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Banff National Park - Lake Louise Area
The Lake Louise region of Banff National Park is famous for two lakes, Louise and Moraine, both of which are famous, shimmering torquoise bodies of water surrounding by craggy peaks and glaciers. This sceneset features many of the moods of these two lakes, along with spectacular scenery captured during a trip to the Plain of Six Glaciers, a high alpine region accessed by a phenomenal hike along and then behind Lake Louise.

Castle Mountain and the Bow River Castle Mountain is an icon of Banff National Park, and it's rather easy to see how it got its name. This was a pretty day with puffy clouds drifting across deep blue skies, as I caught this iconic image of the mountain looming behind the turquoise waters of the Bow River. Castle Mountain and the Bow River
CPR In this case the letters CPR
Lake Louise Reflections Mount Victoria and the Victoria Glacier appear in stereo in this early morning scene at Lake Louise, a very popular destination in the Rockies. This was actually taken from the bridge over the small, narrow bay at the far northwest of the lake. Lake Louise Reflections
Twenty Dollar View Moraine Lake is the second-most-popular destination in the Lake Louise area, after Lake Louise herself. It is a truly breathtaking sight, especially on a nice, clear morning such as this one. In the 1970s, this view was chosen to adorn the back of the Canadian twenty-dollar bill, leading to it being called the Twenty Dollar View
Sugar Cube The most common shot of Lake Moraine from the top of the Sugar Cube
Steps to the Temple The popularity of the Rock Pile at Lake Moraine led to the creation of these obviously-man-made steps up to its summit. This atypical Steps to the Temple
Buttercups Some pretty buttercups form a different foreground for the pale green-blue of Lake Louise's waters. Buttercups
Moraine and Lefroy This angular image was taken on the Plain of Six Glaciers hike, where the trail begins to rise into the mountains after passing the end of Lake Louise. From the center-left to the center of the image you can see a ridge that is a true lateral moraine formed by the retreat of Victoria Glacier. On the left, Mount Aberdeen; in the center, Mount Lefroy; to the right, Mount Victoria and Victoria Glacier. Moraine and Lefroy
Lakeshore Trail For those not able or willing to undertake the more strenuous mountain hikes in the Rockies, a pleasant, flat trail winds along the entire northern shore of Lake Louise. And while the views aren't as impressive as they are up high, they're certainly nothing to complain about! Lakeshore Trail
End of the Lake This panorama shows a view of Lake Louise that most tourists never see: from the southwest end of the lake looking back towards the famous Chateau Lake Louise hotel. The lake gets very shallow here, as it is fed by meltwater from the mountains. The giant bulk of Fairview Mountain forms the backdrop. End of the Lake
Looking Back This is how Lake Louise appears about half-way through the The Plain of Six Glaciers hike to the teahouse. It was quite neat seeing snow on the ground in late June (and walking through it!) Looking Back
Plain of Six Glaciers The Plain of Six Glaciers is one of the most popular hikes in Banff National Park. It starts out along the shore of Lake Louise and then climbs slowly along the slope of Mount Whyte into a basin where six glaciers can indeed be seen: Aberdeen, Lefroy, Victoria and Popes Peak glaciers, along with valley glaciers near Mounts Lefroy and Victoria. Young conifers seem almost like a picket fence in this image looking out over the plain, with one of the glaciers visible (not sure which it is) and in the distance, the peak called The Mitre, named for its superficial resemblance to clerical headgear. Plain of Six Glaciers
Near the Teahouse The area near the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse flattens out, and offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, many of which form part of the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia. This north-looking view shows Collier Peak on the left, Popes Peak and its small glacier in the center, and Mount Whyte on the right. Near the Teahouse
Avalanche Path From a distance, this avalanche chute almost looks like a man-made path. It's only when you get close up that you realize it is much more rocky than it appeared. :) I believe it is still actually used as a path by scramblers (though hopefully not in the early spring when avalanche danger is high). Avalanche Path
Valley of the Ten Peaks Another view of Moraine Lake, this time showing a couple of kayakers setting out for an enjoyable paddle. A common name for the area is the Valley of the Ten Peaks, though you can actually see more than ten summits from the vicinity of the lake, and some of the decisions about what to consider a peak (as opposed to part of another mountain) are not always clear. Visible in the distance here, from left to right: Mount Bowlen, Tonsa, Mount Perren, Mount Allen, Mount Tuzo, Deltaform Mountain and Neptuak Mountain. Valley of the Ten Peaks
Purple Paintbrush Most Indian paintbrush flowers are red, but you can also find them in shades of purple and even yellow. These contrast nicely with the complementary green behind them. Purple Paintbrush
Gathering Storm, Moraine Lake The high elevations and icefields of the Rocky Mountains make their own weather; it can and does rain (or even snow) at any time. I captured these storm clouds closing in on Moraine Lake late one afternoon. Gathering Storm, Moraine Lake
An Alternate View Yep, it's Moraine Lake again! This time, a slightly different view, showing part of the Rock Pile itself from which so many images are taken, along with the end of the lake and the traditional mountain views beyond. An Alternate View
Wild Strawberry Aren't plants amazing? Sometimes it seems like there is nowhere they won't grow -- unless you plant them in your garden. ;) I captured this pretty strawberry plant blooming in a crevice near the top of the Moraine Lake Rock Pile. Wild Strawberry
The Valley Often Passed This valley can be seen by scrambling a few yards down an embankment from the road that leads to Moraine Lake from the main highway. Thousands of tourists drive by this spot without ever noticing it -- a testament to the wealth of beauty in the Rockies. The Valley Often Passed
Nice View Once you sit down on this bench on top of the Rock Pile at Lake Moraine, it's pretty hard to get back up. Nice View
Debris Field Trees naturally fall into Moraine Lake during stormy weather and accumulate near the northwest end of the lake. It must be a deliberate decision to leave them where they lay naturally, rather than removing them. Debris Field
Opportunistic A rainbow captured in the late evening. We were driving from Lake Louise to Yoho National Park when I spotted it just before the provincial boundary and pulled over quickly (rainbows never last very long). Opportunistic
Rock Pile Babel Panorama Countless thousands of photos of Lake Moraine have been taken from the Rock Pile, but not nearly as many show the Rock Pile from the lake. This panorama, taken from a canoe, shows the Rock Pile on the left. The mountain on the right is Mount Babel; the roughly cylindrical peak just to the right of center is called the Tower of Babel, after the biblical story. Rock Pile Babel Panorama
Glacial Feed The beautiful color of Lake Moraine is due to light reflecting off Glacial Feed
Worth the Cost Colorful canoes bob next to a dock on Lake Moraine. Renting one is not cheap, but if you are ever in the area, it is worth the fee for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Worth the Cost
Bow River Flats The Bow River winds through Banff National Park. This is a view from a less-traveled area, where the river valley flattens out for a while. The color of the water never ceases to amaze. Bow River Flats
Crystal Clear An absolutely sparkling morning on Lake Louise. Crystal Clear
Lupine Castle Another view of the imposing Castle Mountain, with colorful lupines in the foreground, taken from the Bow River Parkway. Lupine Castle

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