Lake Louise was one of the few places in the Canadian rockies I had heard of before I travelled to Canada. The gorgeous alpine setting and those very blue hues of Lake Louise make for iconic photos. But unfortunately it wasn’t all as scenic as I expected it to be.
As I travel without a guide book I came rather unprepared to Lake Louise and had NO idea it would be the most famous spot in the Rockies. One of the locals in Jasper already mentioned it, but gosh I did not expect thís amount of people. I hadn’t seen so many humans before at once in a while. It was like going from Mount Fuji to Tokyo in a short time.
Nevertheless I visited Lake Louise a couple of times, as I wanted to see it in different light and weather conditions. The first time I arrived I was shocked when I saw the huge parking lot. I had to wait in line for 10 minutes before I was able to get a parking spot. As nearby Moraine Lake was already closed (early October) due to an unusual big amount of early snowfall, even more people were flocking towards Louise.
So there I was, beginning October, during a mid week day, standing shoulder to shoulder with Chinese tourists.
Yes, the clear waters were indeed absolutely stunning, especially against the snowy mountainous backdrop. However, it’s difficult to appreciate it all when there are rows of people next to you making selfies and blocking the landscapes with their own faces. With the huge Fairmont ‘Chateau’ Lake Hotel in the background of the lake, it all felt a bit commercial.
It was yet another reminder for me that the age of mass tourism is upcoming indeed.
At first I was afraid (I was petrified) that I’d wasted my time going to Lake Louise. Especially as I already had seen other lakes such as Peyton and Bow Lake, which were also pretty impressive and way less crowded – at least at the time of my visit.
Nevertheless I quickly discovered that there’s actually life beyond this extremely touristy zone. As most tourists only come for a quick selfie in their beloved Burberry and Gucci outfits, way fewer people are in for activities. Luckily there’s lots to do in the area, weather permitting. Apart from hiking around all sides of the lake, you can also do a bit of canoeing, horseback riding and even climbing.
As heaps of snow had fallen from the sky, most of the trails were closed during my visit. But the trail to Lake Agnes was still open!
So I decided to give it a shot.
The trail took something like 1,5 hour (all of it going up), but as all paths were frozen, the trails were just sheer ice. Without any cleats I felt like Bambi on ice.
I saw many people slipping on the grounds and every 100 meters was like another small personal battle. At the same time another winter wonderland was awaiting me around every other corner. Take this mountain for example, located right behind the frozen Mirror Lake ↑ What a beauty right?
Or this frosty Christmas tree, decorated by nature itself (second picture)! ↓
With a lot of blood, sweat and no gear I managed to make it to the higher grounds of Lake Agnes.
The trail leading to the other side of the lake was already bathing in the sun, so at least this path certainly was manageable.
Also, at a place where you expect it least, there’s this lovely little tea house right. You’ll find it right at the beginning of Lake Agnes. It sells at sorts of herbal teas and hot chocolate.. rather appreciated on snowy winter days. And if you’re hungry it’s even possible to order a simple soup or a sandwich.
Even tough it’s cold, I would suggest you to sit outside as you don’t see views like these every day ↓
All warmed up I was ready for the descent to Lake Louise again. This may have been the best part of the hike. Not so much because the trail was going down (even more slippery than going up), but because I could soak up the views way better on the descent.
The bruises were worth it.
I mean, can you ever get enough of these? ↓
I know I sure can’t.
When I saw the pictures of Lake Louise before I thought they were, like often on blogs (with mine as an exception, I’m too lazy for touch-ups!), a bit buffed up. But staring down at the lake from above I realized that this glacial lake is indeed just so super blue.
Apart from that, I saw the lake three times and depending on the weather conditions, every time it just looked different. I have the feeling that you can take hundreds of pictures and yet the colour of the lake still will be still different with each picture.
The colours in these pictures are the real deal. Nevertheless, it’s so much better to see it for yourself. I hope you’ll have a better week in terms of fellow tourists than I had, and if not, just take it to higher grounds!
Here’s where to find that ridiculously overcrowded and blue glacial lake ánd the trail to Lake Agnes!
