Banff National Park, Canada - Stunning

Not quite so many people as visit Lake Louise make the thirteen-kilometre road journey to Moraine Lake, which is smaller than its neighbor although in many ways its scenic superior.

Until comparatively recently the scene graced the back of Canadian $20 bills, though the illustration did little justice to the shimmering water and the jagged, snow-covered peaks on the eastern shore that inspired the nickname "Valley of the Ten Peaks". The peaks are now officially christened the Wenkchemna, after the Stoney native word for "ten".

A fast flowing river which escapes from its source - Peyto Lake and wends its way to the Mistaya Canyon and beyond. The Mistaya River has managed to carve out the canyon with its force - high walls of hard rock remain, pitted and gauged out from river working on the soft limestone. All the time the grand rocky mountains of the Banff National Park look on.

The Fairmont Banff Springs is an internationally recognized symbol of Canadian hospitality. William Cornelius Van Horne, appointed general manager of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) has been credited with recognizing the tourism potential of the Canadian west. Van Horne maintained tourism was an intricate ingredient in getting people to ride CPR and was conscious of the financial possibilities attached to the western mountain scenery.

His philosophy reflected this awareness, 'Since we can't export the scenery,' he said, ' we'll have to import the tourists.' To enhance traffic on the CPR, Van Horne envisioned a succession of lavish resort hotels along the railway line through the Rocky and Selkirk Mountains.

The town of Banff with its cosmopolitan atmosphere, with up-scale art galleries, restaurants and shopping, and its close proximity, to the southern Alberta metropolitain area of Calgary; is much more commercial than it's northern neighbor Jasper.

The town of Banff, has one feature that is well appreciated after a hard day of summer trekking, or winter skiing...It's a soak in the warm sulpher Upper Hot Spring on Sulpher Mountain. Down in the town at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site visitors can go into the cave and see the sulpher springs that were found, by workers on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. This spring was the basis for the park originally being designated.

For a birds eye view of the town and the Bow valley, with Mount Rundle, the landmark peak of Banff, then you should take a trip up the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain, which operates daily, with occasional shutdowns for maintenance and closed Christmas Day.

The town of Banff offers excellent accommodations ranging from hostels, bed and breakfast and luxury hotels, with reservations being recommended. For those wishing to camp, there are two excellent full serviced (and large) National Park campgrounds, near the town at Tunnel Mountain and Two Jack Lake. There is also a campground at Lake Louise and at several campgrounds going north on the Icefields Parkway.

        

Lake Louise -- Canada's "Diamond in the Wilderness," and the "Hiking Capital of Canada". This area offers a tremendous diversity of recreational and sightseeing opportunities. Lake Louise is home to one of North America's finest downhill ski areas, and has numerous hiking and walking trails. The region abounds with spectacular scenery, from glaciers to waterfalls.

A quick word to big city dwellers - this is one of the 'last outposts of man in the area' - the next nearest 'destination' - 3 hours away - is jasper, the next town out before you're enroute to Alaska - DO NOT expect to find a booming 'Aspen' or 'Vail' nightlife experience here..