The Lake Louise area, variously known as the "Hiking Capital of Canada" and Canada's "Diamond in the Wilderness", certainly lives up to its reputation. Only one hour from Banff, it boasts one of the continent's finest downhill ski areas and hiking trails aplenty. And, of course, its formidable namesake which is only the most renowned glacial lake in the Canadian Rockies, plus the nearby almost equally famed Moraine Lake encircled by the Valley of the Ten Peaks - an image immortalized on the back of the Canadian $20 bill.

Yet the Village itself is quiet and humbly, although it does offer the full range of travel amenities. After what ought to have been a restful night in
	a wonderful hostel - if not for a snoring room-mate whose repeated noise emission could best be described as an earthshaking thunderous roar - I started my exploration on the 2.7 km Louise Creek trail which joins
the village on the valley floor, to the lake in a hanging valley 200 metres higher. This was the same route taken in 1882 by a Tom Wilson - the first white man discoverer of the "Lake of Little Fishes".

It was a crispy morning and the trail peaceful and pleasant along the clear mountain creek, adorned by pretty wild flowers and snow-draped grass. Maybe due to my early start, I seemed to be the only person on the path. The quietness unfortunately reminded me of Helen and I started wondering if there were bears in the vicinity...

The weather was gloomy and cloudy when I arrived. Still, I was awestruck by the serenity of the turquoise waters and the dramatic mountain setting, as Tom Wilson must have been when he dubbed the gem "Emerald Lake". The name has since changed and acquired a royalty dimension, after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter of England's Queen Victoria, with the peak opposite the grandiose Chateau Lake Louise hotel, named after the Queen herself. Besides the towering snow-capped Mount Victoria, which cradles Victoria Glacier, one of six glaciers here, the other nearest surrounding peaks are Mount Fairview and Mount Lefroy.

After "sufficiently" appreciating the magnificent blue-green lake at a stroll of its shores, I decided to venture up the trail leading to Lake Moraine. It was uphill all the way and there was only one lanky guy ahead of me who spoke little English but carried an impressive-looking map. We hiked silently through the forest. The tall trees gave way to young pines and the path turned from earth brown to snow-laden white. Huffing and puffing for air apart, it was a lovely hike as I admired the unusual vegetation and unknown

wild flowers, with the occasional squirrel sprinting by, as my footsteps cackled and crunched on the icy snow.

Looking back, Chateau Lake Louise became smaller and smaller in the distance and the picture became all the more exhilaratingly beautiful when the by-now familiar snow flakes started to descend. I was reminded of the ornamental bottles with a miniature log cabin or other setting inside, that simulates snow when it is upturned. Except that this view now was for real!

Then I reached a rockpile and progress became slow through the thick snow on the zig-zag path amongst the boulders. There was a strange screeching animal cry in the distance - sometimes far, sometimes near.
	Trepidation setting in, I was wavering on whether to continue when my fellow hiker, who had gone much ahead of me earlier having chosen a steeper path up, appeared around the
bend striding hurriedly. The reason for his haste became apparent when I gathered from his frantic gestures and halting English, that there was a bear warning sign ahead. Suddenly, fog clouded in and what little sun there was disappeared. The snow also got heavier.

Heeding the "heavenly signs", we began to make our way down. It was much faster descending and the bear warning was repeated to two groups on the way up. Between us, we barely spoke because of the language barrier but a bondage had formed. By the time we reached the lake, it was almost difficult to part ways. I had to move on from Lake
	Louise that same day because the hostel was fully booked. My silent friend proved to be right about the danger. The next day, I read in a local paper in Banff, that there was a grizzly attack on a warden in the area we were in, which had to be closed and evacuated as a result. Nevertheless, this was my most memorable, and beautiful, hike in the Rockies.

Finally, I reached Banff - Canada's first official wildlife sanctuary established in 1885 - and discovered where all the throngs of tourists went. Okay, that is not technically correct as Lake Louise is also within the Park and the people-crunch area is really the Banff townsite. The allure of this ultimate year-round resort draws millions of visitors each year. With hot springs, spas, golf courses, the luxurious Banff Springs Hotel, assorted museums and galleries, and of course, the whole works of towering mountains, sweeping vistas, alpine meadows, emerald lakes, glistening glaciers and wildlife access, it is not hard to understand why Banff is the nation's favourite vacation spot.

Yet, I felt a bit disoriented in this crowded town which I found a tad big and touristy. After the intimacy of Jasper and the calm of Lake Louise, it took some adjusting to the comparably "bustling" pace here.

Most of my time in Banff was spent walking - lots of it. Armed with a map and tips from the helpful Banff Information Centre, I headed first for the
Fenland. Tranquility resumed when I reached the 1.5 km loop trail. This protected patch of isolated wetland offers a cool pleasant stroll in the woods
with rich wildlife and, together with the nearby Vermilion Lakes, a marshland haven for migratory birds.

Suitably refreshed, I then crossed the town to go up Tunnel Mountain. It was a considerable distance up the road to the start of the Bow River/Hoodoos Trail. The Hoodoos on the mountainside are actually
	ancient glacial till formations, according to the geologists. The native Indians had a more romantic (or violent) version - that they were nocturnal giants who awoke to hurl rocks at the passerby. Well, they looked quite harmless in the day at any rate. There were good views from the spot, however, of Mount Rundle, Banff's impressive signature "framing" mountain and the majestic Bow Valley below.

