Jun 24-26

June 24 to June

Our drive from Banff to Silverhorn Creek Campground was spectacular even though the day was cold and rainy and there were lots of clouds in the sky. At times a piece of a mountain would peak out of the clouds creating an eerie picture up ahead.

Jerry insured that we were all prepared for a campground that has no services and that we had enough water for three days.

When we left Tunnel Mountain it was 4°C. It boggles my mind knowing there is a heat wave in Ontario and it is essentially winter here. We donned our coats and gloves and set off. On our way out of the campground we saw the park’s weather board showing Saturday as being a nice sunny day.

The Silverhorn Creek Campground is about ½ way between Lake Louise and the Icefields Discovery Centre. As we drove out of town, I suggested that we could drive back on Saturday to see Lake Louise and Moraine Lake but we would need to make a reservation for the Parks Shuttle from the Park n Ride (the ski area parking lot) to the lake. Jerry agreed that could work and then I remembered we would not have any cell service to call or go online to make a reservation.

Jerry figured that closer to Lake Louise we would have a signal and he was right so at the next rest area I was able to reserve on-line using my phone – it was a struggle because the text is so small but I got it done. The Banff resident we spoke with told us that the local people used to hike at Lake Louise all the time but no one goes there anymore because they can’t park by the trails and have to pay for the shuttle.

Driving on the Trans Canada through the park we’ve seen lots of fencing that is used to keep the wildlife away from the highway and guided to crossing areas. We’ve often seen tunnels going under highways so that animals can cross safely but this day we saw several “cross overs.” At first, I though we were approaching a tunnel through a mountain but quickly realized it was a structure built specifically for animals. It looks like an overpass but there are trees and shrubs growing on top instead of a road or a rail line. I was hoping we would see someone crossing but no luck there.

We encountered hail as we entered the Icefield Parkway – how appropriate. It was warmer though … 9°C. It got much colder and we saw lots of snow on the ground as we climbed higher to the Bow Summit where the temperature dropped to 3°C. The landscape is absolutely beautiful and looked very mysterious with all of the mist and clouds surrounding the snow-capped peaks.

Crowfoot Glacier

Our drive was shorter than usual so we had lots of time to stop at the various observation points along the way. Our first glacier on the parkway was Crowfoot followed shortly by the Bow Glacier. We wondered how a glacier is defined. What’s the difference between a lot of snow and ice on a mountain and a glacier? Maybe we’ll find out on Sunday when we go to the Icefield Discovery Centre. I’ll let you know.

Our view at lunch time.

We arrived at Silverhorn Creek around 1 p.m. after stopping for lunch in a lay by. What a surprise! The campground is beautiful. We weren’t expecting much but this place is great … other than there are no services. The view from our site is breathtaking.

The view from Site #14

Site #14 – Miss Adventure Too and Clifford

The sites are great: (There are 45 sites and all are reserved! Yet not all are full. There are too many folks reserving and not showing up which makes it hard for others to find sites.) Get this part; $16.75 per night taxes included, but it costs $11.50 to reserve on-line and $9.25 per night for a campfire permit. The firewood is free hahahaha! Still a super deal. We were at 1500+ meters and there were still patches of snow at our site. Shortly after we arrived, we heard elk bleating in the forest behind us and clomping in the woods. What a great 🏕 camp!!

Later, Jerry built a fire and cooked our dinner – YUM.

We find our Parks Canada Red Chairs at Silverhorn Campground.

June 25

-2°C this a.m.

We have a “Buddy”, a catalytic heater which runs on propane and does not need electricity, a feather duvet and blankets. Toast. Just as well cause when you need a 12 volt battery to run your furnace and water pump, that’s when it gives up LOL. I keep looking/dreaming about getting Lithium batteries for the trailer but frankly I find it hard to justify for the odd times when we have no electric shore power. We have a generator but don’t like to run it unless absolutely necessary (though it is quiet – a low dB - it’s still a distraction in a setting like this.). Walmart ok … Icefields Parkway not so ok. Also some parks don’t allow generators or have a certain time of day/hours policy.

In addition to Lithium battery(s) we would also require a different converter charger (one that is smart and meant for lithium charging) and then maybe go all the way and add in an AC inverter for 120 V, why not have two or three batteries and a solar panel or two to boot? ($$$.)

In the meantime, there is enough juice in the existing battery to maintain and I have the truck hooked up to power things if needed.

We also run a Jackery® battery which is a portable lithium AC/DC battery. This we especially need for Elizabeth’s CPAP unit and it is handy for powering the TV and watching a movie J.

We back tracked along the Icefield Parkway to Lake Louise. How could we be in Banff National Park and NOT see Lake Louise! It was a gorgeous day even though it was a little cold and we got to see the stunning views from a different direction in the glorious sunshine. Lake Louise has been an icon for Canadian Parks for a very long time and I have always wanted to see it and the historic chateau on its shore.

Lake Louise is very pretty. It is quite small. The chateau looks relatively new, not at all rustic and nothing like my imagination. This part of Banff NP receives millions of visitors every year. Parks Canada has created a vast infrastructure for moving people from the ski hill, the Park N Ride area in summer to Lake Louise, then to Moraine Lake and back to the parking lot. Shuttles every 15 minutes. There were at least six parking lots at the ski hill. There are also more near the lakes but they fill up by 7:30 a.m. Because I’m using a walker now, we were thankfully, able to park in the first lot and I didn’t have to walk 2 or 3 kilometers to board the shuttle. Thank goodness, we had also booked our time slot the day before because I heard staff tell one man that he couldn’t expect to use the shuttle that day until 3 or 4 p.m.!

