Gondola on Sulphur Mountain

    After dinner with travel companions and getting a good night’s Sleep, our first stop was the gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. It takes eight minutes to travel the 2,300-foot to the summit, a smooth lift that is a peaceful hum as you take in a panorama of the Canadian Rockies. For those who have the time and energy, it takes two to three hours to hike to the top. I had neither the time nor the stamina to undertake that physical challenge.

Boardwalk leading to weather station

    Once atop Sulphur Mountain, at 8,041 feet (give or take a few hundred feet) it rewards you with magnificent views of Bow Valley. There are boardwalks that take you to different vantage points, including Sanson’s Peak, a historic site where Norman Sanson (1862-1949) traveled by foot once a week for nearly 30 years to record weather data. There is also a visitors’ center with two restaurants, gift shops, restrooms and viewing balconies. 

Lake Louise

   The next stop was Lake Louise, one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world, with its glimmering turquoise at an elevation of 5,200 feet carved out of the surrounding mountains. It’s not a large lake. I hiked from one end to the other, about 1.5 miles. On the chilly lake were canoers, paddle boaters. and surfboarders. I even stopped and took a photo of a young couple braving the frigid waters (less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit in August, so not suitable for swimming). 

Athabasca Glacier

  The last full day in Banff included a drive on the scenic Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park, where we went to the Athabasca Glacier, the most visited glacier in North America. It has been receding about 16 feet a year, so it’s gradually melting away (but not in my lifetime). We also stopped at the emerald-colored Peyto and Bow lakes for those Kodak moments and to soak in the scenery. The Canadians impressed me with their apparent concern for the environment and providing a protective and natural habitat for wildlife.