Have you ever had the chance to spot a mama grizzly on a trail, feeding her three cubs? We did! 😎 It happened during a hike at Lake Louise, in Banff National Park. Let us tell you all about this magical moment and the breathtaking sunrise at Moraine Lake!

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Our ascent of Mount Sulphur in Banff was followed by two days of flood alerts and violent, uninterrupted rain. So, we had no choice but to take shelter at Tim’s while we waited it out. Today, the weather seems to be improving. At least, it’s not supposed to rain… This is the window we’ve been waiting for over the past 10 days to visit Banff’s most iconic lake: Lake Louise! We didn’t want to make any compromises for this lake: we spent the first few days waiting for it to thaw completely, and the following ones hoping for sunny weather. Today is the day: no way we’re missing this chance! We park in the lake’s parking lot at 6:15 AM after a very early wake-up. Let’s go for a long hike at Lake Louise!

🥾 Lake Louise Trail, Plain of Six Glaciers, Big Beehive Lookout – 19 km (12 miles), 800 m elevation gain

Why is Lake Louise so famous in Western Canada? Because of its milky-blue water that turns turquoise in the sun! Well, at 6 a.m., it’s not that obvious! 😅

We follow the lake’s edge for about a kilometer before starting a climb toward the Plain of Six Glaciers. We’re surrounded by towering cliffs, where we spot mountain goats with thick, fluffy coats!

Very quickly, we come across a nervous couple: they had to turn back not far from here because a mother bear and her cubs were on the trail. We, on the other hand, are eager to see these bears 😁 We continue cautiously, alert at every turn. After about a kilometer, we meet a French couple who are stopped on the trail. We approach slowly: the mother bear, along with her three cubs, seems to be just around the bend, out of sight.

Together, we move cautiously. A bush rustles at the edge of the trail, and a brown head appears. A tiny cub emerges from the underbrush and trots across the trail in front of us. Too cute! 😍 It’s much smaller than the cubs we had encountered in Waterton Lakes National Park. It looks to be about a month old. We spot a second one, and then a third.

Then, the mother emerges from the bushes. We first see her large head, then her body. We step back a few paces, impressed: she is huge, over 200 kg (450 lbs) in our estimation! Contrary to what we had been told, this is not a brown bear, but a grizzly, easily identifiable by the hump on its back and its stocky build. Our first grizzly. Big emotions. She is impressive. When she turns her big round head towards us, we step back further. Better not have such a beast charging at us!

But she seems far more interested in the seeds and buds by the trail than in the four humans. Despite having her three cubs with her, she shows no signs of nervousness or aggression. On the contrary, she is very calm and completely indifferent to our presence. The little ones, however, seem more intrigued. When they smell or hear us, they stand up on their hind legs and look in our direction. We even hear some little grunts. We are in awe. What a privilege!

After a while, the mother lies down on her side. It takes us several seconds to realize that the cubs are nursing. The moment speaks for itself; in any case, we are speechless!

We stay and watch them for 45 minutes. Then, they finally leave the trail and move away towards the snowy valley. We see them walking in the snow, the mother in front and the three cubs following behind in a single file. A magical moment we will always remember!

We continue our hike at Lake Louise. The Plain of Six Glaciers trail, still under avalanche risk, is very steep, with snowy sections along the cliff where it’s best not to slip!

It ends at the far end of the Six Glaciers Plain, facing an immense cirque, cliffs from which ice blocks regularly fall, jagged mountain peaks, and glaciers towering above us. In the distance, Lake Louise shimmers a beautiful blue.

We then climb to the Big Beehive viewpoint, which is at the top of one of the mountains surrounding Lake Louise. We weren’t prepared for such an effort! The 300 meters of elevation gain are through a particularly snowy forest. Tree trunks regularly block the path. We reach the top of the cliff exhausted, but the landscape was worth it (as it often is)!

We had planned to descend via the other side, to go around Lake Agnes (still frozen) and make a big loop. However, we meet a couple who tell us that the ascent is dangerous on this side due to very steep slopes still covered in snow. Being cautious, we decide to descend by the same trail, which allows us to circle Lake Louise and admire its beautiful milky color.

The cherry on top of this beautiful hiking day at Lake Louise: the local campground lets us take a free – and very hot – shower in their facilities! What more could we ask for?

Thursday, June 16

As if we hadn’t woken up early enough yesterday, we decide to get up even earlier today: 4 a.m!! Our goal for the day: to admire the sunrise over the other iconic lake in Banff National Park: Moraine Lake, which even had the privilege of being featured on Canadian $20 bills. The wake-up is tough, but we arrive early enough to drive up to Moraine Lake in our own vehicle. And mission accomplished! What a spectacle, this sunrise over the most beautiful lake in the world! 🤩

We haven’t finished discovering the wonders of Banff National Park. But more rain is forecasted for the coming days… Nevertheless, Banff National Park is so beautiful that even in the rain, the spectacle remains incredible!