Visiting Banff
A big day visiting Banff…
Following our day in the Lake Louise area, the weather turned cold and wet. This meant spending a bit of time in and around Canmore where we were staying – see Canmore Area blog. By Friday, as we had to go to Banff to collect our gear for the half marathon, we decided to bite the bullet and head there for the day despite dubious weather predictions. We were we glad we did so as the skies cleared and the cloud and rain held off until late afternoon. This meant we had a huge day jam packed with walks as we wanted to make the most of the good conditions.
Visiting Lake Minnewanka…
Our first stop was Lake Minnewanka, a glacial lake located in the eastern area of Banff National Park about five kilometres northeast of the Banff townsite. The lake is 21 km long and 142 m deep, making it the 2nd longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies (the result of a power dam at the west end). We took a stroll along the shoreline to Stewart Canyon – nice and relaxing, apart from the fact that there were bear warning signs all along the track as someone had been “attacked” there the previous week.
We hadn’t realised how much bears are a normal part of life everywhere (in BC and Alberta anyway) – that’s why even the garbage bins have special bear proof handles.
Then off to Lower Bankhead…
On the way to Banff from Minnewanka is what remains of Bankhead, a coal mining town that existed between 1903 and 1922. Operated by a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which needed the coal to fuel its steam engines, the output of coal ran between 500 to 600 tons per day. A town was developed with the main operations located in the valley, called Lower Bankhead. The residential area was higher up and is referred to Upper Bankhead. In Lower Bankhead, there is a trail that takes you past various remains of the town.
Climbing Tunnel Mountain…
Reaching the summit of Tunnel Mountain is a pretty easy feat. The climb starts from the Banff townsite and winds its way up the mountain, rewarding walkers with lovely views over the town and the surrounding lakes and mountains. It was good to see people of all ages and nationalities sunning themselves on the rocks at the top.
Finishing off at Sundance Canyon…
A 4km paved path takes hikers past the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, along rivers and past lakes to Sundance Canyon. There were quite a few people out enjoying the day, including a very large group of children on horseback. The canyon was pleasant, although having experienced so many WOW moments on this trip, it was underwhelming.
After the 4km return trip, having amassed more than 35,000 steps for the day, it was time to head to the race expo to collect our gear for the half marathon and make our way back to our condo.
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