Yoho, Jasper and Banff in 11 days
 

Hello, My husband and I are planning a 20th Anniversary trip for the summer of 2007. We will be in the Rockies late June/early July. This board has been very helpful for our planning, thanks to many of you for your efforts!

I'm currently in the process of booking lodging. This is where I am hoping to get some help...I'd like to make sure we have planned the right number of nights in each area before finalizing our lodging.

I would also appreciate any comments on our itinerary choices. We are not big hikers, but do want to do short hikes that are worth the effort. We would like to see as much of the beautiful scenery as possible; however, we don't want to be running from place to place.

Here is my tentative plan:

Day 1 - Arrive Calgary 2:30 p.m. Pick up rental car and drive to Lake Louise, hopefully arriving by 6:30 p.m. Lodging- Lake Louise.

Day 2 - Moraine Lake, hike and canoe rental. On to Lake Louise, walk around lake and check out Chateau Lake Louise. Lodging again at Lake Louise.

Day 3 - White Water Rafting on Kicking Horse River, leaves Golden at 11:30 a.m. (How long should it take to drive from L.L. to Golden?) 3rd night lodging in Lake Louise

Day 4 - Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, Spiral Tunnels, Natural Bridge, Gondola at Kicking Horse Resort with lunch at Eagle's Eye. Final night of lodging at Lake Louise.

Day 5 - Get up early and drive the Icefields Parkway. Plan for stops at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Columbia Icefield, Sunwapta Falls. Lodging (late) in Jasper.

Day 6 - Angel Glacier/Cavell Meadows hike. Lodging again in Jasper.

Day 7 - Maligne Canyon and possibly Maligne Lake. This day is a difficult one to plan. We will be driving to Canmore for lodging on this night, and I believe that will take 4-5 hours? I'm not sure if it is realistic to do the canyon and lake combined with the Canmore drive. I expect that we might stop at places along the Icefields Parkway that might have been missed on the way up (due to weather or time constraints). Is the lake a "must do" compared to the other lakes that we will have already seen? (lodging in Canmore)

Days 8&9 - Plain of Six Glaciers to Teahouse, Johnston Canyon, check out Fairmont Banff Springs and town of Banff. (lodging in Canmore again)

Day 10 - Not sure what to do on the last day, any suggestions? We have an early flight out on Day 11, so we will be staying overnight in Calgary on this night.

Some general questions:

Just wondering the impact of Canada Day to our plans...are places closed, or especially busy on the 1st? Is there a good place to go and/or avoid on Canada Day? This will be during our Yoho visit.

What are your thoughts on Lake Minnewanka? Also, what about Grassi Lakes in Canmore? Another thought is Kananaskis Country?

My husband is interested in seeing wildlife, especially bear. Where might our best chances of wildlife sightings be?

Please feel free to provide any input on these plans, especially if I have figured too much/too little on an area.

Thanks so much for any guidance!

Visit Judy in Calgary's website--it will likely answer many of your questions.

http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...Tips/home.msnw

If I read this idea correctly, you plan on staying in Canmore and then backtracking quite a few miles to do the Plain of
Six Glaciers trail. That is a fair amount of backtracking.

Why not stay one night longer at Lake Louise the first time around and save that reverse driving.

Also, you are leaving out Athabasca Falls.

The Cavell Meadows hike that early in the season might well be closed depending on snow fall and temperatures.

I think your itinerary is typical of that planned by people who for some reason want to cover a lot of ground and spend little time gaining an close perspective of more remote areas.

I did that the first time, but on subsequent trips I have wanted to do more on the trails. Now I am glad I did because age has cut my range and my ambitions.

I think if you acquire a copy of The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Patton and Robinson, you will begin to get an idea of what you are bypassing.

For that last day, why not drive to Peter Lougheed park? It has some interest and the route down there passes through some spectacularly carved glacial mountain faces.

Your plans, unfortunately, ignore Kootney Park, which has some worthwhile features as well, although the best of Kootenay is hard to reach because of the distance from the paved roads.

