Yoho National Park, BC (During a Forest Fire!)

Continued from Calgary During a Forest Fire

It was surreal.

No matter how many times I say it, or look at the pictures, it was surreal.

It felt like a bad movie. The world on flames and the sky an orange hue. That was what greeted us on Monday morning, as we woke up early and left Calgary around 7 am.

Our plan had been Banff for that day, but that was all now going to change due to the forest fire in Canmore. Banff had really bad air quality, so we decided to go to Yoho National Park in British Columbia. From weather reports it wasn't as bad as Banff. 

Or Calgary.

The drive on Highway 1 to Banff and beyond is one of the world's best drives as the mountains come into view. This time we didn't even see the mountains.

It was a hot day. It should have been sunny, blue skies with some clouds on the horizon, and mountains everywhere. Rather, it was dark, orange (and sometimes grey), and gloomy. You could hardly see the mountains! Compare with the pictures the first time we drove on this road!

You would, of course, see a mountain when it was right beside you. But those were usually small hillocks. Later in the week, when we would be on this same road, we would gasp at the huge mighty mountains that had all been rendered invisible by all this smoke. As we drove right through Canmore, the heat and stench was disgusting. We were glad when we finally made it to the British Columbia border.

Spiral Tunnels

The first stop on our trip was the Spiral Tunnels. This is also where you can see the Kicking Horse Pass. We could see the trains spiral their way up the hill, but the smog made taking pictures tough. After staying for sometime, we decided to proceed on towards Emerald Lake.

Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake is still as pretty as ever. Even though there was some slight fog (along with the smoke), it still painted a pretty picture. The air was crisp and clear, and the beautiful colour of the water of the lake made every thing else look shimmering and beautiful.

The lake was as busy as ever. In 2019 we had clear skies and crystal clear reflection. This time, the slight fog made for a little different look to the pictures.

We went hiking around the lake, all the way through the lodge and guesthouses that dotted the edge of the lake.

The people staying in the lodges had some amazing  views to wake up to. Really, Emerald Lake doesn't get the hype of Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, but it is equally pretty in its own way.

On our hike, there was a huge hilly area, and a cottage at the very top, with these chairs arranged for the guests.

The last time we had visited this place, it was after 6 pm and the boat rental place had shut down. This time, it was bright and early, and there were lots of canoes and boats on the lake.

It was tough to say goodbye to Emerald Lake, but we had to. There were a few other things at Yoho National Park that we wanted to see. But our final view was one of the best.

Till next time!

Natural Bridge

On the way back to Highway 1 from Emerald Lake we stopped at Natural Bridge - an impressive rock formation.

Sculpted by the erosive forces of rushing water over what had once been a waterfall, the Natural Bridge is a powerful reminder of how much influence water has in shaping the landscape. 

The Natural Bridge spans the flow of the Kicking Horse River west of Field, where the slower-moving waters from the Field valley flats begin their descent through a canyon to be joined by the Amiskwi River.

On the way to Takakkaw Falls, we saw another interesting viewpoint.

Meeting of the Waters

This is where the Amiskwi River and Emerald River merge with the Kicking Horse River.

It's not clear from the pictures, but the three bodies of water were really of three different colours. It was something you had to see for yourself. 

Finally, on to the last, but not the least, attraction of Yoho National Park.

Takakkaw Falls

The height of Takakkaw Falls in Yoho is 373 metres (1,224 ft), making Takakkaw Falls the second tallest waterfall in Canada. As a comparison, the height of Niagara Falls is 51m only.

As we walked from the parking lot towards the Falls, we saw it for the first time behind the treeline. Remember, this is almost as tall as the Empire State Building (381m)!

The trail to the base of the Falls is beautiful in itself. Lots of nice trees, clear pathways and the river itself.

Even at this distance, you can hear the roar of the water!

This final bridge takes you to a trail that you can use to get at the very base of the Falls.

What an experience! To stand at the very place as the water comes rushing down the mountain, full of fury! 

Make sure you are dressed in warm (and waterproof) clothing. Even though it was a hot day, the temperature around this place was considerably lower than the surrounding area. Not to mention there was a huge mist in the air and you got properly soaked the closer you got to the base of the Falls.

Overall, this was a beautiful and eventful day in Yoho. Even though the weather (and the haze) wasn't the best, we did see what we wanted to see, and got some delightful pictures as souvenirs. 

That night, it would rain. And it would rain the whole of the next day. All that rain meant ALL forest fires were extinguished.

Done. 

No more fires. No more haze. No more smoke.

The weather would be gorgeous on Wednesday. But tomorrow, Tuesday, it would rain.

We headed to Banff, knowing we had one rainy day ahead of us.