Banff National Park
Moraine Lake in Banff National Park
June 28, 1999
The last few days have consisted mostly of driving and quick whistle-stops in Calgary
and Edmonton. Both cities abruptly ended; no real suburbs like we have in the US.
We were hoping to get a ride on the bobsled at the old Olympic Park in Calgary,
however it was closed when we arrived.
In Edmonton, we stayed at the huge mall, which includes an indoor water park. We
stayed here for a day of entertainment, but seeing as how I'm not a fan of shopping,
I spent some time watching the Edmonton Oilers practice in a rink in the mall and
the rest of my time wandering around and people watching.
Our next stop was at Jasper and Banff National Parks, which are conjoined. We entered
the parks near the southern border of Jasper National Park, but have spent most
of our time in Banff National Park.
Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park
Animals in Banff National Park
June 30, 1999
Everywhere we turn we see waterfalls, rivers, mountains, and glaciers. In Banff,
there are numerous high alpine lakes formed from the glacier run-off. The highlights
for me have been the lakes and hikes.
One of the most photographed lakes is Peyto Lake, which at first seemed over-rated,
however soon after arriving the cloud cover opened and the sun brightened the lake's
color, giving it an almost light aqua blue glow.
Similar to Peyto is Lake Moraine, however here you could walk up to the lake's
shore, whereas Peyto you could only see it from a mountain overlook.
Peyto Lake in Banff National Park
Moraine Lake in Banff National Park
July 2, 1999
Lake Louise is also impressive, however the hiking trails in the area trump the
lake itself, so we hiked for a few hours, finding multiple dark green lakes and
incredible views of the mountains we were submerged in.
Nearly the only city in the area is Banff, which reminds me of a ski resort town.
Everyone's very laid back, each day is approached with whatever seems to arise
whether that be kayaking, hiking, or just people watching on one of the town's
main streets.
Bow Lake in Banff National Park
Mirror Lake in Banff National Park
Banff Springs Hotel in Banff National Park
Looking into the sky in Banff National Park