Yoho Valley

Yoho Valley Trail

This was a bit of a fly by the seat of our pants kind of day. Dad was going off to hike a trail we had already been on earlier in the trip with his hiking club and so my brothers and I had the day to do our own thing.

I had been lucky enough to visit Lake O'Hara the year before and really wanted my brothers to experience area so we decided to try our luck and see if we could nab a last minute spot on the Parks Canada bus. We had our fingers crossed that some people with reservations would not show up.

Our step-mother drove us to the spot where we could wait for the bus and she waited around to see if we got a spot. Unfortunately, there were a few other last minute people like us who had got there earlier and they snagged the empty spots on the bus.

With the Lake O'Hara plans out the window we had to find something else to do that day. I suggested that we go to Takkakaw Falls and Emerald Lake as they were both nearby and my brothers had never been.

It was still absurdly early in the morning so we were the first people to show up at the falls.It was rather cold, especially with the mist from the falls so we did not linger for too long.

After visiting Tak Falls my brother suggested that we explore the Yoho Valley Trail as there were more waterfalls to see along it. The guide book "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies" said the trail was a waste of time essentially but we decided to do it anyways. We were pleased with the trail, it is certainly  nothing exciting or challenging but we got to see some pretty mountain scenery. It is a very manageable trail for pretty much any fitness level as it is essentially flat.

You start by walking through an open rocky area and then you enter the forest.

The trail splits and you can go in two different directions. One direction takes you by the river.

The other direction takes you to the Laughing Falls campground and this pretty waterfall.

Point Lace Falls

My brother and I decided to scramble up the hill alongside the falls. He made it all the way to the top, I chickened out about halfway up.

The dogs were very concerned over our little adventure. The step-mother and my other brother didn't seem to care too much though...

As I said, we found the trail to be pleasant enough. If you only have a day or two in the area then there are certainly far better trails with more spectacular scenery. However, if you don't feel you have the stamina or fitness level for a more challenging trail this is certainly a pleasant option, especially if you are already visiting Takkakaw Falls which is certainly with a visit in and of itself.

Banff: Consolation Lakes Trail, Moraine Lake with wildlife!

Banff: Consolation Lakes Trail and Moraine Lake with lots of wildlife spottings

On our August 2013 trip we revisited a trail that I wrote about previously, the Consolation Lakes Trail at Moraine Lake. You may wonder why I am writing about this trail again, had that much really changed? Not really, however, the weather, the company and some of the sights were very different on this most recent hike.

The morning started off with our packing up from our camping site near Glacier National Park and driving a few hours east to the Lake Louise campground. Along the way we saw the traditional mountain sheep along the highway near Golden. They love to hang out here and we see them almost every time we drive through the area.

Mountain Sheep in Golden, British Columbia

Once we arrived in Lake Louise we set up the trailer and our camp site and all made our way to the showers. It had been a few days without a shower and we were all feeling the need for one desperately. I highly recommend the Lake Louise campground if you plan on tent camping or using a trailer. It is in a fantastic location, offers warm showers and clean bathrooms and has some great Parks Canada programming in the evening. It is a great place to stay and see this beautiful area for a very decent price.

All washed up it was time to go meet some of my dad's hiking club friends at Moraine Lake as the club had arranged to do the Consolation Lakes Trail. My brothers opted to stay behind at the campground as the weather wasn't looking all that great and they had done this easy trail in the past.

When we arrived at Moraine Lake and met up with the group it was starting to rain so we all pulled on our rain gear. This group doesn't mind the rain and the trail  is fairly flat and safe.

I didn't take too many pictures along the way as  most of the trail is through the woods and I had hiked this trail in the past. It starts off at the rockpile at Moraine Lake and you have to cross some scrambly rocks at the beginning but after that it is a wide and fairly flat dirt path to the lakes. It is about 3 km to the lakes, a very easy hike.

It rained off and on for most of the hike but none of us were too bothered by it. In fact, I liked the effect that the clouds had on the scenery, very beautiful.

When you get to the end of the trail you have to clamber over some rocks to get a good view of the lake. Due to the rain the rocks were fairly slippery and none of us were willing to risk injury. I did not take any pictures of Consolation Lake itself but I did take some in the general area. You can read my previous report about this trail to see more pictures of the area and the lake: http://cdnwanderlust.blogspot.ca/2013/05/moraine-lake-and-consolation-lakes.html

Once we got back to the trailhead I had to go up the rockpile to get a view of Moraine Lake, one of the best views in the Rockies! I saw some cute wildelife in the area as well.

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

Pika

Pika

 My previous visits to Moraine Lake had been on relatively sunny days and the lake was spectacular as the sunlight causes the water to reflect the most amazing colour. However, the lake is still magnificent even in overcast and rainy weather.

There were very few people at the lake as it was around dinner time but the few who were there were fixated on the mountainside nearby. I looked over to see what the fuss was and there was a Grizzly Bear! We were all very excited at the sighting and I had to laugh because this was now the second time that we had spotted a Grizzly and my brothers had missed out yet again. The first time had been on our trip last year when we spotted a mother grizzly with her cubs.

My dinky camera did not get very good photos. My dad got some that were slightly better. I was happy just to see this magnificent creature in the wild and at a safe distance!

Grizzly Bear at Moraine Lake

 Here are two shots from my dad's camera. I am sure that the people who were there with professional cameras got some amazing shots and footage. The Parks Canada guides who were there were encouraging people to put their cameras down and just enjoy seeing this bear in its natural habitat.

Grizzly Bear at Moraine Lake

Grizzly Bear at Moraine Lake

 My group was starting to get restless and hungry for dinner so I got a few last shots of the lake in as some cloud cover came in. Sunny or cloudy, Moraine Lake is worth a visit!

Back at the campsite I bragged to my brothers about my good luck with bear sightings - I have seen many bears in the parks now and they have only had a very brief glimpse of a cub scampering across the road in the distance.

After dinner my family decided to take a drive down the Bow Valley Parkway. It was on a rainy evening just like this one the previous year in which we saw  the mother grizzly and her cubs so we thought we would try our luck again.

Well, no grizzly sightings for the boys but we did see this fellow loping through the fields and down the highway. My brothers thought it was a stray dog but my dad told them it was definitely a wolf. Another animal to check off our wildlife sighting list.

The drive back to the campground turned out to be rather frightening as a torrential downpour started and it was now dark out and there were no lights. We had to pull over to the side of the road because we literally could not see anything as it was raining so hard. Luckily we arrived back at the campground alive and satisfied with our day and thankful for our lives!