Here is a list of how we spent our time. I'm recording it here as a reference for myself and anyone else who may wish to travel to Banff!
Saturday: depart Boston. Connect in Toronto. Arrive Calgary. Rent car, drive approx. 1.5 hours to Banff and stop for lunch in town. Drive another 50 minutes to Lake Louise. We went to Lake Moraine on our first day. That is one of the "harder" lakes to visit because they have very small parking lots that fill up quickly and it's gorgeous and on most people's lists. We visited at approximately 5pm on a drizzly early evening and we drove right in! Pictures were as scenic as can be and the crowds weren't bad at all. They close the road into the lake once the lot fills and we realized that the road was closed nearly every day after our visit! My suggestion: take advantage of drizzly, rainy weather. The lakes are still beautiful and the crowds really thin out! After Lake Moraine, we checked in, had a light dinner and went to bed.
Sunday: Hike Devil's Thumb via the Tea House and Big Beehive. This was the longest hiking day we had (about 11 miles). Most people who hike at Lake Louise hike to the Tea House (a historic and delicious!) lodge to have lunch, take a break and enjoy the views. From there we continued on to Big Beehive, a moderately difficult, but no more difficult than the first half, hike with some of my favorite views. We were feeling energetic and decided on a whim to continue to Devil's Thumb. This one was significantly harder, very doable - some scrambling but not dangerous - but quite high. The views were spectacular and I'm glad we pushed and I ventured a bit out of my comfort zone to complete that one!
Monday: We gave our legs a break and drove to Jasper. Jasper is about 3 hours from Lake Louise but it's a beautiful ride! Watch out for tourists we just stop on the road to admire the views or spot wildlife... but other than that... the drive is spectacular. In Jasper, we booked a boat cruise to the magnificent Spirit Island. The only way to reach Spirit Island is by Kayak (about 8 hours) or these small tour boats. They give good information about the area, great photo opportunities and the small boats keep them from feeling too "touristy". Spirit Island is a must see, in my opinion.
Tuesday: White Water Rafting with White Water Adventures. Loved this trip!! This was my third time rafting in the Northwest and each time seems more beautiful than the last. For me, it's just the right mix of adrenaline and scenic beauty and the guides are always so well-traveled, warm and interesting. We did the Traditional because it was the longest duration on the river and it mixed both their gentle and their harder courses. The river was beautiful, the group was extremely organized and well-run and our guide James was an absolute blast. Loved it!
Wednesday: Athabasca Glacier Tour. This was the most touristy thing we did on our trip and we hesitated about whether it was worthwhile, but in the end both agreed it was very cool. The guides give a great lesson about the history, future and impacts of the glaciers and although very cold that day it was fun to get a chance to visit one. I felt bad for the people who didn't come dressed in warm clothing, it was about 32 degrees with a harsh wind out there. The buses with tires the size of me were also kind of fun! Buy your tickets in advance as there is limited availability and people who didn't have tickets were being told the wait was about 6 hours! We bought ours the day before and had no issue. Also, by booking a morning tour, we had no trouble parking.
Thursday: Hiking Mount Fairview. We had given our legs ample rest time and heard from a few local sources (aka, the waiter and the retail manager at the onsite outdoor apparel store) that Mt. Fairview was not to be missed if we were willing to do a challenging hike. It was a great hike. We saw a total of about 25 people on the trail, in other words virtually desolate for a trail that began at Lake Louise, and the first 2000 feet was a moderate hike with spectacular views nearly the whole way. The last 1000 feet was challenging, mostly vertical with very little rest, but the feeling of accomplishment was great and the panoramic views at the top were something I'll never forget. You certainly feel the magic of the Canadian Rockies on this hike!! Treat yourself to Fondue, in either the Wallister Stube at the Fairmont, or the Post Hotel down the road, and enjoy your guilt-free post hike gluttony! Yumm!
Friday: Spa Day! We treated ourselves to massages, the hot tub and some low key shopping around and a nap on Friday. Having done so much during the week, it was nice to have a day to just relax.
Saturday: Back to reality. 1pm departures meant we had to leave mid-morning and get into Boston around 10pm. A long day but my heart was so full from one of the most spectacular experiences of my life!!
(This post would be better with pics, I'll try to upload a few once I have more time)
