GCA IX: Lake Fatigue Syndrome

Our great outdoors adventure was about to end. Already our last day in the Rockies. Although I'm not a fan of roughing it out, I must admit that it's very breathtaking out there. Breakfast was at Laggan's. Couldn't get the door open cause I underestimated it. Needed to put in more muscle! The woman sitting at the counter beside the door told me it happened to her coming in. LOL. Tried a little something called The Cure. Definitely cured our hunger. First on our list was Bow Lake Summit. From up there, one could get an amazing view of Peyto Lake. Although the name of the place seemed to suggest another hike in the cold, on the contrary, it was extremely easy to access by car. Just a short walk from the parking lot would bring you to the look out point. Minimum exertion, maximum enjoyment. With that said, it's truly a perfect place for tours, so we only managed to enjoy the view for an uninterrupted thirty seconds before the tourists came pouring in by the bus-loads.









Quickly escaped the crowd and drove to Bow Lake. Met a lake celebrity there (a geeky Asian)-- Red Riding Hood Rob. Caught him getting a second look at KH and I. Another trekking adventure was before us. Went around Bow Lake to get to the Bow Glacier Falls. The trail was super muddy and the guy we met along the way (he was half drenched, with muddy feet) suggested that we leave the marked trail and go on the river bank for a more direct route (sesaran vs jarak). Decided to go on the road least travelled, guessing our way by looking for footprints in ground. At a certain point, we cut back to the trail and a went into the pine forest following a small, faint trail. It was very quiet, with spongy moss beneath our feet and wet pine trees lining the way. Truth be told, we weren't sure where we were going. Double backed a bit but we pressed on when we saw stacked stones here and there. However, it didn't seem to lead to the falls and we made our way out (luckily we managed to retrace our steps), traversing the steep trails, fallen logs and wet branches.















When we got out, it dawned on me the importance of tear proof outerwear in such situations where every single thing seems to snag on your clothes and backpack. Back at the river bank, we finally found our bearings and followed the stone heap markers (I wonder how we missed such an obvious trail marker). It was an easy trek on the smooth stones and sandy ground. Reached the foot of a steep flight of wooden stairs built into the hillside. Ugh. Elevation. Climbed to the top and followed another trail with a great view of rushing water and the Bow Glacier Falls in the distance. Far away, we could make out the glacier that was the source of the falls. A few old couples were sitting around enjoying the view and we did the same. Feeling sapped by that adventure, we made our way out. Loitered a while at Num Ti Jah Lodge to enjoy their heaters before heading back to Laggan's at Lake Louise for a spot of lunch. Tried their elk stew and I must say that the piping hot stew was really what we needed. The shredded meat was a bit gamy, but it was good.











Feeling a little more adventurous, we decided to visit the adjacent Yoho National Park. Went to see Emerald Lake, but I have nothing much to say about it except that it has a nice gift shop with artisanal knick-knacks. By that time, both of us already had Lake Fatigue Syndrome. Initially, KH had wanted to canoe, but it was really, really cold, so we scrapped that idea. Shoud have done it at Lake Moraine when the weather was better.









Next was the Natural Bridge, a place where the strong current of the river had cut through rock creating a bridge of sorts. A bunch of kids were seen in the restricted area, crossing from rock to rock. One wrong step and one would most probably be killed in the swirling blue green water. On our way out of Yoho, we stopped at Field, a small village in search of dinner, but found nothing. Ended up back in Lake Louise's Mountain Cafe. Shared salmon with rice and a cream soup. Nothing to shout about. Went back to the hotel to pack as it we were scheduled to re-embrace our urban creature comforts the next day.