The lake was full of canoes that can be rented with a brief explanation of how to paddle and a warning of “don’t stand up.” The shore was lined with people from all over the world. We heard so many languages.

We finally got an opportunity to squeeze up to the shore and take a picture. Jerry noticed a young man using his wife’s head as a tripod. He laughed and said what a good idea, which started a conversation with them. They were from the UK, originally from Ireland (her) and Scotland (him) but now living and working in London and here in Canada for a two week vacation. We must have chatted for about 20 minutes – really nice people.

I noticed several women in cocktail dresses and sneakers posing for pictures and commented on the fact. The couple told us that it is the current fad in Europe to get these glamour shots all around the world. Some newlyweds travel extensively, taking their wedding clothes AND a photographer to have their wedding pictures in places like Lake Louise. I did see a couple in Banff strolling around town in wedding gown and tuxedo! I can’t imagine lugging a huge wedding dress all over the world or how much that must cost. Since then, I’m seeing people all dressed up and posing in the mountains or by a river everywhere.

We thought we’d get a coffee and hot chocolate at the chateau Starbucks (I mean really a Starbucks in the Lake Louise Chateau) and eat our lunch but after waiting in line for about 10 minutes we noticed that a small Americano was $6 and a hot chocolate was $7. The water we brought was just fine. Out of curiosity we had searched to see the cost of a room there while in Banff. They started at $1200/night.

We did find a bench to share with another young couple from Minnesota for lunch. They were really nice too. They had just finished the hike up to Agnes’ Tea House but didn’t have tea. I would love to have been able to make that climb and enjoy “tea” on the mountain. Oh Well! This couple had never heard of Garrison Keillor or his Prairie Home Companion radio show! I know they were young but they were from Minnesota.

After lunch we caught the shuttle to Moraine Lake. It is also a lovely turquoise coloured lake fed by glacier waters. It was not as crowded as Lake Louise. It was such a beautiful day and we just relaxed on a wooden bench and soaked up some sunshine while watching people. I heard a splash and saw that a group of 5 or 6 boys were swimming in the icy water. Good for them. I like swimming in cold water but believe me, it was much too cold a day for swimming.

I must say that Lake Louise did not live up to my “romantic” ideas about the place.

On our way back, we stopped at Bow Summit and walked an accessible path to a look-out over Peyto Lake (pronounced Pee-toe) and the Peyto Glacier. It was incredibly beautiful. The Icefield Parkway is an amazing place. Everyone should make the drive from Banff to Jasper along the Icefield Parkway. It will astound you.

At the Peyto look-out, we found an explanation of why the lakes fed by glaciers are the wonderful colours they are. Our UK friend proposed that Parks Canada must paint their bottoms! It’s because of glacier “flour.” Over time the glacier wears down rocks into an extremely fine silt that travels with the melt water to the rivers and lakes. The colour depends on the amount of flour in the water. The very fine particles float in the water and reflect the blue/green rays from the light. The greater the quantity of flour immersed in the water the milkier the green/blue colour. In Spring, the water has a sea-glass colour but as the silt settles, the water changes to a deeper blue/green. I think I have that explanation right.

Silt, fine particles of rock called rock flour suspended in the water scatters the blue/green light rays.

Of course we had to walk on a glacier – the Athabasca Glacier

The machine that gets us to the glacier (the one on the left / red & white one J)

The big bus that took us to the Athabasca Glacier travelled on a 36° slope! It is the steepest passenger grade in North America. It was a little scary I must say. Jerry mentioned that all of the scree we see at the bottom of these mountains settles at a 30° angle. If it was steeper, it would continue to fall.

Jerry gathering glacial water for us to drink – good and cold!

Mount Snow Dome is a Triple- Continental divide and the only one in the world shedding into three different oceans: Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic.

We found out the difference between an ice-field and a glacier. An icefield contains or feeds at least three glaciers. The Columbia Icefield feeds six: the

Castleguard; Columbia; Dome; Stutfield; Saskatchewan; and Athabasca Glaciers. The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in North America south of the Arctic.

We didn’t discover what is the difference from a huge amount of snow and a glacier except that glacier ice has very little oxygen, unlike regular ice, because the compression/weight forces the oxygen out.

Travelling in the mountains was wonderful. The air is clear and cold. I love the colours, the shapes and the textures we see everywhere. You can see the different geological layers and for most of the mountains the layers are angled upwards and linear but some have been formed in circular patterns and domes. The weather changes quickly and can go from sunshine sparkling on the snow caps to misty clouds enveloping the peaks. And there are Hoodoos making amazing shapes too. The tops of some mountains and ridges look like ancient fortresses while some appear to have palaces or mountain monasteries on top like those in Meteora, Greece. I kept expecting to see Indiana Jones come galloping down the side of the mountain with indigenous artifacts in hand.

Along the way there is a place called the Weeping Wall. It is a huge ridge with hundreds of small waterfalls spouting from cracks in the stone. This huge wall cast an enormous shadow and must have been at least 500 meters long.

A little further on the waterfalls become larger and one of course is Bridal Veil Falls. There must be hundreds or more waterfalls called Bridal Veil just in Canada.

We came across a sign warning of unexploded avalanche warheads and remembered that Parks Canada often creates a controlled avalanches for safety but they really ought to clean-up afterwards.

After our walk on the glacier we went to the Skywalk – an incredible structure with a glass floor over the Sunwapta Valley.