Trip report -- Canadian Rockies
Jul 1st, 2008 | 06:38 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Trip report -- Canadian Rockies
Since I got so much great info reading other people's posts as we planned our trip, I wanted to return the favor now that we're back. We had an AMAZING time last week (June 22-28).
It was decent weather, in mid-60s F for most of the days, nights were colder, the last few days got into the low 70s as long as we were in the sun. Rained once or twice most days, but only short intense rains, then the sun would come back out.
We flew into Calgary, rented a car, and drove to Emerald Lake. Stayed 2 nights at the Emerald Lake Lodge (we were splurging since it was our anniversary). Great food, nice wine, good service, even tho we walked in about 30 min from closing time. We had a lake view room on the second floor, near the main lodge, which was nice except for the second night when people decided to stay at the fire pit til 2:30AM and were SO loud they woke me up. I called the front desk and they took care of it right away. We just did a leisurely walk around the lake, but it was really interesting the different environments that we went through. Saw a moose on one hill.
Dinner the second night at Walliser Stube at the Fairmont Hotel on Lake Louise (we love fondue, but thought that it was only ok, not great food) Unfortunately didn't have time to do the hike to the tea room, which was a bummer.
Drove the next day up the Icefields Parkway and it is now clear to me why that is billed as one of the most beautiful drives in the world! Stopped about halfway for a "sno coach" tour onto the Athabasca Glacier and that was surreal, walking on the glacier!
IN Jasper, we stayed at the Alpine Village, about 2 km south of the townsite and had a very nice cottage with king bed, fireplace, little porch. Nice outdoor hot tub. They are building 3 new cottages, so there was some unfortunate construction noise, but nothing major. Went rafting one day, with a company that picked us up at our cottage. Started at the Athabasca falls and went about 12 km, in mostly class 1s, with a few short class 2 rapids. AWESOME going through the canyon at the start.
Ate at a very disappointing Jasper Brew Pub (even the beer was poor) the first night, then LOVED the dinner at Beckers Chalet (drinks outdoors sitting by the river and "Beckers rapids" with the sun setting was breath taking), and were pleasantly surpised with the dinner the last night at Evil Daves (best salmon I've had in a long time, and I eat ALOT of salmon!)
Drove to Maligne Lake the second day with the intention of kayaking, but weather didn't cooperate so we took the boat tour in the downpour to Spirit Island intead. Saw TONS of mountain goats, big horn sheep, some elk, deer, a couple of bears, including one little cub munching obliviously by the side of the road, with dozens of people climbing out of their cars to get closer. We stayed on our car, figuring that if there's a baby, there's likely to be a mama bear not too far off!
Drove back down the parkway the next day, stopping to see Sunwapta Falls and Peyto Lake from Bow Summit. Peyto Lake was unreal in its color (even after basking in the glory that is Emerald Lake!) Some nice wildflowers to photograph, but was still early in the season for that.
Stayed in Banff our last night at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge and we were really disappointed. We were in the older section of the lodge and it showed, esp in the bathroom. The traffic on Tunnel Mountain Road and Drive was much busier and noisier than expected, incl. drunken sounding folks late night/early AM walking home from town, and the trains going through Tunnel Mountain woke me up a few times. I would ask for a room in the newer wing, on the interior of the lodge. We had a great dinner our last night there at the Maple Leaf Grille.
One of our best trips and took almost 200 pix to show for it! Hope this helps someone else planning a trip in the future...
Cheers!
It was decent weather, in mid-60s F for most of the days, nights were colder, the last few days got into the low 70s as long as we were in the sun. Rained once or twice most days, but only short intense rains, then the sun would come back out.
We flew into Calgary, rented a car, and drove to Emerald Lake. Stayed 2 nights at the Emerald Lake Lodge (we were splurging since it was our anniversary). Great food, nice wine, good service, even tho we walked in about 30 min from closing time. We had a lake view room on the second floor, near the main lodge, which was nice except for the second night when people decided to stay at the fire pit til 2:30AM and were SO loud they woke me up. I called the front desk and they took care of it right away. We just did a leisurely walk around the lake, but it was really interesting the different environments that we went through. Saw a moose on one hill.
Dinner the second night at Walliser Stube at the Fairmont Hotel on Lake Louise (we love fondue, but thought that it was only ok, not great food) Unfortunately didn't have time to do the hike to the tea room, which was a bummer.
Drove the next day up the Icefields Parkway and it is now clear to me why that is billed as one of the most beautiful drives in the world! Stopped about halfway for a "sno coach" tour onto the Athabasca Glacier and that was surreal, walking on the glacier!
IN Jasper, we stayed at the Alpine Village, about 2 km south of the townsite and had a very nice cottage with king bed, fireplace, little porch. Nice outdoor hot tub. They are building 3 new cottages, so there was some unfortunate construction noise, but nothing major. Went rafting one day, with a company that picked us up at our cottage. Started at the Athabasca falls and went about 12 km, in mostly class 1s, with a few short class 2 rapids. AWESOME going through the canyon at the start.
Ate at a very disappointing Jasper Brew Pub (even the beer was poor) the first night, then LOVED the dinner at Beckers Chalet (drinks outdoors sitting by the river and "Beckers rapids" with the sun setting was breath taking), and were pleasantly surpised with the dinner the last night at Evil Daves (best salmon I've had in a long time, and I eat ALOT of salmon!)
Drove to Maligne Lake the second day with the intention of kayaking, but weather didn't cooperate so we took the boat tour in the downpour to Spirit Island intead. Saw TONS of mountain goats, big horn sheep, some elk, deer, a couple of bears, including one little cub munching obliviously by the side of the road, with dozens of people climbing out of their cars to get closer. We stayed on our car, figuring that if there's a baby, there's likely to be a mama bear not too far off!
Drove back down the parkway the next day, stopping to see Sunwapta Falls and Peyto Lake from Bow Summit. Peyto Lake was unreal in its color (even after basking in the glory that is Emerald Lake!) Some nice wildflowers to photograph, but was still early in the season for that.
Stayed in Banff our last night at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge and we were really disappointed. We were in the older section of the lodge and it showed, esp in the bathroom. The traffic on Tunnel Mountain Road and Drive was much busier and noisier than expected, incl. drunken sounding folks late night/early AM walking home from town, and the trains going through Tunnel Mountain woke me up a few times. I would ask for a room in the newer wing, on the interior of the lodge. We had a great dinner our last night there at the Maple Leaf Grille.
One of our best trips and took almost 200 pix to show for it! Hope this helps someone else planning a trip in the future...
Cheers!
Jul 2nd, 2008 | 07:59 PM
#3
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 593
Likes: 0
Thanks for posting! It's always so good to hear what people enjoyed and their opinions of things. FWIW, I agree with you, both on Evil Dave's (yum! ... or should I say "wicked"?) and on the Jasper Brew Pub. We *want* to like the brew pub (we like craft beers, we like the décor and ambiance, and we want to support the young Jasperites who opened it and are trying to make a go of it) and we keep going back hoping it's better, but their food and beer are underwhelming. There's one I like - the cream ale, I think it is, but the honey ale (which I would normally LOVE) tastes skunky to me.
