Peyto Lake

“Wow, I’m out of shape,” was my first thought. Five minutes into the first hike, and I was completely aware of my embarrassing, unfortunate reality. The uphill trek to Peyto Lake was “easy” as described by TripAdvisor and the many travel blogs I’d read. This was confirmed as I saw people three times— maybe four times my age— breezing past me. They didn’t even look tired! I had hoped that they were just faking it.

It was about a 15-minute hike and for the first time during the trip the weather looked like it was about to hold steady. With every step my backpack gained weight and my muscles began to whine at me, meanwhile the little old couples happily marched onwards and upwards.

The path was well kept and trees lined the area, along with different ground shrubs and various other plants. It was narrow, but still felt larger than life. I’ll never forget the way the air smelled. As a city girl, who rarely leaves the concrete jungle, I felt a little bit out of my element. The air was cool and forgiving, the trees swayed gently in the wind, and the clouds rolled in and out as they pleased. Instead of a scorching summer, it vaguely felt like fall and I definitely wasn’t complaining about it.

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After a couple more stops to catch a breath and a mental “you can do it,” we finally made it. The view of Peyto Lake was breathtaking and 100 per cent worth it. The star-shaped pool was filled with a water so blue it looked like someone had taken a picture, upped the contrast, brightness, and saturation on it and maybe slapped on a filter or two. This lake isn’t the mostly highly rated lake on the list of must-see places in Alberta, but it definitely made my list.

Moraine Lake

It didn’t look very exciting from the parking lot, but then again what really does? We parked the car seemingly too far away from the actual lake, only to be feasted on by the largest mosquitos I have ever seen. Itching to get to the water, I decided to run ahead of the group with my camera in hand, ready to capture something great.

On the left was the “Rockpile,” which resembled its namesake. Families and adventurers alike were scaling the beast, fearlessly and boldly. A thin strip of water was the only thing separating me from being up there with them, so I jumped a few logs and was on the other side in no time.

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Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for everyone. As I sat, I watched in horror as a father attempted to follow his son to the other side. It was almost as if it was happening in slow motion: the boy would jump onto a floating log with ease and just seconds later his father would follow, and the log would oh-so-slowly give and slip out from under the poor man’s feet. All of a sudden he was waist deep in cold lake water, with strangers gasping, staring, and flocking to help him.

The view from the Rockpile was gorgeous and majestic with the mountains in the background and the lake in the foreground. The entire scene felt calm and undisturbed. The number of tourists started to dwindle as the evening wound down, adding to the calm.

Beside the lake was a short trail that took about an hour each way, with a nice rewarding waterfall on the opposite side of the lake. It was spacious, tree-lined, and extremely flat, making it more of a walk than a hike, which I highly recommend to everyone.

Lake Louise

Lake Louise was the Disneyland of lakes, complete with its very own castle. I had gotten a sneak peek the night before right as the sun was setting, but by the next morning, it felt like I was stepping through the streets of Downtown Disney. The boardwalk was jam-packed with tourists of every sort: families getting group pictures, tweens and moms with selfie sticks, people walking their dogs, and even a newly engaged couple who jumped into the frigid water in their underwear. It was a circus of people and I was more than happy to get away from it with yet another breathtaking hike.

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The Lake Louise Fairview Lookout trail was a wonderful escape from the craziness of the boardwalk. It started to drizzle a little, and then started to rain a lot, but the tree cover was dense enough to keep us mostly dry and happy. The uphill hike was about 25 minutes of brisk walking and was considerably tiring as we stopped every so often to catch our breaths. Not many tourists seemed to have come up this trail, making it a serene trip with a rewarding view. The trail stopped exactly where the view began, where your eyes are greeted by the most perfect aqua colour. The bench, though wet, was also very welcoming for tired legs. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise stood by the lake’s edge, producing a postcard quality picture.

By the time we came down it was early evening, and the canoe rentals were enticing. The little red boats were being pushed off into the middle of the lake, with people of all ages paddling and coasting along. Sitting on the lake for a good hour was exactly what we needed, as we let the boat drift, enjoying the beauty and the silence. I hadn’t been canoeing since I was a pre-teen, so this experience reminded me of how rewarding it is to enjoy nature and get away from the fast paced city life. It helped me to appreciate how much beauty there is within our own country, and makes me excited to spend more summers exploring Canada and its great outdoors.