Your plans could also include another night in or near Jasper with a ride up the gondola to the top of the Whistler,. If you get a clear day, visit Mount Robson and at least walk as far as Kinny Lake for a view of the top of the mountain, some 8,000 feet above you.

Although less than 13,000 feet, Robson is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Despite its somewhat low altitude on a comparative basis, the vertical height difference between base and summit can be as great as 10,000 feet which is awesome if your intent is to climb to the top.

As for the right number of nights, who is to say what is "right?" I sometimes stay 4 and 5 nights in one place!!

Thanks for reminding me about Athabasca Falls, not sure how I left that one off the list! Your suggestion of the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail while in Lake Louise makes a lot more sense. I'll move some things around to fit that in where it should be...

For now, I left off the gondola in Jasper because we plan to do the gondola in Golden near the beginning of our trip. If we don't have a clear day in Golden, we'll do the gondola in Jasper instead.

I have ordered some hiking and travel books that were not available in our local bookstores. I'm sure they will help fill in the gaps. This board is so great for those all important personal opinions of worthwhile things to do and see. I will also look into your other suggestions for our last day.

Sounds like you have a good plan. No plan is perfect really. I have been there several times and always leave out something. Over the years I have seen a good bit, but there are still remote places I will not ever reach.

I am just happy with what I have done so far. Last summer we reached the upper reaches of Waterfall Valley in Yoho which is not on a marked trail. It was perhaps for me the culmination of my visits out there.

I will go back to the Rockies, hopefully, but I doubt if I will ever again penetrate far into the wilderness.

So my advice is to do all you can while you can. None of it is wrong if you enjoy it.

Wildlife viewing within Jasper and Banff NP does not run in structured channels as it does is other Nationalparks. Guided trips are very rare. You better visit another area, if you are looking for extensive bear viewing trips.

You have to look for yourself. Most people see raodside bears from their car, but only a limited number of people see bears on a hike.

We saw bears in Jasper NP at Miettte hotsprings road, Maligne Lake road and Icefield highway. But you never know and we had also long periods without any bear sightings.

Can anyone comment on the impact of Canada Day on our travels? Specifically, are there places around Lake Louise or Yoho that should be avoided that day due to crowds? Would this be a good day to go rafting? I would venture to guess that most places are open for business, but I'm not sure.
Thanks!

We saw way more wildlife in the Jasper area than in the Lake Louise-Banff area, though we preferred the former for hiking. We saw a bear on Maligne Lake Road. We saw another one, with cubs, heading up to Athabasca Falls. You'll increase your chances if you're on the road at dawn or dusk. Warning: some foolish people try to feed or pet the wildlife, which creates a dangerous situation for both man and beast. I saw a baby bighorn sheep narrowly miss getting hit as it crossed a highway to get to the "feeding station". also, cars suddenly stop quite suddenly when wildlife is spied.

>>>>>>Can anyone comment on the impact of Canada Day on our travels?<<<<<<

The whole of the Canada Day long weekend usually is busy in the mountains. In 2007, July 1st will fall on a Sunday, so the Canada Day public holiday will be on Monday, July 2nd. But that is sort of academic because, as I said, the entire long weekend typically is busy in the mountains.

>>>>>>Specifically, are there places around Lake Louise or Yoho that should be avoided that day due to crowds?<<<<<<

The popular places in the Banff and Lake Louise areas and along the Icefields Parkway probably will be very busy. I'm thinking of popular scenic attractions like Johnston Canyon, Moraine Lake, the lake of Lake Louise, Peyto Lake and the Columbia Icefields.

>>>>>>Would this be a good day to go rafting?<<<<<<

Yes, I think it would be a good day to go rafting (albeit you would need advanced reservations, of course). In fact Yoho National Park in general would be a good place to be, in the sense that it's a <b>little</b> off the beaten path, at least it is when you compare it with Banff townsite and Lake Louise. But keep in mind that it is not just Canada Day but the whole weekend that is busy.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;I would venture to guess that most places are open for business, but I'm not sure.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Yes, they are.

