Day 3 Lake Louise

Originally named Emerald Lake before being renamed in 1884 in honour of Princess Louise (the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria), Lake Louise is world-famous for its striking turquoise water. This mesmerizing color comes from "rock flour"—tiny particles of rock ground down by the overlying Victoria Glacier that remain suspended in the glacial meltwater. It’s beautifully framed by towering peaks, glaciers, and the grand Fairmont Chateau hotel. The lake itself is approximately 2 km long, 0.5 km wide, and 70 metres deep. Interestingly, while Banff isn't typically salmon country, Lake Louise marks the very boundary where they begin to appear. In late October, the waters start to ice over for winter ice skating, before finally defrosting again in May.
Gra had the brilliant idea of hiring a canoe from the boathouse to experience the lake from a completely different perspective. Cid, Ian, and Lara were instantly up for it! Normally, you can only hire smaller canoes for two people, but as luck would have it—and much to Cid and Lara's relief—a large group tour canoe was just about to set off and had spaces for all four of us.
There was a slight catch: the weaker paddlers were instructed to sit right at the front. Cid and Lara quickly volunteered for the role, only to immediately regret it when they found out they were now the official pace-setters for the entire boat! 😂
After nearly capsizing the canoe just trying to get on board, we successfully found our rhythm and paddled all the way to the far end of the lake. Out there, we stopped to take in the absolute peace, quiet, and stunning mountain views. Our fantastic guide, Kev—who was incredibly friendly, informative, and great fun—had us all shout "HELLO!" across the water, and we waited to hear the perfect echoes ring back across the valley (though sadly it didn't quite pick up on video).
We managed to return in one piece, reversing into the bay to make a dry landing—though we almost lost Gra straight into the glacial water in the process! As an added bonus, the group tour actually ended up costing less than hiring separate canoes, which made the fellas very happy indeed. What an absolute lifelong memory madeRead more