Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise

Mule Shoe
After a quick breakfast at Mac D's we hit the road, heading towards Lake Louise. We travelled via the Bow Valley Parkway, stopping off at several beauty spots. The photo above shows a scene from a spot called Mule Shoe. We had very good weather. It started off pretty chilly, but the skies were clear and blue. We stopped off for a hike along the Johnston Canyon Trail. This consists of a walk along the path of a river via a well trod, but not overly busy trail, punctuated by a series of waterfalls, culminating in the fall you see in the picture.
Johnston Canyon (Upper Falls)
After the hike, we stopped at the diner near to the parking lot for a refueling stop. We also purchased a couple of caps since the sun was making us squint quite a bit. Then, back on the road heading towards Moraine Lake. To reach this, we drove along a winding mountain road with some spectacular views.
At Moraine Lake, we rented a canoe, and spent an hour paddling around the lake. Definately recommended activity, if a tad pricey at $35 for an hour.

Moraine Lake
Then it was back on the road for the short drive down to the Fairmont Chateaux Lake Louise. This hotel (as posh as it sounds), is a bit of an eyesore by the side of Lake Louise. However, that aside the lake and mountains surrounding it are truly a sight to behold. No photo can do justice to the vista. Our car was valet parked, and our bags delivered to our room! (That cost me a few $5 notes in tips however). The room itself has a picture window overlooking the lake.
Lake Louise
After some refreshment in the bar downstairs, we went for an evening stroll around the lake. It was starting to cool down by then, but it was a very pleasant end to a very long day! We had a meal in one of the hotel's restaurants. I had salmon cooked with maple syrup. Unsurprisingly it was rather sweet. I much prefer Nozomi's salmon. Incidently, it was really difficult choosing photos for this blog today. We took over 150! The scenery is just mind bogglingly beautiful. The photos I have posted are just a tiny taster.