You can read about the parade, fireworks display and other festivities in Banff townsite on this web page:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g154911-c4358/

Hope that helps.

Thanks again everyone, this information is very helpful.

Judy, we'll take your advice and schedule a rafting trip on the 1st. About how long would you say it will take to drive to Golden from Lake Louise, assuming no stops? (We are planning to make the scenery stops on another day.)

One new question...I found out that our top lodging choice in Jasper requires a three night stay. So, I'm rethinking that portion of our visit, and considering adding a third night.

In Jasper, we are planning to visit Maligne Canyon and Medicine Lake. I had taken Maligne Lake off the list because of other reports of this being an &quot;ok&quot; stop, but not as spectacular as the other lakes. Anyone consider this lake a &quot;must do&quot;? We also may take the gondola, depending upon weather conditions.

I was thinking that it might make sense to spend an additional Jasper day doing the stops on the northern end of the Icefields Parkway, not too far from Jasper. I noticed on the Parkway map that Athabasca Falls, Panther &amp; Bridal Veil Falls and Horsheshoe Lake are close. If the distance in miles is, say, 30 miles on the parkway, about how long in travel time is that?

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 1 - Arrive Calgary 2:30 p.m. Pick up rental car and drive to Lake Louise, hopefully arriving by 6:30 p.m. Lodging- Lake Louise.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Okay.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 2 - Moraine Lake, hike and canoe rental. On to Lake Louise, walk around lake and check out Chateau Lake Louise. Lodging again at Lake Louise.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Suggest you visit Moraine Lake, walk to the top of the pile of rocks at the north end of the lake and walk the lakeshore path.

Then visit Lake Louise and do the Plain of Six Glaciers hike that departs from Lake Louise.

If you are in your forties or fifties and reasonably fit, you should be able to do that in a day.

If you have time and energy left over, you could rent a canoe.

Just visiting Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, walking the two lakeshore paths, and renting a canoe is not enough to keep you occupied for a day, in my opinion. Oh, unless you want to have time left over to check out the Gucci scarves in the stores in Chateau Lake Louise. In that case I guess you could just do Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and a canoe ride.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 3 - White Water Rafting on Kicking Horse River, leaves Golden at 11:30 a.m. (How long should it take to drive from L.L. to Golden?) 3rd night lodging in Lake Louise&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Okay.

<b>It takes approximately 1 hour to drive non-stop from Lake Louise, Alberta to Golden, British Columbia.</b>

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 4 - Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, Spiral Tunnels, Natural Bridge, Gondola at Kicking Horse Resort with lunch at Eagle's Eye. Final night of lodging at Lake Louise.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Okay.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 5 - Get up early and drive the Icefields Parkway. Plan for stops at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Columbia Icefield, Sunwapta Falls. Lodging (late) in Jasper.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Okay.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 6 - Angel Glacier/Cavell Meadows hike. Lodging again in Jasper.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

The Cavell Meadows hike often does not open until the middle of July. It still is infinitely worth doing the scenic drive from Hwy #93A to Mount Edith Cavell. However, if you don’t do the hike, this activity obviously will take less time. You might even be able to fit it into the day on which you return from Jasper to Canmore.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 7 - Maligne Canyon and possibly Maligne Lake. This day is a difficult one to plan. We will be driving to Canmore for lodging on this night, and I believe that will take 4-5 hours? I'm not sure if it is realistic to do the canyon and lake combined with the Canmore drive. I expect that we might stop at places along the Icefields Parkway that might have been missed on the way up (due to weather or time constraints). Is the lake a &quot;must do&quot; compared to the other lakes that we will have already seen? (lodging in Canmore)&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

I do not consider Maligne Lake to be a must do. From the point of view of the colour of its water, it is not the equal of Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake, Emerald Lake and Lake Louise – in my opinion. However, the drive to Maligne Lake is pleasant, and it is a road on which we always have seen wildlife. I think it would be a good idea to keep an open mind about it.

