Another Bus Tour and Lake Louise Visit
June 23-24, 2025
Similar to our bus tour to Banff, we took another bus tour, this time to Lake Louise. This tour was a bit shorter and less interesting than the previous one, but it still had a few interesting sights. We couldn't completely escape the rain, but at least we caught a glimpse of the sun peeking through the clouds. The bus tour included:
Drive along Bow River up to the Castle Rock viewpoint.
Visited the Spiral Tunnels viewpoint, where the most interesting part was the placard description of their purpose and construction.
A stop at Emerald Lake and time for a short walk around part of the lakefront.
Walked around the (underwhelming) rock feature called Natural Bridge.
Arrived at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, another opulent resort.
The next day, we were again on our own, and without much planning, did these:
A crowded hike on the lakefront path to the southwest end of Lake Louise
Another hike from the boathouse to Fairview Lookout
A short stroll from the boathouse to Louise Creek to Brewster's Stables
Took the resort bus to the Lake Louise Town Center and toured the small village.
In hindsight, with a little better planning, there were a few interesting sights we should have taken in. These were: Lake Moraine, Lake Louise Gondola, and a Lake Agnes hike. Still took some nice photos, see below.
Click on an Image to pop up a larger version.
Zoomed-In on Castle Mountain
Castle Mountain, our first stop, is located within Banff National Park, approximately halfway between Banff and Lake Louise.
Another Shot of Emerald Lake
The President Mountain Range surrounds the lake in the distance. The lake has a 5.2 km hiking trail around its shoreline, which we did not have time to venture onto.
Natural Bridge
A notable, but not particularly impressive, tour bus stop, Natural Bridge, was formed through erosion, creating a tunnel where water flows through the rock instead of over it.
Rainy View of Lake Louise
The lake is situated at an elevation of 1,750 meters (5,740 feet) above sea level and is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, including Mount Victoria.
Lake Louise - Fairview
Fairview Mountain was named in 1894 by Walter Wilcox. This name reflects the spectacular 360-degree view of the Canadian Rockies from the summit.
Another Angle of Castle Mountain
This is a view of Castle Mountain from the bus as we approached (or left) the viewpoint.
Kicking Horse Pass Spiral Tunnels
As trains snake their way up to the Kicking Horse Pass, they circle deep into the mountains on both sides of this valley, two giant underground loops. Above, one can only see the tunnel entrance.
Top of Natural Bridge
A combination of chemical weathering and physical erosion formed the Natural Bridge. This photo shows the water flowing between the rocks and through a hole shown in the previous image.
Sunny Lake Louise - Southwest End
The lake gets its distinctive turquoise color from rock flour, which is created by glacial melt and are fine particles of rock suspended in the water.
Fairmont Lake Louise Resort
Initially built in 1890, this hotel started as a simple chalet built by the CPR. It subsequently evolved into an early-20th-century chateau-style luxury resort to attract rail travelers.
Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park was discovered in 1882 by guide Tom Wilson and was named because of its vivid green color.
Spiral Tunnel Map
This is a photo of a placard at the observation site. It shows a map of the train tracks through the area. The two spiral tunnels are in white dotted lines inside the yellow circles.
Kicking Horse River
The river's blue-green color comes from suspended "rock flour" created as glaciers grind rock into fine silt. Meltwater carries these tiny, suspended particles into the river.
Lake Louise - Northeast End
The lake's water temperature rarely rises above 4°C (39°F) even in summer, making swimming quite challenging, but some "polar bear" club swimmers do!
Chocolate Mousse at the Fairmont
Not a natural wonder, but an unusual photogenic dessert of white, milk, and dark chocolate mousse "balls" topped with swirling white chocolate. I felt compelled to take a picture.