This post is part of a series about my trip with my daughter to the Canadian Rockies. Just when we thought we saw the most gorgeous lakes in the world, we spent a few hours at Moraine Lake and were stunned by its exquisite and awe-inspiring beauty.
Booking the Hop-on Bus
My daughter, who is an excellent planner, unlike her mom, made a reservation for us to take the Hop on Banff Bus so we could spend the day at Moraine Lake and Johnstone Canyon. That way we wouldn’t have to deal with all the high-season traffic. They would first drop us off at Moraine Lake, so we could explore, pick us up, shuttle us to Johnston Canyon and then drop us off where we started. The bus starts in Banff, but since our hotel was in the town of Field, we picked it up near Lake Louise.
We began the morning at the Trailhead Café at the Samson Mall and ordered organic coffee and wrapped sandwiches to take with us in our backpacks. I loved this sign that sits in the café.
Canadians have such a fun sense of humor.
Moraine Lake – Can it get any bluer?
The bus was a converted yellow school bus and there were several passengers on board from Banff. The first stop was to the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise where most of them got off. We had already spent the day before hiking there so we continued up the mountain until we reached Moraine Lake. Our guide suggested we climb up the Rockpile for a spectacular view of the lake before taking a stroll around it.
She was right. The view was mindblowing! Moraine Lake is a jewel and as far as being picturesque, it doesn’t get any better than this. Climbing the Rockpile was a little challenging for this old girl, but steps lead up to the top, so it wasn’t that bad. The view was worth everything, and we spent plenty of time taking photos.
Definition: Moraine – A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions on Earth, through geomorphological processes. That’s what gives Moraine Lake it’s vivid color.
There’s a lovely lodge next to the lake with a restaurant and gift shop. We thought about going canoeing but didn’t think we’d have enough time before the bus came to pick us up. Instead, we walked along the lakeshore and meditated on a bench along the trail.
The road to Johnston Canyon and some creatures!
When the bus picked us up it had a new guide. He told us the Bow Valley Parkway had just reopened after being closed for a while and there was a chance we’d get to see some wildlife. He wanted us to keep an eye out for cars stopped by the road because that usually means they’ve spotted something stop worthy.
During our drive, he had the bus stop at a viewpoint that’s been used for decades in ads selling “Come to the Canadian Rockies!”
After driving for a while, we saw some cars that were parked on the side of the road and sure enough, there were several large Elk with huge antlers meandering by the railroad tracks. Cargo trains sometimes drop grain on the tracks and animals congregate to eat it. We opened our bus windows and I managed to snag a shot of this gorgeous hunk.
Bear Tips: Our guide gave us some advice on what to do if we ran into a bear. If you run into a Grizzly, you need to back away slowly. Chances are they just want to gorge themselves with berries, which happened to be in season when we were there. If they look like they may threaten you, play dead. Black Bears are more territorial. They can also be brown. If you are attacked DO NOT play dead. Try to escape and if that’s not possible, fight back. (Easier said than done) Carrying Bear spray is always a good idea.
Hiking in Johnston Canyon
When we arrived at Johnston Canyon my daughter and I were the only ones who got off. Everyone else was headed back to Banff. The canyon is popular for families and easy for most fitness levels. You can walk to the lower falls (30 minutes) or take a longer and more challenging hike to the upper falls. (60 min) Since we had already hiked our butts off at Lake Louise the day before, we thought it would be a better idea to take the lower route. (Or, at least my feet did.)
The trail is a series of catwalks that have been built into the limestone cliffs. Water from the falls rushes down through the canyons. It was a little tricky taking a photo while dodging tourists with smartphones, little kids and a variety of big and small dogs, but it was beautiful and we loved it.
There is a small café with a gift shop at the entrance. Since we already packed sandwiches, we bought some tea at the cafe and ate our lunch. There are also nicely maintained restrooms nearby. Always a plus if you are female!
As we sat and waited for the bus, we noticed a crowd of people looking at something in the parking lot. It turned out a black bear who had made its way up in a tree next to the lodge and bungalows near the café. It was stuck, and we managed to get a few photos of it before the ranger showed up. I was glad I took my Canon Powershot camera with its zoom lens and managed to get him close up and in focus.
We were the only two on the bus going back to Lake Louise besides our guide and driver, but they graciously entertained us with information about the area and told stories. It was a nice way to see the sights without having to worry about driving.
Read my other posts about the Canadian Rockies here:
Read more about Banff and the Canadian Rockies
It was amazing to visit Moraine Lake and Johnston Canyon. Have you been to Canada yet? Please leave a comment and share this post with your friends.
What gorgeous pictures. I would love everything about a visit there, except the mention of bears, that would terrify me.
Thanks, Karen. Yes, I was glad the bear was up in a tree and not hiding behind a bush while we were hiking. LOL
Stunning photographs and I especially love the one of the elk. I really love that the highways around there have wildlife overpasses and underpasses so that the bears, elk, coyotes, wolves, cougars, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep can all cross in safety. That area around Banff and Lake Louise are so beautiful. Maybe it’s because I live in Alberta but despite traveling the world, Banff is still my all time favourite place and I look forward to your post about it. Hope you made it to the hot springs, up the gondola, and to the hoodoos!
Thanks, so much Merna. We loved our trip but it was way too short. We didn’t get to do the hot springs, gondola, or the hoodoos, but good to know for next time. It’s impossible to cover everything in just a few days. We saw the overpasses and they are so impressive. I love that they have grass and trees on top. Such a wonderful idea.