Suggest you spend this night in Jasper instead of Canmore. That ties in with your later finding that the Jasper accommodation you wanted had a minimum 3-night stay requirement.

Suggest you keep an open mind about what you will see while you’re in Jasper. I would say that Maligne Canyon is the one Jasper National Park place that you absolutely must visit (in my opinion). Beyond that you could consider Miette Hot Springs, a ride up the Jasper tramway, nearby Mount Robson Provincial Park, etc., etc.

Days 8 – Drive to Canmore, visiting places along the Icefields Parkway that you did not have a chance to visit on the way up.

Day 9 – Visit Johnston Canyon, and do other activities in and close to Banff townsite.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Day 10 - Not sure what to do on the last day, any suggestions? We have an early flight out on Day 11, so we will be staying overnight in Calgary on this night.&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

Drive through Kananaskis Country and the Highwood Pass to Calgary. Depart from Canmore and drive east on the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1) as if you’re going to Calgary. When you reach the intersection with Hwy #40, turn south. Hwy #40 will take you through lovely Kananaskis Country. A short distance past Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes you will drive over the Highwood Pass, which is the highest stretch of paved road in Canada. A short distance beyond that, the road naturally will curve eastwards and become Route #541. When Route #541 reaches the hamlet of Longview, turn north onto Hwy #22 (also known as the Cowboy Trail). Hwy #22 then will take you through the small towns of Black Diamond, Turner Valley and Bragg Creek.

<i>Turner Valley is considered to be the home of the Canadian oil industry. These days natural gas is piped to homes for central heating, it is used as fuel in electrical generating stations, and so on. But in the early days of the oil industry, natural gas was considered to be a waste product that had to be dealt with when oil was pumped from the ground. In those days (1950s or so) they coped with natural gas by burning it off. Apparently the residents of Calgary used to be able to see a pink glow in the night sky from the natural gas flares in distant Turner Valley. At that point Turner Valley earned the nick name of Hell’s Half Acre. But that is only a distant memory now. These days Turner Valley looks like an ordinary little town. The only reminders of the natural gas flares are in names like Hell’s Half Acre Campground. But I digress.</i>

If you make reservations at a hotel in the northeast quadrant of Calgary, which would be convenient if you are catching an early morning flight, you could reach your hotel as follows. Drive east on Hwy #22X. That is an east-west road that skirts the southern boundary of Calgary. As it approaches Calgary, Hwy #22X is called Marquis of Lorne Trail.

When Marquis of Lorne Trail (Hwy #22X) reaches Deerfoot Trail (Hwy #22), turn north. Not knowing which hotel you will stay in, I cannot give you further directions. However, Deerfoot Trail will take you from the south part of Calgary to the north part of Calgary. You will need to turn off it at some point closer to the airport.

<i>Here’s another historical tid bit. The Marquis of Lorne was the Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. His wife, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The lake of Lake Louise and the province of Alberta were named after Princess Louise. One of the Marquis of Lorne’s other legacies is that Canada is a country in which Lorne is used as a first name for males. For example, Lorne Greene, who portrayed Ben Cartwright in the TV series, </i>Bonanza<i>, was Canadian.</i>

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;I was thinking that it might make sense to spend an additional Jasper day doing the stops on the northern end of the Icefields Parkway, not too far from Jasper. I noticed on the Parkway map that Athabasca Falls, Panther &amp; Bridal Veil Falls and Horsheshoe Lake are close. If the distance in miles is, say, 30 miles on the parkway, about how long in travel time is that?&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;

The speed limit on the Icefields Parkway is 90 km/hr (about 56 MPH). As I recall, Athabasca Falls is about 30 minutes from Jasper townsite. Perhaps that will help you to extrapolate the other distances.

Hope that helps.

Thanks again, Judy. I will look into your suggestions for our last day. If we decide to change our time in Jasper to three nights instead of two, we will probably not have that &quot;extra&quot; day anymore. This would result in shortening our time in Canmore, which I think will be fine with what we want to see around there and Banff.