As the winds were unusually strong, I was anxious for forest cover and started on the 4.8km trail down along Bow River. It was a nice enough hike, especially since I was going downhill, although the occasional bouts of blistering winds could prove uncomfortable. The trail climaxed at Bow Falls, a spectacular flourish of pounding white waters created by the convergence of the Spray River with the Bow.

The 1888 Banff Springs Hotel is just in the vicinity. From there, one can take a bus up to the lower terminal of Sulphur Mountain. When I arrived, on a bright sunny morning for a change, there was a long snaking queue for the gondola ride. Impatient and feeling energetic, I opted for a hike ascent instead. This was an easy gravel trail in that it was well-maintained and wide enough to take a vehicle. The path zigzagged back and forth below the gondola route so I could hear the passing cable cars grunting overhead. It took me over 1½ hours to reach the top, only to encounter the hordes of tourists again.

Fortunately, the summit is big enough to accommodate the numerous visitors without seeming overly crowded. The boardwalk trail leading to an old cosmic ray station and weather observatory is especially popular, and worth a visit for the exhilarating 360-degree view of the spectacular mountain ranges all around as well as the grand valleys and forests below. To cap it all, I spotted a hoary marmot.

My penultimate hike in the Banff area was a "professionally-guided" one where I learned how "unequipped" I had been. Oops. It was another cloudy day when I took the White Mountain Adventures shuttle to the Sunshine Meadows. I had signed up for the guided 18-km walk to Citadel Pass which promised views of Mount Assiniboine and alpine meadows, and only required "average fitness". There was no mention of equipment needed. But I did notice, on the way up, the impressive-looking layers and apparatus that my fellow hikers had, and I was momentarily stumped when my affable guide enquired what gear I had.

The Sunshine Village hardly lived up to its name when we arrived. As it was not the skiing season, the place looked like a desolate ghost town. The weather and winds were
cold and, maybe because I was a bit ill and warm that day, the snow-covered landscape did not quite enthuse me as before.

We set out on the innocent-looking trail with "gear-less" me praying I wouldn't need them. Alas, my prayers were not answered. The path became muddy as we walked single-file across the ice-covered "sunshine" meadows. When we reached a ridge full of thick and melting snow, the others whipped out flaps to cover their shoes and ankles. Poor me had no magic gear and got the wrong shoes on as I kept slipping. By the time we reached the lake on the other side, I had to contend with muddied jeans and soggy shoes. Just as well because the path became a wet trench. Due to our slow progress, we did not reach the Citadel Pass but turned back after admiring it from a distance.

It is a wonder how weather can change a scene so much. On our trek back, things became brighter and cheerier with a hint of sun filtering though the

grey skies. The lake was blue instead of black and we could see some parts of the famed alpine meadows uncovered by the melting snow. The tricky ridge, however, remained icy at the top although I dare say my sense of balance had improved. Unfortunately, the atmosphere changed again and it decided to shower and blow frosty winds. By the time the rains passed over, I was frozen damp, unlike the others who had put on rain pants and other protective wear. Miraculously, the sun came out and a rainbow appeared as we approached the Village. Better late than never. The place finally lived up to its name and we all ended the hike with smiles on our faces at the irony.

Crappy weather and lack of gear notwithstanding, it was a good hike. Most of the terrain was flat and the pace moderate, so it was not strenuous. The guide also gave an interesting detailed running commentary of the landmarks and wildlife in the area. Oh, what I would give to see the varied wild flowers in these meadows on a summer day, that this spot is so famous for. Another time, another season. Perhaps I will return.

My memories of the Canadian Rockies remain one of my fondest travel experiences. Never mind that the glorious vistas and splendid hiking trails enticed me into trudging endlessly in pain, from a new pair of track shoes that proved too small and gave me two black toenail "souvenirs" taking half a year to recover. Or that I had a fall in the bathroom (of all places!) on my last day that left me with yet another memento of a blue-black left hip. The sacred scenery simply had me mesmerized and engrossed, packaging the images into my mind instead of clicking away on the auto-focus camera I had then. Yes, I think I will definitely go back one day...

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Comments Julianah Your site on the Rockies is great, and true to the core. I was there in the Spring of 2001, and the experience with mother-nature was simply breathtaking, exhilarating and priceless. Thank you for putting the words down for me. mobey not much here about canadian rockies. hope to see new things here soon. sze chiung Hi, can't wait to visit the Rockies after seeing your photos. Could you let me know which month were you there? I am planning to go there this Oct/Nov. thanks. Robin I am glad you had a great trip, nice pictures......visit again. I live in Banff and have been to Singapore about 10 times and love it. Hope to go back soon. Robin Lau Wow! Wow! I really enjoy your free websites on the two most famous National Parks of western Canada. Such lovely and very poetic descriptions of Banff N P and Jasper N P. Yes! I must make another attempt to see these two special places during July/August next year. Other canada stories: Mont Tremblant's Autumn Splendour, foto memoirs ~ montréal & québec city, foto memoirs ~ niagara falls & Alaskan Sojourn ~ Whitehorse & Klondike Highway.