To take advantage of the summery long weekend forecast, Melinda and I rallied some of our favourite people for a road trip and shoulder-season hike in the the Banff area. We were looking for a relatively laid-back trip, yet also hoping for decent visual rewards for our efforts. The trail along Lake Minnewanka's north shore looked good on paper, and greatly exceeded our expectations. Spectacular views of the lake and surrounding peaks were constant along this out-and-back route which required little effort apart from one relatively steep climb going in both directions. The sun was also a little hotter than expected so we decided as a group to stop a few kilometers shy of the original objective (LM8 campground) and have lunch while dipping our feet in the icy water. This turned out to be a great decision that afforded us our own private section of beach to enjoy in peace from the crowds.
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| Group photo to kick-start our day! |
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| Colourful and glassy water |
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| Mindy and Karianne. These two led the way for most of the hike. |
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| Benno and Sharla on the bridge over Stewart Canyon |
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| Stewart Canyon |
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| Cascade Mt. can be seen from our trail below |
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| We stuck together for most of the day |
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| Views open up after a decently steep incline. Mt Rundle (L) and Cascade (R) in the distance. |
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| Descending to lake level again |
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| This is where we had lunch. Mt Inglismaldie towers behind us. |
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| Reuben led us to this little waterfall emerging from beneath the mountain |
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| Breathtaking views were constant on this trip |
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| Climbing back up |
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| Matt and Reuben leading now |
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| Matt nearing the top of the ascent |
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| Back down towards Stewart Canyon |
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| Wilderness bromance |
I'm oozing with nostalgia. What a gorgeous day, incredible scenery, fine company, and apparent lack of crowds ahead of the summer crush. You timed it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteHi Mim! Yes, we really scored with this trip. Amazing this place is only a little more than an hour from home :)
ReplyDeleteAs lovely as always. Having seen it from the lake many times your perspective was interesting. Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It would be a very cool perspective from the water I'm sure. We talked about coming back with kayaks for that very purpose :)
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