again with an ice chest of beer. We hung out here for a while drinking and soaking in the amazing views of Banff and the Vermilion Lakes.
• On the way down we stopped by the Vermilion Lakes.
• We then headed to The Elk and Oarsman for dinner in downtown Banff. They have a rooftop area but it was pretty packed so we sat inside.
7/24/19
• Breakfast at Rocky Mountain Bagel Co across the street from our condo. It was amazing and they have a little rooftop area where you can eat.
• This was the only day we got rain so during a break in the rain we headed to Tunnel Mountain. We made the mistake of parking at the first parking lot where there is a very steep first part of the climb but you can skip this by heading to the second parking lot. Beautiful views of Banff and the Bow River from up here. On the way down we got rained on but it turned out to be a fun trip down in the rain!
• We then headed to downtown Banff for drinks and snacks at Tommy’s Pub.
• Hot tub drinking and fajitas for dinner at the condo.
7/25/19
• This morning we left really early at 3am to hit the Icefield Parkway and head to Jasper. This was a long day on the road but we saw lots of wildlife. Here are a list of the stops we made.
• Goats and Glaciers Lookout
• Athabasca Falls
• Maligne Lake
• Medicine Lake
• Downtown Jasper
• Pyramid Lake Beach for lunch
• Pyramid Island
• Sunwapta Falls
• Athabasca Glacier Tour- this was $115/person and included the Glacier Skywalk
• Glacier Skywalk
• Mistaya Canyon
• Peyto Lake
• Banff Ave Brewing for dinner
7/26/19
• We overslept this morning and were unable to get to Moraine Lake so we headed to Lake Louise for a final goodbye.
• We then headed to Calgary where we stopped for breakfast at Diner Deluxe, which was AMAZING!
• We then went have a beer at Elite Brewing and Cidery before heading to the airport for our flight.
3
Posted on 12/27/19 at 8:36 pm to Southernhippie
frickin’ A! You did it right!!!
We clearly didn’t hit near as many places as you guys did, but below are some pics of the places we did visit....also in July
We clearly didn’t hit near as many places as you guys did, but below are some pics of the places we did visit....also in July
This post was edited on 12/27/19 at 10:45 pm
Posted on 12/27/19 at 9:11 pm to Southernhippie
Damn, I’m jealous you got such perfect weather for pictures. We stayed in Canmore in September with an almost identical itinerary aside from the rafting. Hope you had poutine at Park Distillery then washed it down with a Cow’s shake.
Posted on 12/27/19 at 10:41 pm to AmosMosesAndTwins
Here are some pics from a recent visit to Banff National Park and also Kananaskis Country. For our itinerary, we did this:
Day 1 (started at 7am): Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon
Day 2 (started at 9am): Rawson Lake
Day 3 (started at 5am): Moraine Lake, Grassi Lakes
What I would do if we did this again:
Day 1 (start at 5am): Moraine Lake, Lake Louise
Day 2 (start at 9am): Rawson Lake
Day 3 (start at 9am): Johnston Canyon, Grassi Lakes
::::::: LAKE LOUISE :::::::
We arrived early but not early enough. Parking is pretty limited at the top of the mountain where Lake Louise actually is. So, we parked at the bottom (AKA "the village") and hiked up to the top. We didn't do the tea house trail because we were too tired from hoofing it up to the top from the onset. Mistake. We had lunch at the Fairmont right on the lake. Food was awesome and the view even better.
::::::: JOHNSTON CANYON :::::::
We took the advice from a local and showed up at 5pm...we parked right near the entrance and essentially had the trails to ourselves. I would suggest following this advice. The canyon is FULL of waterfalls and rapids, you can feel the temperature drop bigtime as you get closed to a waterfall.
::::::: TOWN OF CANMORE :::::::
We stayed at this little hotel because it was clean, cheap, and had an outdoor hot tub which was CLUTCH after hiking all day. Overall, the town of Canmore is awesome with a bustling food scene. A river runs right through the middle and everything is walking distance. It's nestled in a valley so the views all around you are spectacular.
::::::: RAWSON LAKE (KANANASIS COUNTRY) :::::::
This hike took most of our day. Total round trip was aounr 10 miles. We stopped for lunch along the way and took our time getting to the backside of the lake. We saw a moose and 2 grizzly bears but they were so far my iPhone camera wouldn't have been able to capture them. Most of the hike (going) is uphill so prepare yourself if you are a novice like us.
Something was peculiar about this overturned tree, not sure what prompted the photo but I took one anyway.
