Trip report 6/4-6/11
 

To all, I thought I would report back on my trip to the Canadian Rockies. Thanks to all for their advice in helping me plan my trip. Please note that I traveled with my wife and 10 month old. Thus, please forgive some of the short hikes. It becomes tiring carrying 30 pounds on your back all day long.

Day 1 and 2- Arrive/drive to Banff. We stayed at Buffalo Mountain Lodge for 2 days. We ate at Cilantro Cafe one night and Grizzly House the other. The activities for 2 days included walking around the townsite, I was able to play Silvertip Golf (I was on the tenth hole when a Grizzly killed the woman from Canmore, terrible and frightening).
Day 3 and 4 - Stayed at Baker Creek Chalets on the Bow Valley parkway near Lake Louise. Very nice rooms, would recommend to anyone. We hiked Johnston Canyon, Lake Agnes Teahouse, walked around Lake Louise, hiked around Moraine Lake. We ate dinner at Baker Creek and the Bill Peyto's cafe the next night at the hostel (very good cheap food). We also drove to Field, checked out Emerald Lodge, hiked to Hamilton Falls (Takakkaw Falls was closed), walked around Natural Bridge.
Day 5 and 6 - drove to Jasper, via Icefields Parkway, hiked Peyto Lake, snocoach at glacier, Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls. Saw a grizzly at Num-Ti-Jah entrance road (I was parked safely next to a park ranger). We stayed at Beckers Chalets. Very nice accomodation, would recommend. Day 6 we drove to Maligne Canyon and Jasper Park Lodge. We spent an hour in the Miette Hot Springs. At night, took the gondola up Whistler Mountain. We did a lot (probably too much) in day 6.
Day 7- drove to Banff/Canmore. We canceled our reservation at Buffalo Mountain and stayed at Residence Inn in Canmore($129/night). It was a special and much better value. I wasn't overly impressed with Buffalo Mountain for the amount of $$. (P.S. I snuck out and played Stewart Creek GC later that night.) We ate at the Copper Door in Canmore, food was eclectic and good.
Day 8 - drove to airport and back to reality.

Again, thanks for everyone's help.
Joe

Thank you for the trip report, Joe.

Wow, it's quite something that you were on the golf course when the grizzly killed the unfortunate woman from Canmore. :-o

But I'm glad the rest of your trip went well. No need to apologise for doing short hikes. I think you did very well. In fact I take my hat off to you for hiking to Lake Agnes Teahouse with a baby.

"It becomes tiring carrying 30 pounds on your back all day long." Too bad your son/daughter cannot respond to that.

Sounds like a nice trip!

We have stayed at Baker Creek a couple times, and will be returning again next summer. I am glad that you enjoyed it there.

We like the Lake Agnes hike as well. We won't have a baby with us, but we are hoping to get some nonhiker family members to go there with us.

Hi Joe
Thanks for the interseting trip report - can you elaborate about the food prices in Lake Louise - we have been told that everything is very expensive there - we are also staying at Bakers - what was the restaurant like?
Any details would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks