Continued from Banff on a Rainy Day
It took me five years.
The first and only time I had visited Moraine Lake was way back in 2016. Back then, I didn't have the time to see this lake properly.
"Insha Allah, something to do for next time." I had said. That next time was here and now. 2021.
Banff is a popular destination for Canadians this year. Why? No foreign tourists. Great deals to be had. No need to quarantine. Alberta has no mask mandate. Banff - a beautiful, scenic location. All of which makes for a great vacation. And yet ... expect large crowds at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. These are the jewels of Banff National Park.
It is popular to catch Moraine Lake at sunrise. We left at 4 pm from Banff to make the hour long drive to Moraine Lake. Even at 5 pm (around an hour and half to sunrise), the parking lot was semi-full. We parked and made the trek up Rockpile Trail to the top of the hill.
Unfortunately for us, it was very cold, AND very foggy. The weather was predicted to be 22 Degrees Centigrade, but currently it was 4 Degrees. Yes ... 4 degrees. We were dressed in multiple layers, and it was still cold. People had coffee masks and beverages; we had nothing. Unfortunately, there was no coffee place open this early anywhere.
In any case, we waited for the sunrise, but the fog made it impossible to see the mountains clearly.
There were many people that early up the hill.
We could see the peaks come through the fog. It was a beautiful sight, from what was visible Photos don't do it justice. Still - it was cold. So at 8.45 am, we made our way down the hill. The cafe at Moraine Lodge opened at 9 am, and we needed some hot coffee to warm our bones.
Recharged, refreshed, we made our way back up the Rockpile trail. Notice how the fog was now dissipating, but that remnant added an eerie glow to all the pictures.
The sight was stunning. Again ... cellphone cameras do not do justice to this. Nor does ANY picture. You just have to be here to take in the beauty of this place.
We could almost see the lake now. The fog continued to decrease as the sun - and the temperature - continued to rise.
We were lucky to catch this. The sunrise view is common ... but to have a fog cast a magic glow to the site is something not that common this early in the summer. Then again .. it was a strange summer.
There were not that many people here, now. Many had come for the sunrise, and had left. The others, those who made the
shuttle reservations, were slowly coming in. The fog continued to decrease.
And then the fog was gone. There was just the lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
This is one of the most photographed places in Canada, and why not! Just look at the colour of that water! A vivid shade of turquoise that changes in intensity every time you visit. Moraine Lake is surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, and rock piles, creating a scene so stunning it almost seems unreal.
Why is the colour so blue? As per
this site,
when the melt water from the glacier up above starts to flow into the lake it brings with it glacial silt, also referred to as rock flour. The silt particles are so fine that they are suspended in the meltwater. It’s the light reflecting off the silt that gives the lake the intense blue colour.
You can take pictures on various points around the lake, of course. We walked around to quite a few places. Do be careful when climbing down some of the rock faces, and wear proper hiking shoes.
Btw, can you spot my coffee cup in the picture above?
The trees add a perfect touch to some of the pictures. This is true beauty of the Canadian wilderness.
The Rockpile Trail is an easy and short path with switchbacks along the back of the moraine to the top of the natural dam. The vista from the top is known as the “Twenty Dollar View”, as the scene featured on the back of Canadian twenty dollar bills issued between 1969 and 1979.
After that, it was time for breakfast. We made our way back to the Lake Louise village.
Now, if you are visiting Moraine Lake in July and August, especially with family, and you have no desire to see the sunrise, I would recommend you make a shuttle booking for 9.30 am. You don't have to worry about parking or getting here. Drive to the shuttle park n ride, park there, and board the shuttle to Moraine Lake. The best times for pictures here are from sunrise to about 11 am in the summer. After that, you can board another shuttle to go to Lake Louise. When you are done that, you can take a shuttle back from Lake Louise to the park n ride, get in your car, and be on your way again.
Next post: the ever gorgeous, the ever beautiful, Lake Louise.
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