We started at Johnson Lake, which was a deep emerald green color. The morning was calm and the lake was perfect for reflections.
It was a pretty small lake, so we decided to do the loop trail around it (~2 miles). We enjoyed the relatively quiet trail and all of the different perspectives as we walked around it. It was surrounded by mountains so the view changed a lot.
But about halfway through, there was a loud group that we could hear all the way across the lake! That was a little detracting from the experience, but we headed toward the red chairs (the group's hangout) anyway and snapped a quick photo before finishing the hike.
By the time we reached the start, Johnson Lake's "beach" was getting crowded. We stopped and ate our lunch at a picnic table, and an emboldened squirrel touched my knee under the table. I was imagining a giant spider or something equally terrifying, so I jumped, gasped, and startled the poor thing. Time to move on.
A short bus ride away was Lake Minnewanka, which was a lake full of some of the clearest, coldest water these toes have felt. Of course, it was surrounded by huge, dramatic mountains and is the largest and deepest lake in the area. Enough with the stunning scenery already! Apparently, when they dammed the lake again in the 1940s, it flooded the original resort village, which makes it a popular scuba spot, too.
We had intended to do a short hike around part of the lake to a canyon, but the kids were so enthralled with the water that we scratched that and just enjoyed the lake. Timid toes checking out the chilly water. One source said the lake temperature is around 36-37 degrees F - we're talking instant tingling and numbness in just a few seconds!
There were several natural jetties that were fun to explore - some even through cold water crossings, if your feet could stand it.
We eventually found a little hidden beach, which was a nice quiet area. It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon, so the picnic area was full of families and groups grilling and chilling. Maybe next time we'll find a sitter and splurge on the sunset beer cruise!
And of course, we couldn't let the red chair(s) go undocumented, despite the weary traveler who sat in one of the chairs our entire stay. Hello? Photo Op! Mo-ove! Just kidding. I would never interrupt someone's joy in nature...
After a few hours, we grew tired of being in the sun and headed back to the hotel to pack up, as the next day we'd be heading west to start our return route. Overnight, a front had blown in with rain and the next day was much cooler. The fog clinging to the mountains was a little eerie on our way to Lake Louise.
Lake Louise was on my bucket list, and I was a little bummed that the weather had turned and the fog obscured the glacier a little, but I was still pretty excited to be there! It is truly amazing and spectacular, even in imperfect conditions.
I had read that you had to show up early to fit in the parking lot (true!), and we had to drive about 45 minutes from Banff to get there, plus check out of our hotel, so we had our earliest morning by far to accomplish all of that. And let's just say that some of our party were not pleased to be out in the cold, early morning to look at another lake. Too bad! Suck it up, buttercups! Few things are done just for mom, and this was one of my only requests.
Ideally, we would have hiked up to the teahouses and made a day of it, but the weather, temperaments, and schedule did not allow us to do that. Instead, we trudged down the crowded, mucky path a ways just to see the view back to the famous Chateau Lake Louise, and then we trudged back to the car to continue our journey.
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