Day 1 (started at 7am): Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon
Day 2 (started at 9am): Rawson Lake
Day 3 (started at 5am): Moraine Lake, Grassi Lakes
What I would do if we did this again:
Day 1 (start at 5am): Moraine Lake, Lake Louise
Day 2 (start at 9am): Rawson Lake
Day 3 (start at 9am): Johnston Canyon, Grassi Lakes
::::::: LAKE LOUISE :::::::
We arrived early but not early enough. Parking is pretty limited at the top of the mountain where Lake Louise actually is. So, we parked at the bottom (AKA "the village") and hiked up to the top. We didn't do the tea house trail because we were too tired from hoofing it up to the top from the onset. Mistake. We had lunch at the Fairmont right on the lake. Food was awesome and the view even better.
::::::: JOHNSTON CANYON :::::::
We took the advice from a local and showed up at 5pm...we parked right near the entrance and essentially had the trails to ourselves. I would suggest following this advice. The canyon is FULL of waterfalls and rapids, you can feel the temperature drop bigtime as you get closed to a waterfall.
::::::: TOWN OF CANMORE :::::::
We stayed at this little hotel because it was clean, cheap, and had an outdoor hot tub which was CLUTCH after hiking all day. Overall, the town of Canmore is awesome with a bustling food scene. A river runs right through the middle and everything is walking distance. It's nestled in a valley so the views all around you are spectacular.
::::::: RAWSON LAKE (KANANASIS COUNTRY) :::::::
This hike took most of our day. Total round trip was aounr 10 miles. We stopped for lunch along the way and took our time getting to the backside of the lake. We saw a moose and 2 grizzly bears but they were so far my iPhone camera wouldn't have been able to capture them. Most of the hike (going) is uphill so prepare yourself if you are a novice like us.
Something was peculiar about this overturned tree, not sure what prompted the photo but I took one anyway.
Posted on 12/27/19 at 10:42 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
::::::: MORAINE LAKE :::::::
We got there at 5:30am and there were already over 50 people perched on the "rock pile" to get that money shot of the sunrise hitting the mountain peaks. Parking is VERY limited and the road coming into the park is usually closed by 7am due to traffic coming in.
::::::: GRASSI LAKES :::::::
This is a fairly easy hike. They have both easy and hard trails to go up and back down. We took the easy trail up and the hard one down so we could see the various views. Worth it. The lakes at the top are fairy tale beautiful, so clear it was unreal. As with previous pics, lots of waterfalls in July from the melting snow...the sound was very relaxing. Once at the top, there was a shear face that several people were climbing.
We got there at 5:30am and there were already over 50 people perched on the "rock pile" to get that money shot of the sunrise hitting the mountain peaks. Parking is VERY limited and the road coming into the park is usually closed by 7am due to traffic coming in.
::::::: GRASSI LAKES :::::::
This is a fairly easy hike. They have both easy and hard trails to go up and back down. We took the easy trail up and the hard one down so we could see the various views. Worth it. The lakes at the top are fairy tale beautiful, so clear it was unreal. As with previous pics, lots of waterfalls in July from the melting snow...the sound was very relaxing. Once at the top, there was a shear face that several people were climbing.
Posted on 12/28/19 at 5:31 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
quote:
HoustonGumbeauxGuy
I actually used your advice to map out our days while we were there.
Posted on 12/28/19 at 6:52 am to AmosMosesAndTwins
Posted on 12/28/19 at 8:58 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
We really wanted to do Rawson Lake but it was closed due to grizzly bears. It looks amazing from your photos! We went to Grassi Lakes around 5pm and had it to ourselves. We also went to Johnston Canyon fairly early and had it to ourselves until we were on our way out around 9am and it had gotten super crowded. My crew wanted to kill me with the early wake up calls but we did get to fit in a whole lot and miss the crowds. I definitely cannot wait to go back!
Posted on 12/29/19 at 3:11 am to Southernhippie
Looks like a badass trip! Thanks for the review. We’re hoping to do Banff next September! How long did it take to get from Canmore to lake Louise and other popular spots?
Posted on 12/29/19 at 12:24 pm to UncleRuckus
It took about 1 hour to get to Lake Louise from Canmore. Downtown Banff is about 20 minutes away and most of the places we went aside from the Ice Fields Parkway day was about 1 hour. It does not seem that long though with all of the views while driving. The town of Canmore was really nice and there were a lot of places to eat in the town.
Posted on 12/29/19 at 3:55 pm to Southernhippie
What was the temperature like for your respective trip dates? Thinking of going late May to avoid some of the crowds.
Posted on 12/29/19 at 5:19 pm to keeper007
It was in the 50's-60's most days but we did have one day that it got up to the 80's. I had a friend go in May last year it was still pretty cold and a lot was still frozen over so not all of the hikes were open but it is doable. They were able to do Johnston Canyon and Grassi Lakes but the Tea House hikes at Lake Louise were closed.
Posted on 1/4/20 at 1:11 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
HoustonGumbeauxGuy you have an email so I could ask you a few questions on the trip? We're booked for July and want to make the most of the four days we're there. Thanks!
Posted on 1/4/20 at 1:46 pm to keeper007
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