Texas to Canada — Part 2
Banff national park
Finally, we reached to Banff and setup our tents at Two Jackson campground where we had our bookings. The site was easy to find and was very clean. We explored the park for three days. our first stop was lake Moraine.
Lake Moraine-
Moraine Lake is only half the size of its nearby neighbor Lake Louise, but perhaps even more scenic. It’s situated in the beautiful Valley of The Ten Peaks in Banff National Park. This glacier-fed lake becomes the most intense and vivid shade of turquoise blue and reflection of the majestic mountain peaks makes the view surreal. When standing on the shore of Moraine Lake, you can feel the excitement in the air. Only a short walk from the parking lot lies the iconic Moraine Lake. Well, you might think that it is only a viewpoint, but make sure you allocate enough time for your visit, as based on our experience, you won’t be willing to leave.
Tips for Visiting Moraine Lake
Arrive Early — Although it is not as crowded and insanely busy as its nearby neighbor Lake Louise, Moraine Lake is still a very popular place to visit for travelers. During the high season in July and August, the parking lot fills up quickly. In order to get a parking spot and beat the crowds and tour buses that will arrive mid-morning and early afternoon, you must arrive early. And by early, I mean you should be at the lake by 7 am or 7:30 am. Most of the parking spots were already taken by 8 to 8:30 am when I visited.
Plan to Spend at Least Half a Day —
There are plenty of great day hikes beginning from Moraine Lake ranging from the easier to the more difficult ones. we spent half of the day at the lake and below are some hikes we did and enjoyed it.
The Rockpile Trail
This short and easy 1.4 km trail is the busiest hike starting from the lake and for good reason. The short uphill pathway literally winds its way to the top of a large pile of rocks where you will find the most amazing and rewarding views overlooking Moraine Lake.
This hike was the first thing I did upon arriving to the lake. At the top of the rock pile, there are some benches and you will find the most incredible views of the lake and surrounding mountains and valleys from a variety of perspectives. The scenery was so gorgeous and awe-inspiring and there were plenty of amazing photo opportunities.
This trail gets busy quickly, so I would recommend doing this one first when you arrive to the lake. Make sure to come back after the sun has fully risen though, as the water looks even more vibrant and incredible when the sun is shining on it.
Consolation Lakes
Consolation Lakes is an easy 6 km round-trip trail that starts from along the Rockpile Trail (on the left side, just before the climb to the top of the rock pile) and leads to the beautiful Consolation Lakes with incredible views of the surrounding jagged mountain peaks, glaciers, a rocky landscape with lots of large boulders to climb around on, and a peaceful glacial-fed river flowing through.
The hike started off by descending into the valley and then passing through a very rocky area where I even found some recent avalanche debris and snow patches! The trail then wound through the beautiful forest for the remainder of the hike on a mostly flat path with some short slightly uphill sections (but only 60 meters elevation gain in total). At the end of the hike, the trail emerged from the forest and opened to a field of large boulders with the lake visible in the distance. There were gorgeous views of the tall jagged mountains, sheer vertical cliffs, and the Fay Glacier overlooking the lake.
I enjoyed climbing over the large rocks in order to get closer to the lake, but if you do this, make sure to watch your step as there are lots of crevices in the rocks and it would be easy to trip (I did while jumping from one rock to another and scraped my knee). I ate my snack while sitting on the rocks and loved appreciating the scenery in such a calm atmosphere.
For a short hike, Consolation Lakes was very rewarding, and I would highly recommend hiking this trail.
This half day of hikes and mesmerizing views just left us in awe. We explored some more during that day which is upcoming in my next post. Till then enjoy!!
